CertQuests
Pick your career, not your exam.
Most cert sites are organized vendor-first — AWS, CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft. That mirrors how exams are sold, not how careers are built. If your goal is "become a SOC analyst," you don't actually want to know about every CompTIA cert — you want to know which four certs in which order get you there.
Each roadmap below lists the certs in the right sequence, why each one sits where it does, and what's actually expected on top of the certs (homelab, code, soft skills). No bootcamp affiliate revenue. No vendor revenue. Updated as exams change.
The 6 paths
SOC Analyst
Network+ → Security+ → CySA+ → Splunk. The cleanest path into entry-level cybersecurity, anchored on what L1 SOC postings actually require.
Open roadmapCloud Engineer (AWS)
CCP → SAA → DVA → SOA. The associate-trio path that anchors the upper end of entry-level AWS Cloud Engineer offers.
Open roadmapCloud Engineer (Azure)
AZ-900 → AZ-104 → AZ-305 → AZ-500. Better than AWS in finance, healthcare, and government metros.
Open roadmapPentester
Network+ → Security+ → PenTest+ → OSCP. The longest path of the six because OSCP is genuinely hard. Highest skill-check requirement.
Open roadmapDevOps / SRE
Cloud → Linux → Docker → Kubernetes → Terraform. The widest path: 5 certs across 5 disciplines. Coding skill non-negotiable.
Open roadmapNetwork Engineer
Network+ → CCNA → CCNP ENCOR → CCNP Security. Cisco-anchored. Cloud-adjacent network roles pay best in 2026.
Open roadmapHow to pick
If you don't already have a strong preference, pick by what matches:
- You like puzzles, attention to detail, calm under pressure — SOC Analyst.
- You like building things, automating, and reading docs — Cloud Engineer (pick AWS or Azure by metro).
- You like breaking things, CTFs, and have time for a long path — Pentester.
- You already code or want to, and like cross-discipline work — DevOps / SRE.
- You like protocols, troubleshooting, and tactile gear — Network Engineer.
The paths overlap. Network+ is the foundation for SOC Analyst, Pentester, and Network Engineer. AWS CCP is the foundation for Cloud (AWS) and DevOps. So if you start on one path and pivot within the first 3 months, your study time isn't wasted.
What every path shares
- Honest timeline. 12–24 months part-time. Faster is possible with full-time bootcamp or prior IT experience; slower usually means burnout.
- Homelab requirement. Every path expects hands-on evidence on top of the certs. The candidates who skip this lose offers at the technical interview.
- Sequenced ATS gate. Each path has one cert that's the floor most ATS systems screen for. Don't skip it — even if you "know the material."
- Salary lever. Each path has one cert beyond the floor that pushes your offer above entry-level. Worth doing if you can stay disciplined.
What we don't do
- No bootcamp affiliates. No revenue from any cert vendor, training site, or bootcamp mentioned.
- No "fast-track to six figures" lies. If the timeline says 18 months, it's because we've watched candidates take 18 months. Bootcamp ads claim 6 months; reality is 18.
- No fake certifications. Every cert listed is real, currently issued, and respected by hiring managers in 2026. We re-check quarterly.
Not sure which path? Just start with a quiz
The fastest way to figure out what excites you is to take 5 questions in each domain and notice which one pulls you in.
How we wrote these roadmaps
No vendor or bootcamp affiliate revenue. All six paths were sequenced based on what actual job descriptions list as required vs. preferred, plus interviews with hiring managers in 2025–2026 across SaaS, FinServ, government, MSSPs, and consulting firms. Every recommendation is auditable: tell us what you'd change and we'll update or explain.
What we'll change without being asked: any cert that gets retired, any new cert that becomes the new floor, any salary band that shifts more than ±10%. Roadmaps are dated and we mark them when we update.