Certification directory

Credential rankings

Authority Index scorecards across cloud, finance, compliance, accounting, and security. Compare AWS, Azure, and GCP side-by-side; drill into any program for bucket-level detail and metrics we are still collecting.

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Level

Vendor

Deep analysisMin signal0

Showing 20 programs · Associate tier

Rank			Domain
01	AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate (MLA-C01) CLOUD	AWS	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	80	$150	85% match · est.
02	AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate CLOUDPREMIUM	AWS	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	80	$150	93% match · est.
03	NVIDIA-Certified Associate: AI Infrastructure (NCP-AAI) AI/MLPREMIUM	NVIDIA	AI & data	ASSOCIATE	80	$495–595	92% match · est.
04	AWS Certified Data Engineer – Associate (DEA-C01) CLOUDPREMIUM	AWS	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	79	$150	86% match · est.
05	AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) CLOUD	AWS	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	79	$150	90% match · est.
06	AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate (SOA-C02) CLOUDPREMIUM	AWS	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	79	$150	87% match · est.
07	Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer CLOUDPREMIUM	Google Cloud	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	79	$125	90% match · est.
08	Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104) CLOUDPREMIUM	Microsoft Azure	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	79	$165	88% match · est.
09	Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP-203) CLOUD	Microsoft Azure	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	79	$165	86% match · est.
10	Microsoft Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) CLOUDPREMIUM	Microsoft Azure	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	79	$165	87% match · est.
11	Microsoft Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700) CLOUD	Microsoft Azure	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	79	$165	85% match · est.
12	Microsoft Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) CLOUDPREMIUM	Microsoft Azure	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	79	$165	86% match · est.
13	AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate (CloudOps-C02) CLOUD	AWS	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	78	$150	86% match · est.
14	Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102) AI/MLPREMIUM	Microsoft Azure	AI & data	ASSOCIATE	78	$165	86% match · est.
15	CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) SECURITY	CompTIA	Security & privacy	ASSOCIATE	77	$404	90% match · est.
16	Salesforce Certified Administrator CLOUD	Salesforce	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	77	$200	92% match · est.
17	Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) SECURITY	ISC2	Security & privacy	ASSOCIATE	77	$249	92% match · est.
18	Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) PROGRAM	PMI	Program management	ASSOCIATE	76	$225–300	94% match · est.
19	Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) CLOUD	Kubernetes / CNCF	Cloud & infrastructure	ASSOCIATE	76	$395	89% match · est.
20	Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM™) PROGRAM	PMI	Program management	ASSOCIATE	75	$399–499	97% match · est.

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How to read these metrics

Rankings columns

Authority Index: Structural bucket scores (identity, logistics, difficulty, curriculum, market signal, outcomes) plus a small sentiment layer from verified holders. Hard filters (e.g., unproctored, dormant issuer) cap the maximum score.
Structural score: Editorial assessment of registry presence, proctoring, pass-rate difficulty, curriculum fit, employer signal, and stated ROI — independent of community reviews.
Market signal: Higher values indicate stronger hiring-market and job-posting signal for this credential. Used inside the structural score, not a standalone hiring guarantee.
Exam vs reality gap: When verified holder reviews exist, gap reflects blueprint match, surprise narratives, and study-hour deltas. Without reviews we show an editorial estimate (~) from official pass rates and study load — not holder-verified.
Holder reviews: Only reviews from credential holders who completed verification are counted. Sentiment aggregates and verified gap scores unlock at n≥5 published reviews.
Exam cost: Ranges reflect list exam fees; training bundles, retakes, and membership dues may add materially — especially for multi-part finance and compliance programs.
Prep duration: Editorial planning estimate for working professionals (~8–12 hrs/week). Your timeline varies with prior experience and retakes.
Difficulty: Combines issuer-reported pass rates (when available) with typical study hours. Low pass rates and long prep windows indicate rigorous filters.

Gap values marked Est. are editorial estimates from pass rates and study load until verified holder reviews publish. Review counts show published holder narratives only.