Certification validity & renewal at a glance
How long each major certification lasts and what renewal requires. Every figure is from the issuer's official policy.
| Certification | Valid for | To renew |
|---|---|---|
| CompTIAA+, Network+, Security+, CySA+, PenTest+… | 3 years | Earn CEUs (20–75, varies by cert) or pass a higher CompTIA exam |
| (ISC)²CISSP | 3 years | 120 CPE credits over 3 years + US$135 annual maintenance fee |
| (ISC)²CCSP (Cloud Security) | 3 years | 90 CPE credits over 3 years + US$135 annual maintenance fee |
| (ISC)²SSCP (Systems Security) | 3 years | 60 CPE credits over 3 years + US$135 annual maintenance fee |
| (ISC)²CC (Certified in Cybersecurity) | 3 years | 45 CPE credits over 3 years + US$50 annual maintenance fee |
| GIACGSEC, GPEN, GCIH, GCFA… | 4 years | 36 CPE credits over 4 years |
| ISACACISA, CISM, CRISC, CGEIT | 3 years | 120 CPE hours over 3 years (min 20/year) + annual maintenance fee |
| CiscoCCNA (Associate) | 3 years | 30 Continuing Education credits, or pass a qualifying exam |
| CiscoCCNP (Professional) | 3 years | 80 Continuing Education credits, or pass qualifying exam(s) |
| CiscoCCIE (Expert) | 3 years | 120 Continuing Education credits, or pass qualifying exam(s) |
| MicrosoftRole-based (Azure, 365, Security…) | 1 years | Pass the free online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn |
| AWSAll AWS certifications | 3 years | Retake and pass the current version of the exam |
| PMIPMP (Project Management Professional) | 3 years | 60 PDUs over 3 years (across the PMI Talent Triangle) |
| EC-CouncilCEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) | 3 years | 120 ECE credits over 3 years + annual CE fee |
Figures verified against each issuer's official renewal policy (June 2026). Always confirm specifics in your certification account.
Certification expiry questions
How long is an IT certification valid?+
It depends on the issuer. Most last 3 years (CompTIA, CISSP, ISACA, AWS, PMP, Cisco, EC-Council). GIAC lasts 4 years. Microsoft role-based certifications expire after just 1 year and renew with a free online assessment.
How do I know when my certification expires?+
Add the validity period to the date you earned it - a Security+ earned 1 March 2024 expires 1 March 2027. This calculator does the maths and shows what renewal requires for each vendor.
What happens if my certification expires?+
Most issuers have no grace period. Once it lapses you usually retake the current exam (AWS, Microsoft), though some credit-based programs offer a short reinstatement window. Renewing before the deadline is always safest.
Do all certifications use continuing education credits?+
No. Credit-based programs (CompTIA CEUs, CISSP/ISACA CPEs, PMP PDUs, Cisco CE, EC-Council ECE) renew through activities. AWS is exam-only and Microsoft uses a free online renewal assessment.
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