Certification intelligence

Compare certifications, side by side.

Eight realistic dimensions. No marketing scores — just how each credential actually performs in hiring, on the job, and across renewal cycles.

Popular matchups

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Offensive Security

OSCP

$85k–$120k · $1,649+

Full page

AWS

AWS Solutions Architect. Associate

$80k–$120k · $150

Full page

(ISC)²

CISSP

$120k–$180k · $749

Full page

Format

24-hour practical exam + 24-hour report

65 multiple choice / multi-select (130 min)

CAT exam, 125–175 questions

Practical weight

95% practical / 5% theory

20% practical / 80% theory

10% practical / 90% theory & policy

Vendor neutrality

Offensive Security specific

AWS specific

Vendor-neutral

Study time

6–12 months

2–4 months

4–8 months

Validity

3 years

Market saturation

Moderate

Very High

Moderate

Industry recognition

5/5Lead

Hiring signal

5/5Lead

4/5

5/5Lead

Practical depth

5/5Lead

2/5

Hands-on requirement

5/5Lead

2/5

1/5

Real-world usefulness

5/5Lead

4/5

Difficulty

5/5

3/5Lead

4/5

Beginner friendly

1/5

3/5Lead

1/5

Renewal burden

2/5Lead

3/5

Best for

· Aspiring pentesters
· Sysadmins pivoting offensive
· Consulting firms

· Cloud engineers
· Career switchers from IT
· AWS-standard teams

· Senior generalists
· Aspiring security architects
· GRC leads

Not ideal for

· Defensive-only roles
· Pure cloud security

· Pure DevOps tool-chain roles

· Junior analysts
· Pure technical specialists

Reality check: Scores reflect generalised market signal. The actual weight a cert carries depends on geography, employer tier, and what you've shipped alongside it.