Free Certifications That May Be Worth Your Time

baghdaddy19

First off, I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe.
Since most of the world is closed and everyone is staying home, why not brush up on your skills with some free certifications?

Below is a list of certifications you can get for free:

Oracle
1) Oracle Autonomous Database Specialist
2) Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Foundations Associate

3) Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Cloud Operations Associate

4) Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Developer Associate 

5) Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Associate
6) Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Professional 

Palo Alto
1) PCCSA
2) PCNSA
3) PCNSE

Use the code PANWOP50 for 50% off (can be used on all tests)

Use the code PANW50WEB for another 50% off (can be stacked with the above mentioned code, but can only be used once)

So you can do one certification for free, and the other two are 50% off.

Scrum
1) Scrum Fundamentals Certified 

Juniper Networks
1) JNCIA-Junos
2) JNCDA

3) JNCIA-Cloud
4) JNCIA- DevOps
5) JNCIA-SEC

JDMurray

And where would one use this code to get this discount?

itdept

This might add some more detail

Oracle Autonomous Database Specialist
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Foundations Associate
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Cloud Operations Associate
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Developer Associate Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Associate Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Architect Professional

More info, and links to register: https://www.oracle.com/corporate/blog/free-certifications-oracle-oci-autonomous-033020.html

All multiple choice exams.

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Juniper Networks. Juniper's "Open Learning" program always allows you to earn free associate level exam certs (one time per track; there's 5 tracks). JNCIA-Junos is the hardest to get access to as it requires enrolling in a web course to earn the voucher.

You can earn the other ones (JNCDA, JNCIA-Cloud, etc) through Junos Genius. You do have to complete the exam within 3 months of earning the free voucher. No rush on this in general though it's been available for a couple years now. Earning a JNCIA cert automatically extends expiration on all other JNCIA Juniper certs you have. So good to space these out over a few years. Multiple choice. Pearson Vue.

Here's direct links to the Juniper options:

JNCIA-JUNOS: This one requires a special registration session and is capacity controlled. You can sign up for the 10/2020 session here while spaces are still open: https://learningportal.juniper.net/juniper/user_activity_info.aspx?id=10175 All current sessions are full up. Once you register the content will unlock in Junos Genius and you can earn the voucher. You need to use the above link first tho.

JNCIA-DevOps: https://cloud.contentraven.com/junosgenius/learningpath-detail/813/3/0/1

JNCIA-Cloud: https://cloud.contentraven.com/junosgenius/learningpath-detail/392/3/0/1

JNCDA: https://cloud.contentraven.com/junosgenius/learningpath-detail/771/3/0/1

JNCIA-SEC: https://cloud.contentraven.com/junosgenius/learningpath-detail/1789/3/0/1

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Palo Alto Networks: You can take one of these exams for free. Register now, take exam by 6/30/20. Pearson Vue.

PCCSA (cheapest)

PCNSA

PCNSE (most expensive, so use the second 50% off on this one if you are doing multiple exams)

Here's the discount codes: PANWOP50 - Can be used on multiple tests PANW50WEB - Can only be used on one test

Link to Pearson exam site: https://home.pearsonvue.com/paloaltonetworks

You can schedule the test in May or June 2020. Must take it by 6/30/20

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Cisco: Cisco Live is online and registration is free. Conference is June 2-3, 2020

https://www.ciscolive.com/us.html

No word on any certs or discounts yet, but it's customary to pass out codes at these events so I'll be on the lookout.

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IBM: IBM Think is online this year and registration is free. Conference is May 5 – 6

https://www.ibm.com/events/think/

IBM discount code is live. It's a $75 exam fee for any one IBM exam offered via Pearson Vue. USA code is 'Think2020D'. Meh. I'll pass this one. Discount is only available on 5/5 and 5/6, but exam can be scheduled up to 6 months away.

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Microsoft:

MS Build is coming up. May 19-20. Free registration. Online format. Targetted toward devs so less likely to offer free certs but who knows? https://register.build.microsoft.com/contact

There's also some free Azure Cert codes in the wild from various technical presentations. Here's an offer for the Azure Fundamentals for Education program (there will be similar sessions in the future, this is expired): https://info.microsoft.com/US-AzureApp-CATALOG-FY20-05May-12-TrainingAzure900fundamentalsforeducation-SRDEM15957_CatalogDisplayPage.html

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Coursera (Google Cloud/IBM/etc):

These 85 courses with certificates are free, including several cloud provider ones: https://www.classcentral.com/report/coursera-free-certificate-covid-19/

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HP Enterprise Discover Conference, starting 6/23/20

https://www.hpe.com/us/en/discover.html

Sign up for certification program here before registering (there will be codes...):

https://certification-learning.hpe.com/tr/get_started.html

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Scrum fundamentals training and cert is free and for life.

https://www.scrumstudy.com/certification/scrum-fundamentals-certified

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VMware Carbon Black Connect 20 is free registration. Being held May 12-15th. During registration they ask if you'd like a free certification exam. There are 4 options.

https://www.carbonblack.com/connect20/

NetworkingStudent

Have you guys ever heard of ICSI? (UK based). It is some sort of security company/organization.  They offering their $600.00 course for free.  I think you need to pay for the exam and any virtual labs.

https://www.icsi.co.uk/courses/icsi-cnss-certified-network-security-specialist-covid-19

srothman

Qualys also has some free training available:
https://www.qualys.com/training/

stryder144

NetworkingStudent said:

Have you guys ever heard of ICSI? (UK based). It is some sort of security company/organization.  They offering their $600.00 course for free.  I think you need to pay for the exam and any virtual labs.

https://www.icsi.co.uk/courses/icsi-cnss-certified-network-security-specialist-covid-19

The labs plus exam cost approximately $95 USD.  Obviously, the exchange rate changes the price as the market fluctuates.

NetworkingStudent

@stryder144

Thank for the info on the labs and exam. Have you ever heard of icsi?   This is the company that created  the exam.  This company seems pretty small

stryder144

NetworkingStudent said:

@stryder144

Thank for the info on the labs and exam. Have you ever heard of icsi?   This is the company that created  the exam.  This company seems pretty small

Oddly enough, I have but I am not sure where I heard of them.  Frankly, there aren't going to be many US-based companies asking for it, but for those of us who are "cooling our heals" due to job loss, something like this will at least show our future employer(s) that we weren't sitting idly by.  That would be the extent of the face value of the training/certification.  It is quite possible that it could be of use, depending on the quality of the training.

beads

Not sure if any of the scrum master exams really mean much from what I understand but an interesting insight nonetheless.

Post number 1500. Congrats on making me write this.

- b/eads

JDMurray

Here is a longer listing of free courses that may not have a certificate: https://www.classcentral.com/report/free-online-learning-coronavirus/

stryder144

I saw a post on LinkedIn where someone doubled up the Palo Alto discounts and it was denied due to an error on the website.  I haven't confirmed it yet, but the screen shot mentioned that only one discount can be applied per exam.

Info_Sec_Wannabe

I tried to schedule an exam for Oracle Cloud, but it seemed that all slots were already filled.

baghdaddy19

Sorry I have been AWOL for a couple of days guys. I had some family stuff to take care of, but let me address some of these questions.

@JDMurray, you should be able to use the code when you register to take the exam and right before you checkout there is a section where you can put the discount code. I just learned this as well but Palo Alto does not allow you to stack discount codes anymore. I registered and put both the codes and 2 days later my exam date was canceled and when I tried to re-register they did not let me use both of the codes again. Oh and thanks for that class central list!

@itdept, thank you! This is a much more comprehensive list

@srothman, this is really cool, I will definitely be sure to check this out! 

@beads, yeah I agree but it is free and the cert is for life so i thought some people might be interested in it.

@Info_Sec_Wannabe, don't fret man I have actually been told to steer clear from Oracle anyways. These certs apparently don't mean much and Oracle itself is a terrible vendor. I have also heard from multiple people that while the cert maybe free right now, they actually charge you a fee to "hold" the cert. 

denisehilton

Thanks for sharing these man. Much appreciated!

muelandi

Nessus (Tenable) also has free certification available.

muelandi

redhat Introduction to OpenShift Applications (DO101) free until June 30

changlinn

muelandi said:

Nessus (Tenable) also has free certification available.

Tenable customer here... they didn't tell us about this in the recent renewal