What are Easy certs?

So there was a thread recently about what the hardest certs are, but I was thinking what are some 'easy' certs to get. Things that might take only a few days or a couple of weeks of study if you are coming in fairly new to the area.

One I might put out there is the Apple Certified Associate - Mac Integration Basics. It's unproctored online, and all the answers to the questions are in a ~50pp guide (free download). If you use Macs regularly, then it's probably the kind of thing you could prepare for in weekend.

ITIL Foundation is probably a candidate, too, since most people pass after a 4 day bootcamp course, and many people pass after reading one book.

I probably wouldn't put A+ in this category since for most people it is a first cert, and it has two exams, and there is a fair amount of material.

VMware VCA is probably one of these.

These "easy" certs could be useful if you want to bulk out your resume, or fill a gap in skills for a new job.

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Comments

PCTechLinc

The CIW certs I had to take at the beginning of my Bachelor's were the easiest I took. I think I studied for a week each just so I could justify the relative cost of each class.

I also thought the ICND1 was very easy, but that was a couple versions ago. I had previous knowledge of most of the material, but did study for a week for that one.

SweenMachine

The MTA certs I took, specifically the original win 7 98-349. I didn't even study and passed right away. The Network and Security MTA I studied for 2 hours each and passed.

-scott

doubleo

70-698: Installing and Configuring Windows 10 earns you a MCP and it only requires fooling around with Windows 10 Settings - updates, wifi setup options like preferred network and metered connection, disk configurations, mbr and gpt differences, some gpo, file history and backup, drivers installation. Mostly things each ITpro guy should be familiar with.

74-409: Server Virtualization with Windows Server Hyper-V and System Center earns you a Microsoft Specialist. Requires fooling around with Hyper-V settings and basic to moderate level virtualization, again, usual ITpro stuff.

MTA's are all fairly easy, all you have to do is watch a free corresponding MVA course.

[h=2][/h]

Dr. Fluxx

I was going to say Security Plus...because I got it prior to the Apple cert by by and large, the Apple Cert has to be the easiest I have ever seen. It was open book....

DatabaseHead

ITIL was incredibly easy. It's so easy that I am almost embarrassed to put it on my resume. (In fact I don't anymore)
Security + was easier for me, not ITILIAN though.
CIW gets hammered on this forum, never taken one though so I can't comment. (Something tells me they are on par with ITIL)
Anything EXIN is a breeze (from my experience)
Never taken an MTA, but something tells me they are a BREEZE.

Verities

VCA and Server + were the easiest certifications I've taken; both were jokes. To corroborate with what others have said..I've heard from multiple co-workers that the Apple certifications are also ridiculously easy.

PC509

I think it comes down to experience, really. Experience and motivation. Some people are constantly learning about technology, even without it being about work.

Look in some of the forums. For a test that I thought was extremely easy, I see people posting about failing. A lot.

I think those 'easy' exams are easy with minimal preparation. Like the ITIL comment someone made - you can pass by reading a single book. CIW can be passed with minimal experience with the technology. I felt that the A+ was extremely easy in the late 90's, but I knew IRQ's, serial ports, config.sys, autoexec.bat from playing around with computers.

If you have a background in something, it can be much easier. If you dabble in security, read Daril Gibson's book, then the test is a breeze. If you know Windows fairly well, the Windows Client exams are fairly simple (Vista was WAY too easy, though. Holy hell, that was the easiest exam I've ever taken.).

stryder144

Add Rackspace's CloudU Certificate to the list. Ten modules and an easy final exam.

TSaL

Easiest to hardest for me: CIW certs < Project + < Security + < Network + < Server + < Linux + < CCNA Wireless < ICND1 & 2 < Microsoft Infustructure 2012.

TheFORCE

The Palo Alto ACE cerificatation is free and fairly easy. All materials are online on the Palo Alto site.

9bits

OCSE. You should be able to do it in a day or two.

TheFORCE

9bits wrote: »

OCSE. You should be able to do it in a day or two.

For sure, granted you spend 1+ year of studying and labbing.

p@r0tuXus

9bits wrote: »

OCSE. You should be able to do it in a day or two.

^This guy.....

chrisone

Easy certs are the ones taken by over qualified test takers, who should have taken a cert they had no previous experience in.

/fin

airzero

I thought Linux Essentials was pretty easy. I only study for 3 days and missed 1 questions (I type in the command backwards). If you even know basic stuff about using linux CLI then you could study for a day or two and pass easily. I finished the exam in 6 minutes, before the proctor even finished processing my paperwork.

Dr. Fluxx

9bits wrote: »

OCSE. You should be able to do it in a day or two.

lol!!

Someone is on that good stuff.

Micheal Alex

It was really an important and informative post you shared with us glad to see this type of post you are doing such an amazing work glad to see this type of post it was lovely. I didn't know about what is easy cert but after read different comment and link's know about this topic than you for sharing such an important topic with us.

revbox

CIW: Pretty much everything - LOL.
Apple: Any of their Mac integration certs or the Mac Management.
CompTIA: IT Fundamentals
Microsoft: Anything MTA level.
Rackspace Cloud U
Cloud Security Alliance - I didn't think the CCSK was all that bad.
VMWare - Anything VCA level.

FutureExamSelf

Bit snobby this. What about all the other people on the forum that are doing the ITIL stuff!

PJ_Sneakers

An “easy cert” is relative to the candidate, right? The Mac cert mentioned above wouldn’t be a super easy walk in the park for me because I don’t EVER EVER use Macs, even though it’s open book. But I didn’t study for Network+ at all and passed easily. Yet Network+ can be a hard exam for a lot of people that are new to IT.

What I think are easy certifications are the “gimmes”, like specialized vendor-based certs that you might simply get at the end of a class after a 20 question MCQ. Or the “free” certs you can get online (that you’d never put on your resume).

Pseudonym

I passed ITIL easily by reading a 40 page PDF I found on the internet. It's a joke certification.

DatabaseHead

Pseudonym wrote: »

I passed ITIL easily by reading a 40 page PDF I found on the internet. It's a joke certification.

I agree, I don't even list it anymore. It's like gaining a participation metal in a 8 person race and finishing 7th......

Quality over Quantity. For instance when I look at your certifications, you could take A+, N+ and ITIL off and just list the others and it would probably make your resume look BETTER.

Just my opinion.....

NetworkNewb

CCSK is pretty easy if you're looking to add a cloud security cert to the resume.

TechGromit

OctalDump wrote: »

These "easy" certs could be useful if you want to bulk out your resume, or fill a gap in skills for a new job.

Also keep in mind "Easy" certs are less valuable or desirable to potential employers, as well as more people have them. While having hard certs is a lot of work, far less people have them and they are highly valued by employers. I think one hard cert is far more valuable them several easier certs. for example a CCNA outweighs A+, Network+, Security+ combined in my opinion.

PJ_Sneakers

NetworkNewb wrote: »

CCSK is pretty easy if you're looking to add a cloud security cert to the resume.

So is CCSK a certification or just a certificate? Or is it called a certificate but considered a certification?

NetworkNewb

Pretty sure "a certificate but considered a certification"

Salary Survey 2016: An all-new Salary Survey 75 - CertMag

Not sure where this survey got their results from but I know I would be bringing down that average.

Pretty much the easier and less known cert to ISC2's CCSP.

TechGromit

The survey you posted isn't by exam difficulty in my opinion. The GCIH is much easier then the CCNA, but it's 7 places and $5,000 higher on the survey. I guess the fact that the price point is what makes the difference. You just need $295, a couple of good books and some quality study time to pass the CCNA. The GCIH on the other hand, is a good $6,250 investment, in addition to studying. The CCNP Security is only listed two spots higher than a CCNA, despite being considerable tougher then the CCNA, 4 more exams, but is still less than a 1/3 the cost of the GCIH.

NetworkNewb

TechGromit wrote: »

The survey you posted isn't by exam difficulty in my opinion.

Wasn't meant to show difficulty at all.

Just showing him that is considered a "certification"

PJ_Sneakers

NetworkNewb wrote: »

Pretty sure "a certificate but considered a certification"

Salary Survey 2016: An all-new Salary Survey 75 - CertMag

Not sure where this survey got their results from but I know I would be bringing down that average.

Pretty much the easier and less known cert to ISC2's CCSP.

Thanks! I have wondered this because it is confusing sometimes. For instance the ISACA “CSX Fundamentals Certificate” is by all accounts not a certification, yet the CSA “Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge” is a certification.

joelsfood

The easiest certs will always be those on topics you have experience in.

Outside of that, anything that's online/unproctored. Everything elsse depends on the persons' skills and experience.