What is the Cloud Essentials+ certification?
CompTIA is an internationally known IT powerhouse. The Cloud Essentials+ is part of CompTIA’s professional certifications for both IT and non-IT individuals. It tackles both business principles and cloud fundamentals.
Individuals with this certification will be able to assess cloud service providers and understand the business implications of migration and implementation. Like many CompTIA certifications, Cloud Essentials+ is vendor neutral.
Who gets this certification?
Many of CompTIA’s certifications are very specific to people who work in the IT field. Cloud Essentials+ is different. While it can be an excellent certification for IT pros, it also is highly relevant for a business audience. CompTIA lists these jobs as ones that would use the Cloud Essentials+ certification:
- Business analysts
- Technical sales specialists
- Business development staff that sell cloud services
- Cloud product marketers
- Technical support for cloud
While Cloud Essentials+ is technically considered an entry level certification, it is still recommended that people have between six months to a year of relevant work experience in IT or business. It’s also recommended that candidates have some knowledge about cloud technology.
This certification could be especially useful for someone who works IT-adjacent and wants to get a role more specific to cloud computing.
Exam details
The exam consists of 75 multiple choice questions and candidates have one hour to complete the exam. A passing score is 720 or above (on a scale of 100-900). The exam covers four subject areas:
- Cloud concepts
- Business principles of cloud environments
- Management and technical operations
- Governance, risk, compliance, and cloud security
Fun fact: This certification never needs to be renewed – it’s good for life.
The current cost of the exam is $134.
Are there other CompTIA certifications I should consider?
es. CompTIA offers many certifications. If you’re planning to get the Cloud Essentials+ certification and are interested in IT training, CompTIA recommends the CTT+ certification.
If Cloud Essentials+ seems past your current skill level but you still want a business-related IT certification, the Project+ is recommended.
CompTIA has a great comparison resource that provides an overview of their certifications and how they relate to one another.
In terms of salary, CompTIA reports that the average salary for an IT person in the United States is $121,544.
