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Every course here prepares you for one IT certification exam. For each of ten popular exams, from CompTIA A+ to the Certified Kubernetes Administrator, we took the English-language Udemy course with the most student reviews and checked that it was updated this year. Our IT Certifications category lists 409 exam-prep courses; these ten have more than 1.2 million student reviews between them, and none is rated below 4.5.
Every rating, review count, length and last-update date on this page comes from our catalogue and is refreshed with it. The pros and cons are written by CourseDuck’s editors from the course syllabus and a sample of the written student reviews, and checked against both; no course pays to be on this list. Udemy prices move with its sales, so treat the price on each card as the current one, not a fixed one.
How to pick
- New to IT: A+ first. The Security+ course lists A+ and Network+ as helpful background, so take the CompTIA three in that order.
- Networking job: Network+ for a vendor-neutral start, CCNA for Cisco networks.
- Cloud: a fundamentals exam first (AWS Cloud Practitioner or AZ-900), then the associate one (Solutions Architect Associate or AZ-104). Google’s Associate Cloud Engineer has no fundamentals course on this list.
- You work with Docker and Linux already: the CKA, whose course expects both, plus YAML.
- Picked by the number of student reviews, one course per exam; every one was updated in 2026.
1. CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)
The A+ certification takes two exams, Core 1 and Core 2, and Total Seminars sells one course for each; this is Core 1, the more reviewed of the two (the second is TOTAL: CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202)). Mike Meyers and his team work through CPUs, RAM, storage, motherboards, networking, mobile devices and printers in 153 lectures and 20.6 hours, with 22 quizzes and a full practice exam at the end. It asks for no prior experience; CompTIA’s own advice of 9 to 12 months on the job is listed as recommended, not required. Reviewers keep coming back to Meyers himself, funny and clear, and a recurring complaint is that some quiz and practice exam questions cover things the lectures never mention, so plan on some reading of your own. Last updated June 2026.
Pros
- Mike Meyers makes dense hardware and networking topics genuinely entertaining
- 153 lectures across 20.6 hours cover CPUs through mobile devices in real depth
- Includes a full practice exam to gauge exam readiness
- Recently refreshed, with a last update in June 2026
Cons
- Some reviewers say quiz and practice-exam questions cover material not in the lectures
- Co-instructor segments feel flat and scripted compared to Meyers' own sections
- One reviewer says the Windows 10 examples are dated
What students say
MattStudying for a+ and this has made alot of unfamiliar topics more understandable. Its been easier for me to take one concept at a time with this course than some other popular courses ive come across. Definitely recommend if you're new to this kinda stuff its helped me alot.
Jedidiah HornbyI feel like some of the examples drag on. Particularly earlier in the course, asking a worker if they went on vacation, how it was, etc, all for the answer to be "Airplane mode" Just previously, the example of the Ice cream shop, is feel like it Drags attention away from the topic.
Reviews from students, via this course's page on CourseDuck.
2. CompTIA Network+ (N10-009)
Jason Dion’s Network+ course runs 32.8 hours over 259 lectures and 30 sections, with a study guide, 28 quizzes and a full practice exam, and walks through all five exam domains, from the OSI model and IP addressing to security and troubleshooting. It is billed as beginner level, but its requirements ask for a basic understanding of networks, so it suits someone already in a help desk or support job more than a complete newcomer (start with A+ above if that is you). Reviewers who passed credit it directly; the recurring complaint is the same as with A+: the practice test asks about things the videos skip. Updated September 2026.
Pros
- Reviewers who passed the exam credit the course directly
- Covers all five N10-009 domains across 259 lectures plus a full practice exam
- Dion's explanations praised even by a non-native English speaker
- Refreshed in September 2026
Cons
- Several reviewers say practice tests cover material the lectures skip
- Fast pace and dense wording make some sections hard to digest
- Thin on tougher topics like encryption and PKI, per a reviewer
What students say
Jaime Eduardo Ximenes SoaresThe course offers a comprehensive understanding of each topic and domain, with clear explanations that make complex concepts easy for students to grasp. Each section includes short quizzes to reinforce learning, and a full practice exam at the end provides an experience closely aligned with the actual certification test. This structured approach makes the course highly effective and is strongly...
Michael WeathersI went through a different Network+ course and at the end, I still felt under prepared. So I got this course, and it was so much better even though I only had about 2 weeks to get through the entire 33 hours of video, I felt so much better about going into the exam. I passed my exam on March 11. Thank you to the creators and instructors for doing such a good and thorough job of covering all the...
Reviews from students, via this course's page on CourseDuck.
3. CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)
The most reviewed Security+ course on Udemy is also Jason Dion’s: 265 lectures and 31.2 hours across the five SY0-701 domains, from threat actors and cryptography to incident response and governance, with a downloadable study guide, 28 quizzes and a full practice exam. A+ and Network+ are listed as helpful but not required. Reviewers like that the quizzes explain why a wrong answer is wrong, and several report passing on the first try with it as their main resource. The trade-off is length: some reviewers say sections could be trimmed, and a couple paired it with Professor Messer’s videos. Updated September 2026.
Pros
- 265 lectures walk through every SY0-701 domain with a downloadable study guide included
- Quizzes explain wrong answers in detail instead of just flagging them
- Refreshed in September 2026
- Reviewers report first-try passes with scores in the 80s after using it as their main resource
Cons
- At 31 hours, some reviewers say sections run longer than needed and could be trimmed
- Practice exam questions don't fully match the scenario-based format of the real test
- A few reviews mention repeated material, typos, and pop-ups between lessons
What students say
Sameer MohammedI like jason he is a very good speaker/instructor but the other instructor might be good but I personally didnt liked the way he teaches /speak or might be his accent which I felt not satisfactory, I Iost the concentration in his toipcs, apologies for this comment if it sound rude, if there is only jason's full course please let us know, would be very happy to take it.
Lindsay BrownI really enjoy the detail courses. I have been studying for the security + exam for a month, however it wasn't until i started this course, did I feel like I was understanding the material. I'm finally understanding the material better. I feel a lot better and more prepared for the security + exam, this course is worth taking to get the best knowledge, and be test ready.
Reviews from students, via this course's page on CourseDuck.
4. Cisco CCNA 200-301
Neil Anderson’s CCNA course is the highest rated on this list and the longest: 42.7 hours in 326 short lectures and 40 sections, starting from how two hosts talk to each other and ending with network automation and a section on AI and machine learning. The lab exercises (over 300 pages of them) run on a laptop with no physical Cisco gear, and Anki flashcards come with it. It is written for absolute beginners; all it asks is that you can use a computer. There are no quizzes or practice exams inside the course, and one reviewer estimates that about 30% of the exam topics are not covered directly, so budget for a practice exam pack. Updated September 2026.
Pros
- Over 300 pages of hands-on lab exercises with detailed answers
- Reviewers say every Q&A question actually gets a reply
- Short 7 to 10 minute lectures keep a 42-hour course from feeling tedious
- Refreshed as recently as September 2026 to match the current exam version
Cons
- Some reviewers say Neil skims past details that matter later
- One reviewer estimates about 30% of exam topics aren't directly covered
- Recommended paid practice-exam site gets flagged for buggy questions
What students say
Adrian NakicI think Neil’s course is simply terrific. I very much appreciate the clarity and repetition in his speech as well as the reasonable pace and tone of the lessons and their sequence. It’s giving me a lot of confidence to complete my CCA journey.
Lungelo NtulIExcellent pacing and I really like the study plan laid out for students. I'm more committed now with it in mind 🙂 Halfway through: The course is well structured and made easy to follow with the use of examples, diagrams, and lab demos. Everything just flows smoothly 🙂
Reviews from students, via this course's page on CourseDuck.
5. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)
Stephane Maarek’s Cloud Practitioner course is the entry point to AWS certification: 14.6 hours in 282 lectures, 21 section quizzes, one full practice exam and hands-on demos in the AWS Free Tier, with no IT background required. All 300+ slides come as a PDF. Reviewers say he explains each service simply and flags what the exam actually tests; the complaints are that some hands-on videos still show an older AWS console and, from one reviewer, that the slides-and-voice format gets sleepy. If one practice exam is not enough, Maarek also sells six practice exams for CLF-C02 separately. Updated September 2026.
Pros
- Maarek explains each service simply and flags what the exam actually tests, reviewers say
- Hands-on demos in the AWS Free Tier plus section quizzes and a full practice exam
- Updated in September 2026, with 32 caption tracks and all 300+ slides as a PDF download
- Roughly 200,000 five-star reviews, and reviewers report passing the exam with it as their main material
Cons
- Some hands-on videos still show an older AWS console, so demos can be hard to follow
- Instructor is voice-over-slides only after the intro; one reviewer found it sleepy
- Only one practice exam included; one reviewer leaned on a separate six-test pack to pass
What students say
Audrey Esteban Agüero FonsecaThe way the teacher explains is awesome and easy to follow. The course is of great quality. The only suggestion I would give is to update some videos to the newer versions of AWS' UI, so that it gets easier to follow the hands-on practice. Thank you for the course!
Haider AliExcellent course! The explanations are clear, well-structured, and focused on the exam objectives. It gave me the confidence to pass the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam on my first attempt. Highly recommended for anyone preparing for the certification. Thank you
Reviews from students, via this course's page on CourseDuck.
6. AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03)
The most reviewed course on this list, with close to 300,000 student reviews, and the natural next step after Cloud Practitioner. Maarek covers IAM and EC2 through storage, databases, serverless and VPC networking in 27.2 hours and 397 lectures, with 29 quizzes, one full practice exam and 800+ slides as a PDF. It assumes basic IT knowledge and no AWS experience. Most recent reviewers say they passed, several with this course plus a separate set of practice exams, since only one full exam is included. One three-star reviewer found it thin on why similar services exist and when to choose one. Updated September 2026.
Pros
- 27 hours across 397 lectures, ordered as a progression from IAM and EC2 to VPC rather than a service list
- Refreshed in September 2026, with logged updates every year from 2019 to 2023, so console walkthroughs stay current
- Recent reviewers report passing with this course plus practice exams, some with no other study
- All 800+ slides come as a downloadable PDF, handy for revision in the last week before the exam
Cons
- A three-star reviewer found it thin on why similar services exist and when to pick one over another
- Only one full practice exam is included; several passing reviewers used extra tests
- One reviewer says chapter quizzes don't line up well with the lecture content
What students say
Scott McFarlaneUsed this course along with Stephane and John Dojo practice tests which i treated like a full time job due to never touching AWS before. After 3 and half months I passed the SAA-C03 exam on the 13th of August 2026. The exam was harder in my eyes but the information provided by the combination I used was invaluable.
Hamza MahmoodThanks Stephane! First, he helped me pass the Cloud Practitioner exam in less than a month with 967, then this course helped me pass the Solutions Architect - Associate exam with 911 WITHOUT ANY PRIOR AWS KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE. Amazing teacher, gives you just enough to pass the exam without leaving out important details.
Reviews from students, via this course's page on CourseDuck.
7. Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
Scott Duffy’s AZ-900 course is the shortest here at 8.8 hours and 88 lectures, which is about right for a fundamentals exam: cloud concepts, Azure compute, storage and networking, identity and security, cost management and governance. It includes a 24-page study guide, 13 quizzes and two practice tests, and needs no Azure account. Reviewers report passing within a day or two of finishing it. Most complaints are about delivery: the same plain bullet-point slides in most sections and a few lectures that jump between subtopics before coming back. One reviewer also caught a factual slip on VPN gateway peering. Updated September 2026.
Pros
- 142,000+ reviews at a 4.6 average rating
- Includes a 24-page study guide PDF and a 50-question practice test
- Students report passing the exam within a day or two of finishing
- Manually captioned lectures plus downloadable audio for on-the-go review
Cons
- One reviewer flags mumbled audio that throws off the auto-generated captions
- Slides reuse the same plain bullet-point layout across most sections
- A few lectures jump between subtopics before circling back, which hurts note-taking
What students say
Saransh UpadhyayExcellent course for AZ-900. Scott explains cloud concepts in a simple, beginner-friendly way without overwhelming you. The lessons are concise and cover all the exam objectives. I used this course as my primary resource, combined it with practice exams, and successfully passed the AZ-900 certification. Highly recommended for anyone starting their cloud journey.
Bharat JoshiAbsolutely fantastic training course! The material was clear, engaging, and incredibly well-organized. The instructor did a brilliant job of breaking down complex ideas into practical, easy-to-understand steps. I walked away with concrete skills that I am already using in my work. Highly recommended!
Reviews from students, via this course's page on CourseDuck.
8. Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104)
The associate-level Azure exam, again from Scott Duffy: 187 lectures and 18.1 hours through Entra ID and RBAC, governance, storage, virtual machines, networking, monitoring and backup, in the order of the exam objectives, plus a study guide and a 3-hour cram review for the day before. It is rated intermediate and needs an Azure subscription (a free one will do). At 4.5 it is the lowest rated course on this list. Several reviewers say Bicep, the CLI and scenario questions get thin treatment, and some portal screens no longer match Azure. Use it as the spine and add Microsoft Learn and practice exams. Updated June 2026.
Pros
- Structured section by section to match the actual AZ-104 exam objectives
- Includes a free study guide PDF and a 3-hour last-minute cram review
- Reviewers say Scott Duffy explains things clearly and takes time on details
- Recently refreshed, last updated June 2026
Cons
- Several reviewers say Bicep, CLI and scenario-based topics get shallow treatment
- Some interfaces and Entra ID screens no longer match the current Azure portal
- One reviewer says hands-on labs cost extra beyond the course itself
What students say
Filippos SotiropoulosI am updating my review. At the beginning, I misjudged the course, but now that I am at section 16, my opinion has changed. This is a fully updated course where everything is on point, and it provides a great approach on how to think, and not only how to 'pass' it
David SmithExcellent organization and presentation of material, consistent with exam objectives. Scott also provides through explanations that make understanding the context of the material easier, for real world situations, which is useful beyond passing the exam.
Reviews from students, via this course's page on CourseDuck.
9. Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer
Ranga Karanam of in28Minutes covers the whole Associate Cloud Engineer blueprint in 25.6 hours, 382 lectures and 42 sections, from Compute Engine and GKE to IAM, Pub/Sub and Cloud Run, with gcloud commands alongside the console demos and a revision recap after each block. It expects no Google Cloud knowledge, but you need a debit or credit card to open the Google Cloud account the demos use. Reviewers credit the recaps for making things stick; the complaints are about age: some demos and screenshots no longer match the current console. It has quizzes but no full practice exam. Updated August 2026.
Pros
- Revision recaps after each section help concepts actually stick
- Covers the full ACE blueprint, from Compute Engine to GKE and Pub/Sub
- gcloud command line demos run alongside the console walkthroughs
- Reviewers who passed the exam credit the course for getting them there
Cons
- Several reviewers flag demos and screenshots as out of date
- Updates pushed to an external website instead of new lectures
- Some sections lean on slides instead of live walkthroughs
What students say
Alex ChenThe overall course content is well organized and comprehensive. However some of the content are outdated and new content need to be added with the evolvement of google cloud platform.
Byomkesh DasFantastic course materials, ChatGPT suggested me to take this course, hence, I believed ChatGPT. And I feel it is worth taking this course, Thank you Ranga, for making this course for many learners.
Reviews from students, via this course's page on CourseDuck.
10. Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
The CKA is a hands-on exam, and that is what Mumshad Mannambeth’s course (KodeKloud) is built around: 311 lectures and 26 hours across the curriculum, scheduling, security, storage, networking and troubleshooting, with labs that run in the browser, so there is no cluster to set up, and mock exams. It expects basic Docker, YAML and Linux. Reviewers rate the labs and mock exams above everything else; the complaints are that some labs use commands the lectures have not taught yet and that the labs take longer than the listed course length suggests. Updated September 2026.
Pros
- In-browser labs mean no local cluster setup before you start practicing
- Mock exams reviewers say closely match the real CKA's difficulty and style
- Covers the full CKA curriculum: scheduling, security, storage, networking, troubleshooting
- Recently added Helm and Kustomize sections keep it current with the exam
Cons
- Some labs reference topics or commands not yet taught in the preceding lectures
- A few lab exercises are missing solutions or have mismatched answer keys
- Listed course length reportedly understates real time needed to finish the labs
What students say
Alex IvasyuvGreat course! Of course you have to practice even more aside these labs, but I really like the way course is layout, very comfortable explanation and slides. But in order to get excel - you have to practice beyond that for sure, course give you good understand what is that, how it works - and your task to dig deeper. Really recommend that course!
Neda KhodabakhshiThis is one of the best Kubernetes courses I’ve taken. The explanations are clear, well-structured, and easy to follow, and the hands-on exercises make everything much easier to understand. I’m very happy with this course, and it has inspired me to work toward earning my CKA certification. If you’re serious about learning Kubernetes and passing the CKA exam, I highly recommend this course.
Reviews from students, via this course's page on CourseDuck.
Where to go from here
The IT Certifications category page ranks its 409 exam-prep courses, with second choices for the CompTIA, Cisco and Azure exams (Total Seminars covers Network+ too). The AWS exam courses, including practice-exam sets from Neal Davis and Jon Bonso, are under AWS, and ethical hacking, the CEH and a second Security+ course under Hacking. Our 10 best Udemy courses covers the bestsellers across every subject, and the best free Udemy courses is where to start if you would rather not pay yet.
