Many vendors offer cloud certifications and training that enable administrators to deploy and manage various cloud services. However, there’s more to cloud computing than the technical aspects of managing containers, developing web apps or establishing fault-tolerant environments.
CompTIA’s Cloud Essentials+ exam fills a unique and essential niche in the cloud certification market. It targets decision-makers and managers concerned with the costs and practicality of cloud computing but who will never be asked to create VMs or deploy containerized web apps.
Below is a guide to CompTIA Cloud Essentials+, summarizing the objectives, exam details and advice on preparing for this certification.
Who should take the Cloud Essentials+ exam?
Cloud Essentials+ is for the businesspeople surrounding an organization’s cloud deployment. It’s for those who influence the use and direction of cloud services within the larger business picture. These roles could include the following:
- Business analysts.
- Upper-level managers and executives.
- Midlevel managers.
- Accounting personnel.
- Sales and marketing team members.
- Cloud administrators.
This exam is also for cloud administrators who need to understand and communicate business concerns. The knowledge provided in the Cloud Essentials+ exam enables technical cloud administrators to communicate effectively with business professionals. This knowledge helps Cloud+-certified administrators move into more business-oriented IT leadership roles.
What does the Cloud Essentials+ exam cover?
CompTIA provides exam details on its website and access to the official objectives. Use these objectives to guide your exam preparation. Compare the Cloud Essentials+ objectives to the Cloud+ objectives to understand how the two differ.
Examine the following relevant exam details:
- Exam name and version. CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002.
- Cost. $138.
- Passing score. 720 — on a scale of 100-900.
- Length. Up to 75 multiple-choice questions.
- Time. 60 minutes.
CompTIA suggests six to 12 months of experience as a business analyst in an IT environment. This experience should include some exposure to cloud services and technologies. However, the application of Cloud Essentials+ is significantly broader than just business analyst roles. It’s suitable for accounting, leadership and a host of other nontechnical positions.
So, what exactly does Cloud Essentials+ cover?
- Cloud concepts and terminology. Cloud Essentials+ provides the cloud vocabulary and understanding necessary to inform business decisions and designs.
- Management and technical operations. Candidates learn about the technical aspects of working with cloud technology and the role of DevOps.
- Governance, compliance and security concepts. This exam covers the importance and impacts of risk management, disaster recovery and compliance in the cloud.
The objectives cover the following four primary knowledge domains:
- Cloud concepts.
- Business principles of cloud environments.
- Management and technical operations.
- Governance, risk, compliance and security for the cloud.
Each domain consists of more detailed objectives.
Cloud Essentials+ does not focus on any single cloud vendor, making it useful in nearly every environment. This vendor agnosticism becomes even more crucial as more organizations implement multi-cloud deployments using two or more cloud service providers. It’s also essential when organizations migrate from one cloud service provider to another.
CompTIA recently updated its official CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ guide with new information on AI, multi-cloud deployments, networking, security and more. This content reasserts the importance of this business-oriented body of knowledge. Getting the most from a cloud deployment means an organization must understand its impact on expenditures, worldwide access, data sovereignty and compliance.
How do I prepare for the Cloud Essentials+ exam?
Preparation for the Cloud Essentials+ exam should follow the same routine as any other certification. Begin by becoming familiar with the exam objectives. After all, these detail what the exam focuses on. Candidates who are new to the field should consider formal training to supplement any cloud experience. To optimize exam preparation, candidates should also pay attention to their learning habits.
Keep the following in mind when preparing for the Cloud Essentials+ exam:
- Carefully read the objectives. Separate familiar topics from new ones to determine any topics you’re already familiar with and those that need more attention.
- Schedule the exam. Being proactive about the exam appointment can provide a great motivator for studying.
- Be serious. Don’t think of Cloud Essentials+ as “Cloud+ Lite.” It is as extensive as any other more technical CompTIA certification exam.
- Gain hands-on experience. Consider setting up a free account with one of the three major cloud vendors: AWS, Microsoft or Google.
- Combine certifications. Combining Cloud Essentials+ with the Cloud+ certification demonstrates technical ability and an understanding of the cloud’s application in business.
Be aware that CompTIA refreshed the course content without altering the exam objectives. The exam topics are relevant and critical to the business aspects of cloud computing. The existing exam version remains comprehensive and leading-edge, so consider jumping on it now.
Editor’s note: The CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ exam is set to be retired in 2025, and the last day to take the exam is September 25, 2025.
Damon Garn owns Cogspinner Coaction and provides freelance IT writing and editing services. He has written multiple CompTIA study guides, including the Linux+, Cloud Essentials+ and Server+ guides, and contributes extensively to Informa TechTarget, The New Stack and CompTIA Blogs.
