Top 10 IT Certifications for Beginners in 2025 (Free & Paid)

IT certifications have become essential stepping stones for beginners looking to launch their careers in information technology.

The right certifications can open doors to entry-level positions and provide a good foundation for career advancement in specialized IT fields like cybersecurity, cloud computing, networking, and project management.

This guide highlights the top 10 must-have IT certifications, which are widely recognized in the industry and specifically designed for newcomers to the field.

Top 10 IT Certifications for Beginners (Free & Paid)

IT certifications such as ComTIA A+, Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate, Microsoft fundamental courses, and a few from leading platforms like Coursera and Udemy also offer the best IT certification courses. 

Below is a table summarizing the top 10 IT certifications recommended for beginners:

Note: This list is based on the platforms’ popularity and research on Google. It can vary depending on your interests and learning requirements. 

Each platform is best for beginners. Depending on the platform, you can start for free or pay. Read each course and platform in detail and see what they offer in their curriculum.

1. CompTIA A+

CompTIA A+ is the industry standard for launching IT careers. The certification requires candidates to pass two exams: Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202). The course costs $24 per month.

To practice questions and exam objectives, you need to fill out a form through the platform. The length of the test is 90 minutes per exam. CompTIA supports English, German, Portuguese, Thai, Japanese, French, and Spanish.

This certification covers a wide range of skills, including:

• Hardware identification and troubleshooting.
• Operating systems installation and support.
• Software troubleshooting.
• Networking basics.
• Security fundamentals.
• Mobile device configuration.
• Virtualization and cloud computing basics.
• Operational procedures.

CompTIA A+ is ideal for those seeking roles like Help Desk Technician, IT Specialist, Field Service Technician, IT Support Specialist, and Technical Support Specialist. With a recommended experience of 9-12 months in the lab or field, this certification provides a strong foundation for an IT career.

Enrollment Link – CompTIA A+

2. Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate

This professional certificate is offered on the Coursera platform. You can enroll for free or pursue it through a 7-day free trial. The program includes professional training designed by Google experts and offers opportunities to connect with top employers.

The certificate consists of 8 courses that help you gain in-demand skills for roles like cybersecurity analyst, security operations center (SOC) analyst, and more. You can complete the certificate under 10 hours per week in less than 6 months.

Skills you’ll gain include:

• Python programming.
• Linux command line.
• SQL database management.
• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools.
• Intrusion Detection Systems.
• Communication and problem-solving skills.

Upon completion, you can directly apply for jobs with Google at over 150 U.S. employers, including American Express, Deloitte, Colgate-Palmolive, and Walmart. Moreover, most Google certificates are worth it and help prepare you for the industrial world.

Enrollment Link – Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate

3. Microsoft Fundamentals

Microsoft Certified Fundamentals certifications offer foundational training and exams that provide a practical, high-level overview of Microsoft technology.

These highly marketable certifications validate your up-to-date knowledge and are ideal for technical professionals starting their careers. They also benefit students by building foundations for in-demand jobs, and business professionals who want to learn technology basics.

Microsoft offers several Fundamentals certifications, including:

• Azure Fundamentals – Learn the basics of Microsoft Azure cloud services.
• Azure AI Fundamentals – Master the basics of AI on Azure.
• Azure Data Fundamentals – Learn foundational concepts in data management.
• Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals – Build a foundation for advanced security certifications.
• Power Platform Fundamentals – Learn about creating solutions without coding.
• Microsoft 365 Fundamentals – Build understanding of Office apps, Microsoft Teams, and more.

These certifications serve as perfect entry points into the Microsoft technology ecosystem. They can be valuable for beginners in technical fields, businesses, or students.

Enrollment Link – Microsoft Fundamentals

4. Ethical Hacking Essentials (EHE)

EC-Council’s Ethical Hacking Essentials is an introductory cybersecurity course that covers ethical hacking and penetration testing fundamentals. It requires no prior IT or Cybersecurity experience.

It provides hands-on experience in computer and network security concepts, including threats, vulnerabilities, password cracking, web applications, and more. This course can be accessed in 150+ countries and costs $299.

EC-Council’s Ethical Hacking Essentials includes multiple things in the curriculum:

• 15+ hours of premium self-paced video training.
• 11 lab activities in a simulated lab environment.
• 750+ pages of courseware.
• Capstone Projects with Real-World CTF (Capture The Flag) Challenges.
• Year-long access to courseware and 6-month access to labs.
• Proctored exam voucher with 1-year validity.

With over 213,000 learners trusting EC-Council’s Essentials Series, this certification offers a solid foundation and formal recognition to boost your resume.

Enrollment Link – EC-Council Ethical Hacking Essentials

5. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification validates a foundational, high-level understanding of AWS Cloud services and terminology. It is a good starting point for individuals on the AWS Certification journey.

You do not need IT or cloud experience beforehand, you can switch to a cloud career, or create a line-of-business employees who are looking for foundational cloud literacy. The exam for this course costs $100.

Here are the skills you will learn;

• Includes a structured 4-step exam preparation plan through AWS Skill Builder.
• Provides practice resources, including official practice question sets and pretests.
• You will find available languages in English, Bahasa, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Chinese.
• Can be taken either at Pearson VUE testing centers or through online proctored exams.
• Certification remains valid for three years before requiring renewal.

This certification shows your understanding of AWS cloud services, giving you a competitive edge in the cloud computing field. This course helps you learn and schedule an exam to get an authorized certification.

Enrollment Link – AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

6. Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®)

The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) course is for those who want to serve as scrum masters, adopt scrum, or need agile skills. It explains the basics of Scrum and teaches practical ways to apply it to teams and organizations.

Certified Scrum Trainers teach the CSM certification course. You’ll have access to the required test after completing the 16-hour course (typically 2-3 days). The test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions, and you must correctly answer 37 questions to pass and receive certification.

The CSM certification helps you build skills such as:

• Conflict resolution in agile environments.
• Cross-functional teamwork coordination.
• Leadership and effective coaching techniques.
• Continuous improvement methodologies.
• Impediment management and resolution.
• Scrum framework implementation.

The certification is renewed every two years, requiring continued education through earning Scrum Education Units (SEUs). On this platform, you can learn and enjoy the best courses. Along with CSM, you can take Coursera IT courses that provide value even if you start with a free trial.

Enrollment Link – Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

7. CompTIA Security+ (Exam SYO-501)

This free online CompTIA Security+ course focuses on Exam SYO-501. It provides a better understanding of identifying security fundamentals and threats, analyzing risk, and conducting security assessments.

You’ll study how to implement network, host, and software security, learn to manage identity and access, implement cryptography and operational security, address security issues, and ensure business continuity.

The Alison course covers several key skills:

• Network Security
• Cyber Security
• Information Security
• Cryptography
• CompTIA
• Penetration Testing
• Data Security

This free course on Alison offers a CPD (Continuing Professional Development) accredited certificate upon completion. This makes it an excellent option for beginners looking to build security skills without financial investment.

Enrollment Link – CompTIA Security+

8. Cisco Certified Technician (CCT) Routing & Switching RSTECH

This Udemy course prepares you for the Cisco Certified Technician (CCT) Routing and Switching certification. You can start learning this course at $9.99.

This course consists of 6.5 hours of on-demand video, which you can access on mobile or any device, such as a computer, laptop, or Mac. After completing the course, you will receive a certificate to add to your resume.

The Udemy curriculum covers:

• Networking fundamentals and types of networks.
• Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS) software.
• IPv4 and IPv6 for the RSTECH exam.
• Network simulation tools like Cisco Packet Tracer.
• Cisco router and switch models, accessories, cabling, and interfaces.
• Basic Cisco Command Line Interface (CLI).
• On-site support and maintenance of Cisco equipment.

This certification is ideal for those who want to specialize in Cisco networking technologies, which are widely used in enterprise environments. For more detailed information, check out the comparison between Udemy and Coursera, which covers course quality, pricing, and platform differences.

Enrollment Link – Cisco Certified Technician (CCT) Routing and Switching RSTECH

9. GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)

The GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) certification validates a practitioner’s knowledge of information security beyond simple terminology and concepts. It is designed for new InfoSec professionals with backgrounds in information systems.

The certification covers various security areas:

• Defense in depth, access control, and password management.
• Cryptography concepts, algorithms, and applications.
• Cloud operations (AWS and Azure).
• Network architecture, protocols, and security.
• Incident handling, data loss prevention, and mobile device security.
• Linux fundamentals and security.
• SIEM, critical controls, and exploit mitigation.
• Web communication security and endpoint security.
• Windows security infrastructure and services.

After completing the course, there will be a test where you have to answer 106 questions within 4 hours. And obviously, the minimum passing score required is 73% for everyone to receive a certificate.

Enrollment Link – GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)

10. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)

The certification prep course on Pluralsight helps assess your readiness for the Microsoft AZ-104 exam. An Azure Administrator can help implement, manage, and monitor identity, governance, storage, compute, and virtual networks in a cloud environment.

You can access this Pluralsight course with a 10-day free trial. This learning path has 6 courses, whose durations vary from 26 minutes to around 7 hours. If you’re still debating which platform suits your learning style better, this Coursera vs. Pluralsight comparison breaks down their key differences to help you decide. 

The courses that you learn in this path are;

• Manage Azure identities and governance.
• Implement and manage storage.
• Deploy and manage Azure compute resources.
• Implement and manage virtual networking.
• Monitor and maintain Azure resources.

No prior certification is required. Candidates should have at least six months of hands-on experience administering Azure, with a basic knowledge of Azure services, workloads, security, and governance.

Enrollment Link – Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) 

Read Next:

• Coursera Specialization vs Professional Certificate

Conclusion: Enroll In The Best IT Certified Course Perfect For Beginners

The IT industry offers numerous certification pathways for beginners to establish careers and develop specialized skills. This list of the top 10 IT certifications included in this article is for various interests and budgets, from free courses to paid professional certifications.

Consider your career goals, skills, learning preferences, and financial resources. You can also apply your knowledge in real-world scenarios by building projects, participating in labs, or volunteering for IT-related tasks.

So, get started today and enroll in your best IT certification course, which will help you start your career in this field.

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