Price & version watch
When certification prices and rules change, it lands here
Vendors raise prices, retire exams, and shorten validity windows with little fanfare. This is the dated record: every change we verify, with the primary source, appended as each quarterly re-check lands. Cite it freely.
The change log
- Policy change PMI
PMP 35 training hours: live classes restricted from December 1, 2026
PMI's PMP page states that starting 1 December 2026, live instructor-led classes (in person or online) count toward the required 35 training hours only when delivered by a China Registered Education Provider or an eligible, accredited higher education program. Self-paced, on-demand courses from any organization still qualify, and an active CAPM still waives the requirement.
- Policy change Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS widens recertification routes: Skill Builder maintain for SAA, Security, and MLA; new auto-recert paths
AWS's recertification table now lists the paid Skill Builder maintain option (one year at a time, within 90 days of expiry) for Solutions Architect Associate, Security Specialty, and Machine Learning Engineer Associate. Generative AI Developer Professional now recertifies both AI Practitioner and Machine Learning Engineer Associate, and Cloud Practitioner can renew free through the AWS Cloud Quest recertification game. Every recertification exam can use the 50% voucher.
- Price change CompTIA
SecurityX voucher rises to $544
CompTIA's store now lists the SecurityX (CAS-005) voucher at $544, up from the $529 we recorded on July 10, 2026, and the voucher with Retake Assurance at $709. CompTIA did not publish an effective date, so this entry is dated to when we observed it.
- Exam version CompTIA
Security+ V8 (SY0-801) dated for November 17, 2026; SY0-701 retires June 11, 2027
CompTIA now lists SY0-801 launching on or around November 17, 2026, keeping 90 questions, 90 minutes, and a 750 passing score. The current SY0-701 exam retires June 11, 2027 in English and August 13, 2027 in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai.
- Exam version HashiCorp
HashiCorp splits Terraform into a three-level ladder, adds Infrastructure Engineer Professional
HashiCorp now lists Terraform Associate (004), a new multiple-choice Terraform Infrastructure Engineer Professional (002) exam launching in October 2026 with price not yet published, and the lab-based Terraform Authoring and Operations Advanced exam ($295 with a free retake). Passing either higher exam extends a Terraform Associate's expiration, alongside retaking the $70.50 Associate exam.
- Exam version CNCF (Linux Foundation)
CKAD exam environment moves to Kubernetes v1.37
The Linux Foundation's CKAD page now states the exam is based on Kubernetes v1.37, up from v1.35 in July. Price ($445 with one included retake), two-hour format, and two-year validity are unchanged; the CKA page still lists v1.35.
- Policy change Google Cloud
Google Cloud issues a 50% renewal discount code to every newly certified candidate
Google's certification help center now states that on certification you receive a 50 percent discount code in the Benefits section of your CM Connect account, applicable to your renewal attempt. Google does not say how it interacts with the already-cheaper renewal exams, so list prices remain the planning numbers. It matters most for certifications like Generative AI Leader that renew only by retaking the standard exam.
- Policy change Google Cloud
Professional Cloud Architect renewal exam now centers on a generative AI case study
The $100, one-hour, 25-question PCA renewal exam is built around a single case study aligned to generative AI solutions, and case-study questions make up 90 to 100 percent of it. Unlike Associate Cloud Engineer, PCA candidates may switch between the renewal exam and the standard $200 exam from one attempt to the next during the renewal window.
- Exam version Microsoft
DP-700 English exam update scheduled for October 19, 2026
Microsoft scheduled the English version of DP-700 to update on October 19, 2026, its second outline revision after July 21. The study guide change log marks the changes as minor (Fabric workspace settings and performance optimization), and the three domains stay at 30 to 35 percent each.
- Price change OffSec
OffSec's $250 Course + Cert bundle promotion has ended
The limited-time "Save $250 on select Course + Cert Bundles" offer logged in July, which had cut PEN-200 to $1,499, no longer appears. As of October 6, 2026 both the PEN-200 page and OffSec's individual pricing page show the bundle at its $1,749 list price, with Learn One unchanged at $2,749 a year.
- Policy change OffSec
OSCP+ upkeep now carries a $145 annual maintenance fee
OffSec now publishes the cost of keeping OSCP+ current through its CPE program: 120 CPE credits over the three-year cycle plus an Annual Maintenance Fee of $145 for each year, or a $299/yr Annual Membership Program that includes the fee along with labs and CPE content. The other routes remain a recertification exam (OffSec markets the $1,699 OSCP+ Standalone Exam, now with two attempts in 90 days, for this) or a qualifying higher OffSec exam; the base OSCP still never expires.
- Price change PMI
PMP exam rises to $425 for members, $675 for non-members
PMI's PMP page now lists the exam at $425 for members and $675 full price, up from the $405 member price this site last recorded. Individual PMI membership is listed at a flat $139 a year, so joining first still beats the full price.
- Policy change PMI
PMI stops printing PMP renewal and re-exam fees publicly
PMI's April 2026 CCR Handbook says certification renewal fees are subject to membership and regional pricing and points holders to the myPMI dashboard for the current figure, and its June 2026 certification handbook likewise gives no re-examination amount. The $60 member and $150 non-member renewal figures still quoted widely are no longer stated on PMI's public pages.
- Exam version Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS retires English MLA-C01; the $75 MLA-C02 beta takes over until January 2027
The last English sitting of MLA-C01 was September 28, 2026, and the English-only MLA-C02 beta began delivery September 29 at $75 for 85 questions in 170 minutes, with one attempt allowed. MLA-C01 stays available in Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese until MLA-C02 reaches general availability in all languages on January 14, 2027.
- Exam version ISACA
ISACA announces a CISM reweighting effective November 3, 2026
ISACA announced on September 10, 2026 that an updated CISM exam goes live on November 3, 2026. The four domains keep their names, but Information Security Governance rises from 17 to 18 percent and Incident Management falls from 30 to 29 percent, with enterprise and information security architecture added as content areas. Price stays $575 for members and $760 for nonmembers.
- Exam version Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS announces SAP-C03: SAP-C02 ends November 16, 2026
AWS opens SAP-C03 registration October 27, 2026; the last day to take SAP-C02 is November 16 and SAP-C03 delivery begins November 17. The price ($300), length (75 questions), and time (180 minutes) stay the same, but the content moves to five domains with new generative AI, resilience engineering, DevSecOps, and post-quantum cryptography skills.
- Exam version Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS announces DVA-C03: DVA-C02 ends November 30, 2026
AWS opens DVA-C03 registration October 27, 2026; the last day to take DVA-C02 is November 30 and DVA-C03 delivery begins December 1. The format stays at 65 questions in 130 minutes for $150 with 720 to pass, while the reweighted domains add AI security and AI-assisted development and bring Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Q, and container deployment into scope.
- Exam version ISC2
New Certified in Cybersecurity exam outline restructures the domains
ISC2's CC exam outline effective September 1, 2026 replaces the old five domains with Security Principles (24%), Security Governance (17.3%), IAM Concepts (20%), Networking and Cloud Security Concepts (21.3%), and Security Operations and Incident Response (17.3%). Format is unchanged: 100 to 125 CAT questions in 2 hours, pass at 700 of 1,000, and the price stays $199.
- Exam version Microsoft
AZ-500 retired; SC-500 is the Azure security successor
The AZ-500 exam, the Azure Security Engineer Associate certification, and its renewal assessments retired on August 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM Central, and the exam no longer carries a price on Microsoft Learn. Holders stay active until their normal expiry and cannot renew. The successor, Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate (exam SC-500), is a 120-minute exam listed at $165 in the US.
- Exam version ISC2
CCSP exam outline updated, one point shifts toward cloud security operations
ISC2's CCSP exam outline effective August 1, 2026 moves Cloud Application Security from 17 to 16 percent and Cloud Security Operations from 16 to 17 percent, and adds newer material such as data set and model security. The CAT format (100 to 150 questions, 3 hours, 700 of 1,000) and the $599 price are unchanged.
- 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.
- Exam version Cisco
CCNA 200-301 v1.1 retires February 2, 2027; v2.0 goes live the next day
Cisco set February 2, 2027 as the last day to test on CCNA v1.1, with CCNA v2.0 live from February 3, 2027 under the same 200-301 exam number. The v2.0 exam topics cut six domains to five and add a 10 percent AI, and Network Operations and Management domain, with heavier troubleshooting. A CCNA earned on v1.1 keeps its full three-year term.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Policy change ISC2
ISC2 revises the CISSP experience-waiver credential list
From April 1, 2026, a credential only waives a year of CISSP experience if it has a public exam outline, accreditation or a proctored exam, and at least 90 percent alignment with two or more CISSP domains; the revised list includes CompTIA Security+, AWS Certified Security - Specialty, GIAC certifications and ISC2's own credentials. Only one waiver applies: a degree and a credential cannot be combined, so four years of experience is the floor.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Current exam versions
The version you would sit today, per the vendor, with each profile's verification date.
| Certification | Current exam | Cost | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified AI Practitioner | AIF-C01 | $100 | 2026-10-06 |
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | CLF-C02 | $100 | 2026-10-06 |
| AWS CloudOps Engineer Associate | SOA-C03 | $150 | 2026-10-06 |
| AWS Developer Associate | DVA-C02 (DVA-C03 from December 1, 2026) | $150 | 2026-10-06 |
| AWS Machine Learning Engineer Associate | MLA-C02 (English beta now; general availability January 14, 2027) | $150 | 2026-10-06 |
| AWS Security Specialty | SCS-C03 | $300 | 2026-10-06 |
| AWS Solutions Architect Associate | SAA-C03 | $150 | 2026-10-06 |
| AWS Solutions Architect Professional | SAP-C02 (SAP-C03 from November 17, 2026) | $300 | 2026-10-06 |
| Cisco CCNA | 200-301 (v1.1 exam topics until February 2, 2027; v2.0 from February 3, 2027) | $300 | 2026-10-06 |
| Cisco CyberOps Associate | 200-201 (CCNACBR; the exam suffix was CBROPS until early 2026) | $300 | 2026-10-06 |
| Certified Kubernetes Administrator | CKA (Kubernetes v1.35) | $445 | 2026-10-06 |
| Certified Kubernetes Application Developer | CKAD (Kubernetes v1.37) | $445 | 2026-10-06 |
| CompTIA A+ | 220-1201 (Core 1) + 220-1202 (Core 2) | $548 | 2026-10-06 |
| CompTIA Cloud+ | CV0-004 | $399 | 2026-10-06 |
| CompTIA CySA+ | CS0-004 | $439 | 2026-10-06 |
| CompTIA Linux+ | XK0-006 | $399 | 2026-10-06 |
| CompTIA Network+ | N10-009 | $399 | 2026-10-06 |
| CompTIA PenTest+ | PT0-003 | $439 | 2026-10-06 |
| CompTIA SecAI+ | CY0-001 | $298 | 2026-10-06 |
| CompTIA Security+ | SY0-701 | $439 | 2026-10-06 |
| CompTIA SecurityX | CAS-005 | $544 | 2026-10-06 |
| Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate | Data Engineer Associate (Databricks assigns no numbered exam code) | $200 | 2026-10-06 |
| Databricks Generative AI Engineer Associate | Generative AI Engineer Associate (Databricks assigns no numbered exam code) | $200 | 2026-10-06 |
| EC-Council CEH | CEH v13 (commonly listed as 312-50; EC-Council markets by version) | $1,199 | 2026-10-06 |
| GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) | GSEC | $999 | 2026-10-06 |
| Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer | Associate Cloud Engineer (Google does not assign a numbered exam code) | $125 | 2026-10-06 |
| Google Cloud Generative AI Leader | None (Google Cloud does not assign exam codes) | $99 | 2026-10-06 |
| Google Professional Cloud Architect | Professional Cloud Architect (Google does not assign a numbered exam code) | $200 | 2026-10-06 |
| HashiCorp Terraform Associate | Terraform Associate 004 (Terraform 1.12) | $70.50 | 2026-10-06 |
| ISACA CISA | CISA (ISACA does not assign a numbered exam code) | $760 | 2026-10-06 |
| ISACA CISM | CISM (ISACA does not assign a numbered exam code) | $760 | 2026-10-06 |
| ISC2 CCSP | CCSP (ISC2 does not assign a numbered exam code) | $599 | 2026-10-06 |
| ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity | CC (ISC2 does not assign a numbered exam code) | $199 | 2026-10-06 |
| ISC2 CISSP | CISSP (ISC2 does not assign a numbered exam code) | $749 | 2026-10-06 |
| Microsoft Azure Administrator | AZ-104 | $165 | 2026-10-06 |
| Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals | AI-901 | $99 | 2026-10-06 |
| Microsoft Azure Fundamentals | AZ-900 | $99 | 2026-10-06 |
| Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate | AZ-500 | $165 | 2026-10-06 |
| Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert | AZ-305 | $165 | 2026-10-06 |
| Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer Associate | DP-700 | $165 | 2026-10-06 |
| NVIDIA NCA Generative AI LLMs | NCA-GENL | $125 | 2026-10-06 |
| OffSec OSCP | OSCP / OSCP+ (OffSec does not assign a numbered exam code; the exam belongs to the PEN-200 course) | $1,749 | 2026-10-06 |
| ITIL 4 Foundation | ITIL 4 Foundation | $690 | 2026-10-06 |
| PMP | PMP (PMI does not assign a numbered exam code) | $425 | 2026-10-06 |
| Red Hat RHCSA | EX200 (based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10) | $500 | 2026-10-06 |
| Salesforce Platform Administrator | Salesforce Certified Platform Administrator (formerly Salesforce Certified Administrator) | $200 | 2026-10-06 |
| SnowPro Core | COF-C03 | $175 | 2026-10-06 |
Known transitions: CompTIA has SY0-801 slated to succeed Security+'s SY0-701 on or around November 17, 2026, with SY0-701 staying available in English until June 11, 2027 (a live exam does not vanish when its successor ships), and AZ-500 retired August 31, 2026, with SC-500 as its successor, 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.