Start with the job you want, not the badge
Your first certification should open a specific door. Before comparing exams, ask yourself where you want to be in a year: answering support tickets and fixing laptops, running an office network, protecting systems, or working with cloud services. Each of those paths has a natural first step, and choosing the right one saves you months of studying material you will not use.
If you are not yet sure, that is normal. A broad foundation certification is a sensible place to begin, and a short conversation with one of our advisers can help you match your background and interests to a realistic starting point.
The entry-level options at a glance
These are the certifications most beginners consider. Exam details change from time to time, so always check the awarding body's official exam page before you book.
- CompTIA Tech+ (formerly ITF+): a single exam covering basic IT concepts, software, hardware, databases and security awareness. It suits complete beginners and people in non-technical roles who want to understand technology.
- CompTIA A+: two exams (Core 1 and Core 2) covering hardware, mobile devices, operating systems, troubleshooting, networking basics and operational procedures. It is the classic help desk and technical support certification and includes hands-on, performance-based questions.
- CompTIA Network+: one exam on how networks are designed, configured, secured and troubleshot. It includes multiple-choice and performance-based questions.
- CompTIA Security+: one exam on core security concepts, threats, architecture, operations and governance. It is widely seen as the first serious security certification and also includes performance-based questions.
- Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900): a short, concept-level exam on cloud principles and core Azure services, pricing and governance. No hands-on experience is required.
- Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900): a concept-level exam on Microsoft 365 services, security, compliance and licensing, useful for support and administration roles in organisations that use Microsoft 365. Check its current status before booking, as Microsoft updates and retires fundamentals exams periodically.
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner: a foundation exam on cloud concepts, core AWS services, security, billing and pricing, aimed at people new to AWS.
Matching certifications to your goal
Most learners fall into one of four directions. Here is where we usually suggest starting.
- Help desk and technical support: CompTIA A+. If you have never worked with computers beyond everyday use, Tech+ first can build confidence.
- Networking: A+ or solid practical experience, then Network+. Network+ gives you vendor-neutral foundations that make later vendor-specific study much easier.
- Security: Network+ before Security+ if you can. Security+ assumes you understand how networks and systems work, and learners without that foundation often find it hard going.
- Cloud: AZ-900 if your target employers use Microsoft, AWS Cloud Practitioner if they use AWS. Both are concept-level, so they pair well with A+ or Network+ for real technical depth.
How much study time to plan
Study time depends on your background and how many hours a week you can give. As a rough guide for someone studying part time: the fundamentals exams (Tech+, AZ-900, MS-900, AWS Cloud Practitioner) are usually achievable in a few weeks; A+ normally needs a few months because it is two exams; Network+ and Security+ each need steady study over several weeks to a few months, more if you are new to the subject.
Practical work matters as much as reading. CompTIA's performance-based questions ask you to configure, troubleshoot or identify problems, so time spent in labs and on real equipment pays off on exam day.
The usual sequences
There is no single correct order, but these paths are common and match what employers tend to expect.
- Support to infrastructure: Tech+ (optional), A+, Network+, then Security+.
- Security focus: A+ or equivalent experience, Network+, Security+, then a more specialised security certification.
- Cloud focus: AZ-900 or AWS Cloud Practitioner, then an associate-level cloud certification, ideally alongside Network+ knowledge.
- Office technology roles: MS-900, then a Microsoft 365 administration path.
Sitting these exams in Damascus
CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft and AWS exams are delivered through Pearson VUE, and Alalamia is an Authorised Test Centre for Pearson VUE and Prometric in Mazzeh, Damascus. You sit your exam on a secure, individually proctored workstation, under the same international security rules as any test centre worldwide, and your result is recorded directly with the awarding body.
Tell us the exact exam code and we will confirm it before you book or pay. We help candidates book, and the list of exams we deliver is on our Exams we deliver page.
Our centre is open to everyone: our learners, self-taught candidates, university students and staff sent by employers. You can build the skills with us now and sit the exam here when you are ready.
How Alalamia can help
Our IT Training & Certification courses prepare you for each of these exams with instructor-led sessions, labs and practice questions, in our classrooms in Mazzeh or through live online classes. Learners who attend at least 80% of a course receive an Alalamia certificate within 10 working days. Exam fees are separate and paid to the exam provider.
Call or WhatsApp us on +963 991 099 555, or email info@alalamia-sy.com, and we will help you choose a first step that fits your goal.
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