About Cert Atlas
Every week someone asks me the same question in a different shape: "Should I do OSCP or CPTS first?", "Is CEH still worth it?", "I'm an auditor, where do I even start?". The honest answer always depends on two things: the job you want next, and what you already know. Most certification lists ignore both and rank by hype.
So this is the list I actually use when I answer those questions. Every entry states the job title it targets, the level it really sits at, what you need before starting, and the most recent change that affects how you'd prepare.
What the levels mean
- Entry. No experience needed, or the first cert after the basics.
- Intermediate. Assumes fundamentals and some hands-on time; typical first-job or first-promotion certs.
- Advanced. Built for practitioners with real experience; often hard experience gates.
- Expert. Specialist or executive credentials at the top of a track.
Levels are my judgement of real-world difficulty and experience required, not the vendor's marketing label. CEH is listed as entry because that's how hiring treats it; OSCP is intermediate because it assumes fundamentals most beginners don't have yet.
What this catalog is not
It isn't a ranking, and it isn't exhaustive. A cert being missing doesn't mean it's bad, and one being listed doesn't mean you need it. It also isn't the vendor's official word: exam formats, prices and outlines change, sometimes with a few weeks' notice. Each page links the official source; check it before you pay.
Study notes marked "Coming Soon"
Where I've written notes for a cert, the catalog links straight to them. "Coming Soon" means I haven't published notes for that one yet. Several of those are certs I added to round out the map, so they're on the list precisely because a complete picture matters more than only showing what I sell.
Methodology: the catalog started from my own cert-prep spreadsheet and was expanded with certifications that fill gaps in each track, especially GRC and leadership. Job titles, levels and prerequisites come from vendor documentation and hiring patterns; the "recent updates" were researched and cross-checked against vendor announcements and recent independent coverage, with a source linked where one exists. Last full review: 2026-10-02.