Certification Exam Policy

CIAT offers 24 industry certifications across ten technical Certificate, Associate's, and Bachelor's Degree programs, allowing students to earn an additional industry certification every 5 to 10 weeks.

CIAT Certificate Programs include 2 to 5 certifications, depending on the length of the program you select. Our Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems includes 10 industry certifications, and our Applied Bachelor's Degree in Computer Information Systems includes up to 19 certifications, depending on the concentration track you select. Some students opt to combine multiple programs to maximize their training and certifications.

CIAT offers 24 industry certifications from CompTIA, Amazon AWS, Microsoft, Cisco, Google (ISC)2, and EC-Council. Learn more about all IT certifications we support.

For active CIAT students – nothing – your exam costs are on us. On average, each industry certification ranges from $100 – $300 per attempt if you take the exams independently. If you factor in multiple attempts and DIY study materials, an average Bachelor's Degree-seeking student can save $5,000 – $8,000 by taking the CIAT certification-based degree plan approach.

Students have the opportunity to take a new certification exam every five to ten weeks, depending on the length of the course. We encourage all students to proactively plan for their first exam attempt during finals week before their next course starts so that they're taking their exam while the material is fresh. While certification exam preparation is embedded directly into CIAT's curriculum, our most successful first-time certification passers spend at least 2-4 hours each week on top of their required coursework preparing for their industry exam.

If you have no industry experience and are working your way into IT, your first exam will start with CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+). This first exam will help you build your exam study habits, learn the certification testing process, and give you a strong foundation for growth. Many employers will look for a minimum of CompTIA ITF+ and CompTIA A+ to start in an entry-level IT position.

Suppose you are an IT professional with prior work experience in your background. Our IT expert staff will help recommend the best certification path to advance your career.

Certification exam preparation is built directly into our unique CIAT curriculum, so we'll guide you every step of the way. Often, however, more than our extensive curriculum is needed. If you're serious about building your career quickly, passing your exams on the first try, and making the most out of your educational investment, you should be allocating a minimum of 2-4 extra hours per week with our test prep software and study materials on top of your coursework.

IT industry certifications are a critical part of getting your first job in the IT field and are required by most employers before even submitting a resume. However, it's important to remember that it's only one piece of the puzzle. Employers will look at the entire picture – your confidence in your IT skills, your interviewing and communication skills, your resume and background, and more. Once you land your certifications, our Career Services team will help you every step of the way.

Your certification vouchers will expire 90 days after graduation from your selected program, so we strongly encourage you to take your certification exams along the way. Wait to push them off until the end of your program. You'll spend more time refreshing and re-learning material and likely will need more than the maximum number of certifications available.

To receive your pre-paid certification voucher, you must have successfully passed the designated course or be currently taking the course with an expected path to successful completion near finals week. Students who have failed a course or are flagged as at risk of failing the course will not be eligible for the pre-paid exam voucher. We encourage all students struggling with material or exam preparation to contact their instructor and request additional tutoring, extensions, or support.

Certification exam voucher costs are covered by CIAT as long as you are financially cleared and have an approved tuition funding plan in place. Students may utilize FAFSA grants and loans, military benefits, private loans, scholarships, personal payment plans, and more to cover the cost of tuition and fees.