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Entry-Level IT Certification Guide

Posted on: 2025-08-05, Updated on: 2025-08-08 00:53:13 | Read time: 9.0 minutes

Topic(s): programming & information technology

I wrote this article to document my experiences earning a few entry-level IT certifications and to help others who might be doing the same. When I first started preparing for these certifications, I found myself hunting through search engine results, forums, and websites trying to find decent study materials. My hope is that this guide makes that process a bit easier.

My goal with preparing for these certifications was to reinforce my knowledge and review core concepts. I feel that it is worth it to tackle a few entry-level certifications before moving on to more advanced ones. Having a few wins under your belt can help you stay motivated to keep learning. I have never been one for rote memorization, so my study plans always include some form interactivity including labs and hands-on work with the technologies I'm studying.

As a fair warning, I greatly prefer textual resources and books over video courses and presentations. I feel that written content gives me better control over the pace at which I can study. If you prefer video resources, this guide may not be as helpful for you. Nevertheless, I encourage you to read anyway in case you find something that interests you.

Exam Breakdown

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP)

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP) CLF-C02 is Amazon Web Service's primary entry-level certification. It is designed to introduce you to the core services of AWS, so that you can evaluate the business use-cases of the AWS cloud. I have prior AWS experience from setting up and maintaining this website. I have taken a college elective course that covered cloud computing using AWS. The course also used AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA) certification study resources.

I used 15 days of preparation for this exam. The primary resources I used to study for this exam were a bundle from Tutorials Dojo paired with the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Study Guide With 500 Practice Test Questions: Foundational (CLF-C02) Exam, 2nd Edition book. The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner bundle from Tutorials Dojo included a video course, practice exams, and a study guide eBook. I only completed about 27% of the video course (mostly labs), as I felt adequately prepared after reading the two study guides and taking notes. While studying for the exam, I was actively working on my site and interacting with AWS services with the web console and AWS CLI. This helped me refresh my knowledge about some of the core AWS services that I needed to know for the exam.

In the course of studying, you'll often be directed towards AWS Whitepaper documentation. These documents can be quite dense, but if you know the names of services you've been struggling with during practice exams, it helps to review whitepapers. One useful AWS Whitepaper is the Overview of Amazon Web Services. What's nice about this document is that it covers all of the AWS services at a depth which will suffice for the purpose of the AWS CCP exam. You can go through this document reading the overviews for the in-scope AWS features and services that are listed in the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) Exam Guide.

Resources:

For many, the opinion seems to be to skip getting AWS CCP certified entirely if you have prior AWS experience. However, I do think that taking the exam was worth it for me for a couple of reasons. First, it had been a while since I studied AWS SAA topics and this gave me a chance to review my AWS knowledge. Second, I was able to get a 50% discount on my exam voucher due to a promotional deal for foundational and associate level exams during the Summer. If you can get a discount on your exam voucher, I think the exam is definitely worth taking. After taking (and passing) a foundational level exam like AWS CCP, you get 50% off your next exam voucher. Remember to do a search online prior to purchasing an exam voucher to see if any discounts are currently available.

Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking

Cisco's Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking (100-150) exam is geared towards validating an individual's skills and knowledge of entry-level networking concepts. This certification serves as a stepping stone towards Cisco's associate level CCNA networking certification, and this was ultimately the reason I decided to study for this certification. In addition to CCST Networking, there are also CCST certifications for Cybersecurity and IT Support.

It took me roughly 16 days to prepare for this exam. The study resource that helped me the most was by far Todd Lammle's CCST Cisco Certified Support Technician Study Guide: Networking Exam book. I enjoyed the author's writing style and felt that book explained the exam topics very well. If I could have only had one study resource, this is the book I would have chosen. The Easy Subnetting chapter taught a method for IPv4 subnetting that served me quite well on the actual exam. It provides a step by step method for solving subnetting problems for private IPv4 address classes defined in RFC 1918. These methods are accompanied by many detailed examples. I avoided the Cisco Certified Support Technician CCST Networking 100-150 Official Cert Guide from Cisco Press as many reviews expressed that the content of the book tended to veer out of scope of the exam topics.

In addition to Todd Lammle's book I also used the Cisco CCST Networking - Video Training Series by Kevin Wallace on Udemy. This video course served as a nice introduction to the exam topics and concepts. However, I wouldn't recommend using it as your only study resource as some topics may not be covered to the extent needed for the exam.

For practice exams I used Shaun Hummel's Cisco CCST Networking Exam-Level Practice Tests on Udemy in addition to Todd Lammle's practice exams and questions that were available through the online book resources. The Shaun Hummel practice exams were great, with the exception of a few unclear questions. The online resources for Todd Lammle's book were quite useful, particularly the IPv4 subnetting questions. I also took the quizzes and tests in Cisco's Network Technician Career Path NetAcad courses which I will explain more about next.

Cisco has a free Network Technician career path on NetAcad (Cisco Networking Academy) which is specifically geared towards CCST Networking certification. Note that you will sometimes see Cisco Networking Academy referred to as Skills for All. While I didn't fully complete all of the courses here, I did try many of the Packet Tracer labs. Packet Tracer is a visual network simulation tool developed by Cisco. It's not required that you know how to use it for this exam, but it can give you lab experience which is a large part of the other certifications. I felt the final exam in the Network Technician Career Path was a good way to gauge my readiness for the actual exam.

Resources:

Overall, I think studying for the CCST Networking exam was worth it, and it has encouraged me to pursue the CCNA certification as well. If you do purchase any of the Udemy materials mentioned above, consider doing so during one of Udemy's frequent sales. Both Kevin Wallace's video course and Shaun Hummel's practice tests are often available for around $14 during sales. It's also worth noting that as of July 15, 2025 the CCST certifications expire every 5 years. If you passed the exam prior to this date like I did, the certification has lifetime validity.

Python Certified Entry-Level Programmer (PCEP)

The Python Certified Entry-Level Programmer (PCEP) certification is offered by the Python Institute (not to be confused with the Python Software Foundation). It's aimed at individuals that are just getting started with Python programming and covers foundational topics such as data types, control flow, functions, and core data structures. The exam appealed to me because I wanted a structured study path that would help me review Python concepts.

I prepared for this exam over the course of 10 days. My primary study resource was the free Edube Interactive Python Essentials - Part 1 (Basics) online course offered through the Python Institute's learning platform. The secondary resource I used was Introducing Python: Modern Computing in Simple Packages (2nd Edition) by Bill Lubanovic. For the purposes of the exam, I focused on only the first part of the book, which aligned well with the PCEP syllabus.

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While it's not as widely recognized as some other certifications, I have seen some aspiring IT professionals pursue the PCEP — especially those interested in scripting, automation, Ansible, or as a foundation before moving into DevOps or Red Hat certifications. If you are just getting started with programming and don't have a CS background, I think this exam can be worth it as a means to validate your knowledge.

Conclusion

That concludes this guide on the entry-level certifications I've taken so far. I hope it gave you an idea of what to expect and how to prepare. In the future, I plan to share my approaches to the Red Hat (RHCSA), Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA), and AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (AWS SAA) associate/intermediate level certifications that I am actively pursuing. The aforementioned certifications are more hands-on, so I'm excited about what I will learn and how it will reinforce my knowledge. And, of course, if I pursue any other entry-level certifications, I'll add them to this guide. Thanks for reading!

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