Short answer: answer 10 quick questions about your experience, the job you want and how comfortable you are with key topics. The quiz recommends one of 12 cybersecurity exams, tells you how ready you are, and links to free practice questions for that exam. It runs in your browser, and nothing you choose is saved or sent.
Privacy: the quiz has no network code. Your answers stay in this browser tab and are gone when you close it.
How the quiz works
- Experience and current certs set your level. Someone new to IT gets a first exam. Someone with five years in security gets a senior exam. A cert you already hold can move you up one level.
- Your target job picks the exam at that level. SOC, penetration testing, GRC and audit, cloud, DoD and government, and management each lead to different exams.
- Your comfort ratings set the readiness band. The quiz looks only at the topics the recommended exam tests, plus how much timed practice you have done. The bands are Start with foundations, Getting close and Ready to practice.
- It is a starting point, not a verdict. Check the exam guide for experience rules before you book. Some exams, such as CISSP, CISM and CISA, ask for years of work experience to certify.
The 12 exams the quiz can recommend
These are the 12 exams in the CyberExperts Certification Lab. Free certification practice for 12 cybersecurity exams. No card needed.
| Exam | Usually recommended when | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) | You are new to IT and want a first security exam | ISC2 CC guide |
| CompTIA Network+ | You work in IT but networking still feels shaky | Network+ guide |
| CompTIA Security+ | You have some IT background and want the baseline security cert | Security+ study guide |
| ISC2 SSCP | You have a year or more of hands-on security work | Certification path |
| EC-Council CEH | You are moving toward penetration testing | CEH guide |
| CompTIA SecurityX | You are a senior engineer who wants to stay technical | SecurityX guide |
| ISC2 CISSP | You have about five years in security and want a senior role | CISSP study guide |
| ISC2 CCSP | You secure cloud workloads | CCSP guide |
| ISC2 ISSEP | You hold CISSP and do security engineering, often for government | CISSP study guide (ISSEP builds on it) |
| ISACA CISM | You manage a security program or want to | CISM guide |
| ISACA CISA | You work in audit, controls or compliance | CISA guide |
| PMI PMP | You lead security projects and want a project management credential | PMP vs CISSP |
Want the bigger picture first? Our cybersecurity certification path shows which certs to earn and in what order, and the DoD 8140 certifications guide lists approved certs by work role. If you are choosing between more exams than the lab covers, try the which cybersecurity certification quiz. More free tools: password strength checker, phishing quiz and certification cost calculator.
Free one-page Cert Exam Checklist (PDF). What to do six weeks out, two weeks out and on exam day. Join the CyberExperts Daily Brief and the download link appears here.
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Download the Cert Exam Checklist (PDF)Cert readiness quiz FAQ
Is this cert readiness quiz free and private?
Yes. It is free, needs no signup, and runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are not saved or sent anywhere, and they disappear when you close the tab.
Which cybersecurity certification should I take first?
If you are new to IT, start with ISC2 CC, or Network+ if networking is the gap. With some IT experience, CompTIA Security+ is the usual first security cert and is widely listed in job posts and DoD 8140 roles.
How does the quiz decide if I am ready?
It averages your comfort in the domains that matter most for the recommended exam, then adds how much timed practice you have done. Under 40 out of 100 is Start with foundations, 40 to 69 is Getting close, and 70 or more is Ready to practice.
Can I take the CISSP without five years of experience?
Yes. You can sit the exam first. If you pass without the experience, you become an Associate of ISC2 and have six years to earn the five years of paid work ISC2 requires.
Which exams does the CyberExperts lab cover?
Security+, Network+, SecurityX, ISC2 CC, SSCP, CISSP, CCSP, ISSEP, CEH, CISM, CISA and PMP. The lab is always free: practice questions for all 12 exams, 100% free, no card.
How is this different from the which cybersecurity certification quiz?
Our which cybersecurity certification quiz picks a next cert from every guide on the site, including CySA+ and OSCP. This quiz sticks to the 12 exams in the lab, adds a readiness band, and sends you straight to practice questions for that exam.
Experience rules were checked against the ISC2, ISACA, CompTIA, EC-Council and PMI certification pages in October 2026. Certification bodies change them from time to time, so confirm on the official page before you apply.