Certification Resources
Ready to start on the path towards a certification?
You have come to the right place! Collectively, we hold many different industry
relevant certifications. This means we have been where you are. Below, we have
our recommendations of video courses, books, practice tests, and more to help
you pass your exam.
Why do we recommend these resources? As holders
of the various of the below certifications, we have added links to the training
and study materials we used to successfully pass the exams. Keep in mind,
everyone is different and what materials work for some may not work for others.
That is why we have many resources we recommend for each exam.
Please Note: We believe in transparency and building
trust with our community. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links,
meaning, at no additional cost to you, The GRID may earn a commission if you
click through and make a purchase. Each recommended resource has been carefully
selected based on its proven effectiveness and the value it offers. Your
support helps us continue to provide valuable content and resources to the IT
community.
Certifications
A+
Network+
Security+
Video Courses
Books
Practice Exams
Pentest+
Video Courses
Books
Practice Exams
CySA+
CASP+
Cloud+
Video Courses
Books
Practice Exams
Server+
Video Courses
Books
Practice Exams
Cloud Essentials+
Video Courses
Books
Practice Exams
Linux+
Project+
Video Courses
Books
Practice Exams
Data+
Additional Recommendations
Hand’s on experience is invaluable for these certifications. For A+, find an old laptop to take apart and put back together to get familiar with the different components. Invest in a home lab for Network+. Find old routers, switches, servers, and firewalls on the internet or local marketplaces to practice configuring and, more importantly, troubleshoot when things go wrong. There are also great software options to create virtual machines right on your laptop. VMware and Virtual Box are great options. For more advanced certifications like Security+. Pentest+, and CySA+ check out websites like Try Hack Me or Hack the Box. They are gamified platforms that have courses from many different fields from cyber to ethical hacking. They will provide details on topics, then spin up a virtual machine on their site for you to practice.
Getting hands on experience will provide more benefits than just helping you pass certification exams. They can set you apart when discussing in interviews. One common question that is asked is “Tell me about a difficult problem you had, and how you resolved it.” If you are applying for a Network position, discuss setting up your home lab and any configuration mistakes you made, then how you resolved them. This showcases your troubleshooting ability and willingness to self learn. This can set you apart, especially if you don’t have any relevant real world experiences to speak to for the position.
Other CompTIA exams include:
