Certification paths
Which certification to take next
Five paths that match the work KBY covers most: Microsoft endpoint and identity, Azure, AWS, Kubernetes and Terraform. Each lists the exams in a sensible order and how to prepare, starting with the free official material.
Exam names and status checked against the vendors' own pages on 11 November 2026. Prices are not listed because they change; check them when you book.
Microsoft endpoint and identity administration
You manage devices in Intune and identities in Microsoft Entra ID, or want to.
- 01
Optional foundation
SC-900: Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals - 02
Core
MD-102: Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator AssociateIntune, Windows Autopilot, compliance and app deployment.
- 03
Next step
SC-300: Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator AssociateEntra ID, Conditional Access, authentication methods and governance.
MS-102 (Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert) retires on 30 November 2026, so do not start preparing for it now.
How to prepare
Free, official
Microsoft Learn training and practice assessments
The official learning paths, study guides and free practice assessments for each exam, linked from the certification page.
Paid
MeasureUp practice tests
Timed practice tests for Microsoft role-based exams, with explanations for each answer. Useful once you have worked through the free material.
Paid
Pluralsight
Video courses and hands-on labs across Microsoft, AWS, Kubernetes and Terraform, on one subscription.
The day-to-day work, on KBY
Azure administration
You run workloads, networking or storage in Azure.
- 01
Optional foundation
AZ-900: Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals - 02
Core
AZ-104: Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator AssociateIdentity and governance, storage, compute, networking and monitoring in Azure.
AZ-500 (Azure Security Engineer Associate) retired on 31 August 2026. Check Microsoft Learn for its replacement before planning a security specialisation.
How to prepare
Free, official
Microsoft Learn training and practice assessments
The official learning paths, study guides and free practice assessments for each exam, linked from the certification page.
Paid
MeasureUp practice tests
Timed practice tests for Microsoft role-based exams, with explanations for each answer. Useful once you have worked through the free material.
Paid
CrackCerts practice tests
Practice tests for Azure and AWS certification exams.
Paid
Pluralsight
Video courses and hands-on labs across Microsoft, AWS, Kubernetes and Terraform, on one subscription.
The day-to-day work, on KBY
AWS
You build or operate workloads on Amazon Web Services.
- 01
Optional foundation
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner - 02
Core
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – AssociateDesigning secure, resilient and cost-aware architectures on AWS.
- 03
Next step
SOA-C03: AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – AssociateFormerly SysOps Administrator – Associate: monitoring, automation and operating AWS workloads.
How to prepare
Free, official
AWS Skill Builder
AWS's own training site, including free exam-preparation courses and official practice question sets.
Paid
Tutorials Dojo practice exams
Practice exams and study guides for AWS certifications, with detailed explanations.
Paid
CrackCerts practice tests
Practice tests for Azure and AWS certification exams.
Paid
Pluralsight
Video courses and hands-on labs across Microsoft, AWS, Kubernetes and Terraform, on one subscription.
The day-to-day work, on KBY
Kubernetes
You deploy to, operate or secure Kubernetes clusters.
- 01
- 02
Core
CKA: Certified Kubernetes AdministratorHands-on, in a live terminal: cluster setup, workloads, networking, storage and troubleshooting.
- 03
Next step
CKAD or CKS: Certified Kubernetes Application Developer, or Certified Kubernetes Security SpecialistCKAD for application teams; CKS for platform security, which requires an active CKA.
How to prepare
Free, official
Kubernetes documentation
The official documentation. Learn to find answers in it quickly: the hands-on exams are taken with access to it.
Paid
Linux Foundation exams and courses
The organisation that runs the CKA, CKAD, CKS and KCNA exams. Exam registration and official training are bought here.
Paid
KodeKloud hands-on labs
Browser-based labs and courses for Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker and Linux, including exam-style practice.
Paid
Pluralsight
Video courses and hands-on labs across Microsoft, AWS, Kubernetes and Terraform, on one subscription.
The day-to-day work, on KBY
Terraform and infrastructure as code
You provision cloud infrastructure with Terraform.
- 01
Core
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform AssociateCheck the current exam version and objectives on HashiCorp's certification page before you book.
How to prepare
Free, official
HashiCorp Developer tutorials
Official Terraform tutorials and the exam's study and review guides.
Paid
KodeKloud hands-on labs
Browser-based labs and courses for Kubernetes, Terraform, Docker and Linux, including exam-style practice.
Paid
Pluralsight
Video courses and hands-on labs across Microsoft, AWS, Kubernetes and Terraform, on one subscription.