The CompTIA Certification Path Explained

CompTIA certification paths can help you decide which CompTIA certifications are right for your career.
Learn more about the certifications that CompTIA offers, as well as how to prepare for the certification exams.

CompTIA is a nonprofit trade organization that offers a variety of credentials for information technology (IT) professionals.
The certifications are sorted into five main career pathways relevant for professionals working as IT support specialists, network specialists, cybersecurity specialists, data specialists, and software and web developers.

What are CompTIA certifications?
CompTIA certifications and certification paths help outline and demonstrate levels of mastery among computer technology topics.
By earning these certifications, you can demonstrate to employers that you have a standardized set of skills.

CompTIA certification paths
CompTIA certifications cover different topics relevant to various careers in computer tech and IT.
To make it easier to navigate which certifications are right for your career,
CompTIA certifications are classified into five career paths: core skills, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data and analytics, and professional.

Core skills
The core skills pathway can help you learn IT and computer skills relevant to a wide range of careers in the industry.
It comprises four certifications:

CompTIA ITF+
CompTIA A+
CompTIA Network+
CompTIA Security+

Infrastructure
The infrastructure pathway builds on the certifications you earn in core skills. It adds Server+ or Linux+, followed by Cloud+.
This pathway also has stackable certifications to help you demonstrate your skill combination.
For example, you could earn your CompTIA Systems Support Specialist certification by stacking A+ and Linux+.
Stackable infrastructure certifications include:

CompTIA Systems Support Specialist (A+ / Linux+)
CompTIA IT Operations Specialist (A+ / Network+)
CompTIA Cloud Admin Professional (Network+ / Cloud+)
CompTIA Network Infrastructure Professional (Network+ / Server+)
CompTIA Linux Network Professional (Network+ / Linux+)

Cybersecurity
The cybersecurity pathway extends the core pathway to PenTest+, followed by CASP+. Similar to the infrastructure pathway,
the cybersecurity pathway features stackable certifications to help you demonstrate a combination of skills.
The stackable certifications in the cybersecurity pathway include:

CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist (A+ / Network+ / Security+)
CompTIA Secure Cloud Professional (Security+ / Cloud+)
CompTIA Security Analytics Professional (Security+ / CySA+)
CompTIA Network Vulnerability Assessment Professional (Security+ / PenTest+)
CompTIA Network Security Professional (Security+ / PenTest+ / CySA+)
CompTIA Security Analytics Expert (Security+ / CySA+ / CASP+)
CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Expert (Security+ / CySA+ / PenTest+ / CASP+)

Data and analytics
The data and analytics pathway stands alone with Data+, which can help you begin or enhance a career as a data analyst, reporting analyst, or business data analyst. This certification demonstrates your skills in data mining, data environments, visualization, data governance,
and data analysis.

Professional
The professional pathway offers Project+ and Cloud Essentials+. The Project+ certification can help you prepare for a job
as a project manager or business analyst. Cloud Essentials+ is appropriate for business analysts, business process owners,
and managed service provider personnel.

How to get CompTIA certification
To earn your CompTIA certifications, you will need to pass an exam. Each exam has a recommended level of experience for professionals interested in gaining the certification, from no experience to up to three or four years of work experience.

CompTIA offers other educational products to help prepare for your exam, such as e-learning programs through
its CertMaster Learn platform, which includes interactive labs. You can also find practice exams, e-books,
and study guides to help you prepare.

Credit : https://www.coursera.org/articles/comptia-certification-path