What this is
For 44 widely held professional certifications, this index lists the exam fee, every charge the issuer makes mandatory, and what it costs to keep the credential active for three years. Every figure links to the issuing organization’s own website. We checked all of them on September 21, 2026.
Five things the index shows
- The renewal model matters more than the exam price. Microsoft renews associate certifications for free every year. ISC2 charges $135 every year. Over three years that difference can outweigh a $300 gap in exam fees.
- Several issuers charge fees you only discover after you pass. ISACA adds a $50 application fee once you’ve passed the exam. EC-Council charges $100 just to be allowed to sit the CEH if you study on your own. ISC2 bills your first annual fee on the day you certify.
- Retake insurance costs a fraction of a second exam. ISC2 sells a second CISSP attempt for $249 instead of $749, CompTIA adds a retake for $140, and Red Hat includes a free retake with every exam.
- 2026 changed a lot. Microsoft retired AI-900 and AI-102 on June 30, ISC2 ended its free entry-level exam on May 20, Google added a course-based renewal route on July 9, and PMI switched to a new PMP exam in July.
- Issuers contradict themselves. Cisco’s website lists the CCNA exam at $300 on two pages and $400 on another. SHRM’s current fee page and its January handbook show different prices. Where that happens, we show both and tell you which one is newer.
The index
How to read the columns. Exam is the US list price for one attempt. 3-year minimum is the cheapest legitimate way to earn the credential and keep it active for 36 months: the exam, any fee the issuer requires, and any renewal or maintenance fee that falls due within those 36 months. It excludes optional training, books and practice tests. To renew is what you pay to extend the credential beyond its current cycle.
Project management, agile and quality
| Certification | Issuer | Exam | 3-year minimum | To renew | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMP | PMI | $405 member / $655 non-member | $544 + 35 training hours | $60 member / $150 non-member + 60 PDUs | 3 years |
| CAPM | PMI | $225 / $300 | $300 + 23 hours of education | $60 / $150 + 15 PDUs | 3 years |
| PMI-ACP | PMI | $435 / $495 | $495 + 21 hours of agile training | $60 / $150 + 30 PDUs | 3 years |
| PRINCE2 7 Foundation | PeopleCert | $701 (exam bundle) | $701 | CPD through PeopleCert Plus ($133 a year) or another exam | 3 years |
| PRINCE2 7 Practitioner | PeopleCert | $778 (exam bundle) | $1,479 with Foundation, $778 if you hold PMP or CAPM | same as Foundation | 3 years |
| ITIL 4 Foundation | PeopleCert | $690 (exam bundle) | $690 | CPD through PeopleCert Plus or another exam | 3 years |
| Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) | Scrum Alliance | required course, $250–$2,495, two exam attempts included | $350 | $100 + 20 SEUs every 2 years | 2 years |
| Professional Scrum Master I | Scrum.org | $200 per attempt | $200 | none | lifetime |
| SAFe Agilist | Scaled Agile | $495 proctored exam, two attempts, no course required | $885 | $195 every year + 12 CEUs | 1 year |
| Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB) | ASQ | $383 member / $483 non-member | $483 | none | lifetime |
| Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) | ASQ | $485 / $585 | $585 | recertify every 3 years ($120 member / $160 non-member by journal) | 3 years |
| CBAP | IIBA | $505 incl. first-year membership, plus $145 application | $650 | $85 member / $120 non-member + 60 CDUs | 3 years |
| ECBA | IIBA | $395 incl. membership | $395 | none | no renewal |
Sources: PMI PMP, PMI CAPM, PMI-ACP, PMI renewal (store), PMI membership (store), PRINCE2 7 Foundation, PRINCE2 7 Practitioner, ITIL 4 Foundation, PeopleCert renewal, PeopleCert Plus, Scrum Alliance CSM, Scrum Alliance renewal, Scrum.org PSM I, SAFe proctored exam, SAFe renewal tiers, ASQ Green Belt, ASQ Black Belt, ASQ recertification, IIBA fees, IIBA ECBA.
Notes: The PMP figure assumes you join PMI ($139) before paying the member exam fee; PMI also charges new members a small activation fee it doesn’t publish. We read PMI’s prices from Europe; some training providers report higher US prices since August 2026 (details in our PMP cost guide). The PMP, CAPM and PMI-ACP training hours are required but priced by the training provider, so they’re not in the figure. PeopleCert sells exams only as bundles with learning material, priced including VAT. The CSM figure uses the low end of the course range Scrum Alliance publishes, plus the renewal due at month 24.
Cybersecurity
| Certification | Issuer | Exam | 3-year minimum | To renew | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CISSP | ISC2 | $749 | $1,154 | $135 AMF every year + 120 CPE per 3 years | 3 years |
| CCSP | ISC2 | $599 | $1,004 | shares the CISSP’s $135 AMF + 90 CPE | 3 years |
| Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) | ISC2 | $199 | $349 | $50 AMF every year + 45 CPE | 3 years |
| CISM | ISACA | $575 member / $760 non-member | $985–$1,065 | $45 member / $85 non-member every year + 120 CPE | 3 years |
| CISA | ISACA | $575 / $760 | $985–$1,065 | $45 / $85 every year + 120 CPE | 3 years |
| CEH | EC-Council | $950 remote / $1,199 test center | $1,210 | $80 every year + 120 credits | 1 year at a time |
| Security+ | CompTIA | $439 | $439 | $150 per 3 years + 50 CEUs | 3 years |
| CySA+ | CompTIA | $439 | $439 | $150 per 3 years + 60 CEUs (also renews Security+) | 3 years |
Sources: ISC2 exam pricing, ISC2 AMFs, ISC2 CC, ISACA CISM, ISACA CISA, CISM maintenance, EC-Council CEH voucher, EC-Council CE fees, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA CySA+, CompTIA CE fees.
Notes: The CISSP figure counts three AMF payments because ISC2 bills the first one at certification (member policies). The ISACA range depends on local chapter dues, which ISACA members must pay; the low end assumes membership in year one only. The CEH figure includes EC-Council’s $100 eligibility fee for self-study candidates (eligibility). CompTIA’s own blog listed the CySA+ V4 voucher at $425 in June 2026; the store shows $439 today.
Cloud and IT infrastructure
| Certification | Issuer | Exam | 3-year minimum | To renew | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) | AWS | $100 | $100 | free (AWS Cloud Quest) or new exam | 3 years |
| Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) | AWS | $150 | $150 | new exam; 50% voucher makes it $75 | 3 years |
| Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) | Microsoft | $99 | $99 | none | does not expire |
| Azure Administrator (AZ-104) | Microsoft | $165 | $165 | free online assessment every year | 1 year |
| Associate Cloud Engineer | Google Cloud | $125 | $125 | $75 renewal exam | 3 years |
| Cloud Digital Leader | Google Cloud | $99 | $99 | $60 renewal exam | 3 years |
| CCNA (200-301) | Cisco | $300 or $400 (Cisco pages disagree) | $300–$400 | 30 CE credits or a new exam | 3 years |
| A+ (two exams) | CompTIA | $548 ($274 each) | $548 | $75 per 3 years + 20 CEUs | 3 years |
| Network+ | CompTIA | $399 | $399 | $150 per 3 years + 30 CEUs | 3 years |
| RHCSA (EX200) | Red Hat | $500, one free retake included | $500 | pass EX200 again or earn a higher credential | 3 years |
Sources: AWS Cloud Practitioner, AWS Solutions Architect – Associate, AWS recertification, Microsoft AZ-900, Microsoft AZ-104, Microsoft renewal, Google Associate Cloud Engineer, Google Cloud Digital Leader, Cisco CCNA exam page ($300), Cisco CCNA certification page ($400), Cisco recertification, CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, Red Hat renewal, Red Hat retake policy.
Data, AI and business applications
| Certification | Issuer | Exam | 3-year minimum | To renew | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300) | Microsoft | $165 | $165 | free online assessment every year | 1 year |
| Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901, replaced AI-900) | Microsoft | $99 | $99 | none | does not expire |
| Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer (AI-103, replaced AI-102) | Microsoft | $165 | $165 | free online assessment (per Microsoft’s general policy) | 1 year |
| Platform Administrator | Salesforce | $200 | $200 | one free Trailhead maintenance module every year | as long as you maintain it |
Sources: Microsoft PL-300, AI-901, AI-900 retirement notice, AI-103, Salesforce Platform Administrator, Salesforce maintenance.
Healthcare
| Certification | Issuer | Exam | 3-year minimum | To renew | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPhT (pharmacy technician) | PTCB | $129 | $184 | $55 every 2 years + 20 CE hours | 2 years |
| CMA (medical assistant) | AAMA Certifying Board | $125 recent graduates and members / $250 | $125 | $80 member / $160 non-member every 5 years + 60 points | 5 years |
| RMA (medical assistant) | AMT | $150 incl. first annual fee | $300 | $75 every year + 30 points per 3 years | 3-year cycle |
| NCMA (medical assistant) | NCCT | $119 | $297 | $89 every year + 12 CE hours | 1 year |
| EMT | NREMT | $104 | $133 | $29 (from Oct. 1, 2026) + 40 credits every 2 years | 2 years |
| Paramedic (NRP) | NREMT | $175 | $212 | $37 (from Oct. 1, 2026) + 60 credits every 2 years | 2 years |
| CPC (medical coder) | AAPC | $425 ($499 with a second attempt) | $1,112 | AAPC membership $229 every year + 36 CEUs per 2 years | 2 years |
Sources: PTCB CPhT, PTCB renewal cost, AAMA exam application (PDF), AAMA recertification, AMT medical assistant, AMT maintain certification, NCCT medical assistant, NREMT EMT, NREMT EMT recertification, NREMT Paramedic, NREMT Paramedic recertification, AAPC CPC, AAPC membership.
Notes: NREMT raises its recertification fees on October 1, 2026 (EMT from $25 to $29, Paramedic from $32 to $37); NREMT’s first expiration date falls 21 to 33 months after certification depending on the month you certify (NREMT), so one renewal usually falls within three years. AAPC membership is required both to sit the CPC exam and to keep the credential, which is why it makes up most of the three-year cost (AAPC). CNA exam fees are set state by state; see our CNA guides. NHA certifications (CCMA, CPT, CET, ExCPT) are not listed yet because NHA’s current exam prices could not be verified.
Human resources
| Certification | Issuer | Exam | 3-year minimum | To renew | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHRM-CP | SHRM | $399 member / $499 non-member (standard window) | $450 (non-member, early-bird window) | $165 member / $210 non-member + 60 PDCs | 3 years |
| PHR | HRCI | $495 ($100 application + $395 exam) | $495 | $169 + 60 credits | 3 years |
Sources: SHRM exam fees, SHRM recertification, HRCI exam fees, HRCI recertification fees.
Notes: SHRM prices include a $50 non-refundable application fee, and the standard window adds a $49 deadline fee. The early-bird window for the testing period from December 2026 to February 2027 closed on August 31, 2026, so today’s price is $499 for non-members. SHRM membership costs $299 a year, which is more than the $100 it saves on the exam.
How renewal costs change the ranking
Comparing three-year costs instead of exam fees reorders several pairs:
- CISSP vs. Security+. The exams differ by $310. Over three years the gap is $715, because ISC2 bills $135 every year and CompTIA bills nothing until the next cycle.
- AZ-104 vs. Google Associate Cloud Engineer. The Microsoft exam costs $40 more, but it renews for free every year online. Google’s renewal exam costs $75 every three years.
- CEH. At $950 the exam looks comparable to ISACA’s. The credential is only valid for one year at a time, and each extension costs $80 (EC-Council CE fees).
The trade-off runs the other way too. Microsoft’s free renewal only works before your certification expires. Miss the window and the only way back is paying for the exam again (Microsoft renewal FAQ). Salesforce works the same way with its annual maintenance module (Salesforce).
Fees that show up after you pass
| Issuer | Fee | When it hits |
|---|---|---|
| ISC2 | First $135 AMF | The day your certification is approved |
| ISACA | $50 application processing fee | After you pass, when you apply for the credential |
| ISACA | Local chapter dues (about $0–$90 in North America) | With membership, if you join to get the member exam price |
| EC-Council | $100 eligibility application | Before you can book the CEH without official training |
| EC-Council | $80 continuing-education fee | Every year, or the certificate stops being valid |
| SHRM | $49 standard deadline fee | Included in any registration after the early-bird window |
| PMI | New-member activation fee (amount shown only at checkout) | If you join to get the member exam price |
| IIBA | $145 CBAP application fee | Before you can book the exam |
| Scrum Alliance | $100 renewal every two years, plus 20 SEUs | Both are required; one can’t replace the other |
| PeopleCert | Renewal of ITIL 4 and PRINCE2 7 every three years | Through PeopleCert Plus ($133 a year) or a new exam |
Sources: ISC2 member policies, PMI membership FAQ, IIBA fees, Scrum Alliance renewal, PeopleCert renewal, ISACA CISM application, ISACA 2027 chapter dues (PDF), EC-Council eligibility, SHRM exam fees.
Should you buy membership to get the member price?
| Issuer | Exam saving as member | Membership cost | Worth it for the exam alone? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISACA (CISM, CISA) | $185 | $145 + chapter dues | Yes, if your chapter charges $40 or less |
| SHRM (SHRM-CP) | $100 | $299 | No |
| PMI (PMP) | $250 | $139 + activation fee | Yes |
| PMI (CAPM) | $75 | $139 | No |
| PMI (PMI-ACP) | $60 | $139 | No |
| ASQ (Six Sigma Green Belt) | $100 | $185 | No |
| IIBA (CBAP, ECBA) | – | included in the exam fee | Nothing to decide |
Numbers come from each issuer’s fee and membership pages linked above, plus ASQ membership. Membership can still make sense for other reasons (discounts on renewals, journals, events). The table only answers whether it pays for itself on the exam.
Retake insurance: when to buy it
| Issuer | Option | Extra cost | Saves if you fail once |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISC2 | Exam Peace of Mind (CISSP) | $249 | $500 |
| ISC2 | Exam Peace of Mind (CCSP) | $199 | $400 |
| CompTIA | Retake Assurance (Security+, CySA+) | $140 | $299 |
| CompTIA | Retake Assurance (Network+) | $120 | $279 |
| Red Hat | Free retake included with each exam | $0 | $500 |
| Salesforce | No bundle; retakes cost 50% | – | – |
| Scaled Agile | Two attempts included with the $495 SAFe Agilist exam | $0 | $495 |
| Scrum Alliance | Two CSM attempts included with the course, then $25 each | $0 | – |
PMI publishes no retake bundle: a PMP retake costs $275 for members and $375 for non-members (PMI store). Some candidates report a roughly $45 retake-protection option since August 2026, which we could not find on PMI’s public pages.
A rule of thumb: divide the extra cost by the full exam price. That is the failure risk at which the insurance breaks even. For the CISSP it is 33%, for Security+ 32%. If your practice-test scores leave you less confident than that, buy the insurance.
Sources: ISC2 Peace of Mind, CompTIA Security+ store, CompTIA retake policy, Red Hat training policies, Salesforce retakes.
What changed in 2026
- May 20: ISC2 stopped offering free Certified in Cybersecurity exams to new applicants. Codes already issued stay valid until December 31, 2026 (ISC2).
- June 23: CompTIA launched CySA+ V4 (CS0-004). The V3 English exam retires December 22, 2026 (CompTIA).
- June 30: Microsoft retired AI-900 and AI-102. AI-901 and AI-103 replace them. The retired AI-900 page still shows a $99 price (Microsoft).
- July 9: Google Cloud added a continuing-education renewal route. It adds one year of validity, not three (Google Cloud).
- August 1 and September 1: new ISC2 exam outlines for the CCSP and CC (ISC2 CCSP).
- July: PMI’s updated PMP exam took effect, weighted People 33%, Process 41%, Business Environment 26% (PMI exam content outline).
- December 1 (coming): for the PMP’s 35 training hours, live instructor-led classes will only count from PMI Authorized Training Partners, China REPs or accredited higher-education programs. Self-paced courses from any provider still count (same source).
- July 31 and August 31: Microsoft retired the Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) and Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) certifications; holders stay certified until their expiration date but can’t renew (Microsoft).
- Coming: Microsoft 365 Administrator Expert retires on November 30, 2026 (Microsoft); PeopleCert plans to retire all ITIL 4 modules on December 31, 2027 after launching ITIL (Version 5) (PeopleCert); new CISM content outline from November 3, 2026 (ISACA); CCNA v2.0 from February 3, 2027 (Cisco); Security+ SY0-701 English retires June 11, 2027 (CompTIA).
Certificates are not certifications
Some of the most searched “certifications” are not in the tables above, because they work differently.
The US National Center for Education Statistics defines a certification as “a time-limited credential that is renewed through a recertification process,” while an educational certificate is awarded for completing a program of study and is “typically awarded for life (like a degree)” (NCES GEMEnA definitions). A certification tests you independently of any course. A certificate confirms you finished one.
That distinction explains the cost structure:
- Google Career Certificates are course programs on Coursera, billed as a subscription of $49 a month in the US and Canada. The program page says most learners finish the Data Analytics certificate for under $300 (Coursera: Google Data Analytics). There is no separate exam fee and no renewal fee. Google and Coursera publish no expiry rule.
- University-branded bootcamps are usually certificates of completion, not academic credit. Caltech’s Center for Technology and Management Education answers the question directly for the programs it ran with Simplilearn: “No, these are noncredit programs” (Caltech CTME FAQ).
- Training courses do not include the exam. Simplilearn’s PMP course, for example, states in its FAQ that the PMI exam fee is not part of the course price and is paid separately to PMI (Simplilearn PMP course). Budget the course and the exam as two separate costs.
Do certifications pay off?
The best public data on this comes from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2025, 24.0% of employed people held a professional certification or license (BLS table 49). Full-time workers with one had median weekly earnings of $1,460, compared with $1,131 for those without. For workers holding a certification but no license, the median was $1,566 (BLS table 54).
Two caveats:
- These are correlations. People who get certified may differ in many ways from those who don’t.
- For bachelor’s degree holders the gap reverses. Among full-time workers whose highest education is a bachelor’s degree, those with a certification or license earned a median $1,558 a week, and those without earned $1,588 (BLS table 54).
Our reading is that a certification pays off most when a job or contract requires it. One that repeats what your degree and experience already show adds less, which is a good reason to know the full cost before you choose.
A note on “2026” in video titles
Many people start their research on YouTube. We looked at the 60 most-viewed certification videos with “2026” in the title on Simplilearn’s channel, one of the largest in this space. 49 of them were uploaded before 2025, and they account for 92% of the group’s 4.26 million views. The most-viewed one, “Top 10 Certifications For 2026,” was uploaded on December 3, 2020 (upload dates from YouTube’s public video metadata, retrieved September 21, 2026).
Updating a title is common practice and says nothing about whether the content is still right. It does mean the year in a title is not a date. For prices in particular, check the date the numbers were last verified, and when in doubt, the issuer’s own page.
Frequently asked questions
Which certification is cheapest to keep?
Among those in the index, Microsoft’s fundamentals certifications (AZ-900, AI-901) cost only the $99 exam and never expire. Scrum.org’s PSM I ($200) and ASQ’s Six Sigma Green Belt ($483) are also lifetime credentials. Microsoft’s associate certifications and Salesforce’s credentials renew for free every year, as long as you don’t miss the deadline.
Which certifications have annual fees?
ISC2 ($135, or $50 for the CC and Associates), ISACA ($45 member or $85 non-member), EC-Council ($80) and Scaled Agile ($195). Scaled Agile also bills yearly ($195 for the SAFe Agilist). CompTIA, PMI, SHRM, HRCI, IIBA and ASQ (Black Belt) charge once per three-year cycle instead, and Scrum Alliance every two years.
Are certification costs tax-deductible?
It depends on your situation, and this is not tax advice. One rule is worth knowing: in the US, an employer can pay up to $5,250 a year of an employee’s education costs tax-free under an educational assistance program (IRS Publication 15-B). Ask your employer before you pay yourself.
How often do these prices change?
Often enough that a guide from last year can be wrong. In our September 2026 check, a widely read CISSP cost guide updated in July 2026 still showed a lower ISC2 annual fee and different European exam prices than ISC2’s own pages. We re-check this index every quarter and update the date at the top.
Method and sources. For each certification we read the issuer’s current fee, policy and renewal pages on September 21, 2026, and linked each figure to the page it comes from. Where a price is only shown after selecting a country, we used the United States. Where an issuer’s own pages conflict, we show both values. We did not include optional training, books or practice tests, because their cost depends on how you prepare. Certificate Quest is not affiliated with any issuer in this index and earns nothing from these links.