When certification prices and rules change, it lands here

The change log

1. July 18, 2026 Price change OffSec

   OffSec runs a rare $250 discount on Course + Cert bundles

   A limited-time promotion, "Save $250 on select Course + Cert Bundles," cuts the PEN-200 Course and Certification bundle from $1,749 to $1,499 (OSAI excluded; no end date published). OffSec rarely discounts, so candidates already planning to buy the bundle should time the purchase to the promotion. List price and the $2,749/yr Learn One tier are unchanged.

   OffSec OSCP Source: OffSec PEN-200 course page (promotional bundle pricing)
2. June 1, 2026 Price change CompTIA

   CompTIA raises list prices across its whole lineup

   Security+ moved from $425 to $439 (+3.3%), with similar increases across the CompTIA catalog. Vouchers bought before the effective date kept the old price.

   CompTIA Security+ CompTIA A+ CompTIA Network+ Source: CompTIA Security+ certification page
3. May 20, 2026 Price change ISC2

   ISC2 closes the free Certified in Cybersecurity program

   One Million Certified in Cybersecurity closed to new enrollment, ending the free training + free exam path. New candidates now pay the standard $199; unexpired vouchers are honored through December 31, 2026. The $50/year maintenance fee was always charged either way.

   ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity Source: ISC2: One Million Certified in Cybersecurity program status
4. May 1, 2026 Policy change Microsoft

   AZ-500 set to retire August 31, 2026

   Microsoft announced the Azure Security Engineer Associate certification, its exam, and its renewals all retire on August 31, 2026, after which the credential can no longer be earned or renewed.

   Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate Source: Microsoft: Azure Security Engineer Associate certification page
5. January 15, 2026 Exam version Microsoft

   AI-900 retired; AI-901 replaces it at the same $99

   Azure AI Fundamentals moved to the AI-901 exam, a more technical successor to the retired AI-900. The price and the no-expiration Fundamentals policy carried over.

   Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Source: Microsoft: Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901) exam page
6. December 23, 2025 Policy change Microsoft

   Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102) retired

   Microsoft's certification page now carries a retirement notice: the AI-102 certification and its renewal assessment are retired. Practice tests and courses are still being sold for it; do not buy prep for a credential you can no longer earn.

   Source: Microsoft: Azure AI Engineer Associate certification page (retirement notice)
7. November 1, 2024 Policy change OffSec

   OSCP+ introduced with a 3-year expiry alongside the non-expiring OSCP

   OffSec began awarding OSCP+ (which expires three years from issuance) alongside the base OSCP, which continues not to expire. The change adds a recency clock to a historically permanent credential.

   OffSec OSCP Source: OffSec: PEN-200 / OSCP certification page
8. April 1, 2024 Policy change CNCF (Linux Foundation)

   CKA and CKAD validity shortened from 3 years to 2

   Kubernetes certifications earned from April 2024 onward are valid two years instead of three, raising the long-run cost of holding them by roughly a third.

   Certified Kubernetes Administrator Certified Kubernetes Application Developer Source: Linux Foundation: CKA program page (validity policy)

Known transitions ahead: CompTIA has SY0-801 slated to succeed Security+'s SY0-701 around November 2026 (a live exam does not vanish when its successor ships), and AZ-500 retires August 31, 2026, per the entries above. Timing details live in the retirement triage playbook. Method and refresh cadence: exam facts re-checked quarterly against each vendor, documented in the methodology. Maintained by Mario Bailey, Editor.