Certification Guides
List of completed Management and Technical certifications, some with guides or methods of passing.
Note: For the most up-to-date listing please go to my LinkedIn.
Clarke holds 23+ active certifications across security, cloud, project management, and infrastructure. Each guide below reflects personal experience — not just exam prep.
Microsoft Azure Certifications
Clarke currently recommends these Microsoft Azure certifications — solid entry points for cloud, AI, and security in enterprise and DoD environments.
Microsoft AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals Guide
✅ RecommendedThe entry point for all Azure certifications — establishes the vocabulary and framework everything else builds on.
Read the AZ-900 Guide →Microsoft AI-901 (formerly AI-900) Azure AI Fundamentals Guide
✅ RecommendedEntry-level Azure AI certification, now earned through exam AI-901 — essential for understanding AI workloads in enterprise and DoD environments before anyone can advise on AI policy or procurement.
Read the AI-900 Guide →Microsoft SC-900 Security Fundamentals Guide
✅ RecommendedEntry point to the Microsoft SC security track — covers security, compliance, and identity (SCI) fundamentals. Especially useful for CISSP holders mapping to Azure.
Read the SC-900 Guide →SC-500: Cloud & AI Security Engineer
✅ RecommendedThe closest current exam to the retired AZ-500. Clarke’s overview of the full Microsoft SC security certification track — SC-900 through SC-100 — and how each cert maps to DoD and enterprise security roles.
Read the SC Series Guide →AZ-500: Azure Security Technologies
🗂 Retired 2026Microsoft retired the AZ-500 and the Azure Security Engineer Associate certification on August 31, 2026. Clarke earned it, and the guide now points new candidates to SC-500, Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate, the closest current exam.
Read the AZ-500 Guide →Microsoft MS-900 Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Guide
🗂 Retired 2026Microsoft retired the MS-900 on March 31, 2026. Clarke’s guide now points new candidates to AB-900, Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals, the closest current Microsoft 365 entry exam.
Read the MS-900 Guide →Security & Management Certifications
DoD 8570 IAM III qualified certifications — CISSP, CISSP-ISSEP, PMP, and SAFe SPC.
CISSP Certification Passing Guide
I wrote a detailed guide on how I passed the CISSP on my first attempt.
Read the CISSP Guide →CISSP-ISSEP Certification Passing Guide
The ISSEP concentration — Systems Security Engineering Professional. Requires active CISSP. Earned November 2019.
Read the CISSP-ISSEP Guide →PMP Certification Passing Guide
PMI’s flagship project management credential. Study method, Rita Mulcahy resources, and test strategy. Earned December 2012.
Read the PMP Guide →SAFe SPC Certification Passing Guide
SAFe Program Consultant — the 4-day instructor-led path to leading enterprise Lean-Agile transformations. Earned October 2020.
Read the SAFe SPC Guide →CompTIA Certifications
Legacy path — see the CISSP guide for the recommended security track and the SAFe SPC guide for the recommended project management track.
CompTIA Security+ Passing Guide
⚠️ Legacy PathDoD 8570 IAT Level II baseline qualifier. Earned November 2008. See CISSP guide for the recommended security track.
Read the Security+ Guide →CompTIA Network+ Passing Guide
⚠️ Legacy PathDoD 8570 IAT Level I baseline qualifier. Earned October 2008. Solid networking foundation but superseded by CISSP for career leverage.
Read the Network+ Guide →CompTIA A+ Passing Guide
⚠️ Legacy PathDoD 8570 IAT Level I baseline qualifier. Earned August 2008. Hardware and OS fundamentals — a common career starting point. Updated for the current 220-1201 and 220-1202 exams.
Read the A+ Guide →CompTIA Project+ Passing Guide
⚠️ Legacy PathEntry-level project management credential. Earned January 2009. Clarke recommends SAFe SPC instead for enterprise and DoD environments.
Read the Project+ Guide →VMware Certifications
DoD 8570 Computing Environment certifications — VMware data center virtualization and cloud management credentials.
Clarke’s VMware track spans over a decade of private cloud and DCGS program work — starting before formal VMware certification existed and culminating in cloud management and application modernization. This era has given way to cloud-native architecture under the CNCF.
VMware VCP-AM Application Modernization Guide
🗂 Retired 2023
VCP-AM covers Tanzu, Kubernetes, and container orchestration. VMware retired it in July 2023; the guide points to VCAP Administrator VKS 9.0, Broadcom’s current Kubernetes exam. License: VMW-02637767W.
Read the VCP-AM Guide →VMware VCP6-CMA Cloud Management & Automation Guide
🗂 Retired 2019
VCP6-CMA validates skills in vRealize Automation, vRealize Operations, and cloud management. Obtained May 2018; retired by VMware in August 2019. The guide points to today’s VCF Automation exams.
Read the VCP6-CMA Guide →VMware VCP5-DCV Data Center Virtualization Guide
🗂 Retired 2017
VCP5-DCV covers vSphere 5 — ESXi, vCenter, HA, DRS, and vMotion. Obtained February 2012; retired by VMware in March 2017.
Read the VCP5-DCV Guide →VMware VCP4-DCV Data Center Virtualization Guide
🗂 Retired 2014
VCP4-DCV — the original DCV credential, based on vSphere 4. Obtained November 2010; retired by VMware in May 2014.
Read the VCP4-DCV Guide →Legacy & Retired Certifications
Credentials that are retired or have limited current market value. Included for completeness and historical context.
Microsoft MCP Passing Guide
🗂 RetiredThe original Microsoft Certified Professional credential — a Windows XP era cert required for SAIC/DCGS hiring in 2009. Retired by Microsoft. Historical context only.
Read the MCP Guide →CIW Professional & Database Design Specialist Guide
🗂 Retired 2011Foundational web technology credential from 2009. CIW stopped awarding the CIW Professional title in June 2011. Clarke recommends Microsoft or CompTIA certs instead for market value today.
Read the CIW Professional Guide →Service Management Certifications
ITIL 4 Foundation Passing Guide
🔄 Version 5 outEntry-level IT service management credential — required on certain DoD and enterprise contracts. PeopleCert released ITIL Foundation (Version 5) in 2026 and plans to sunset ITIL 4 at the end of 2027; the guide covers both.
Read the ITIL 4 Foundation Guide →Full Credentials Record
Complete listing of all certifications, credentials, and degrees held. For detailed study guides, see the cards above.
Industry Management Certifications (DFARS)
- Certified SAFe® 5/6 Program Consultant (SPC5)
(Obtained: 2020-Oct-18) (License: 00763322-3362)
A SAFe implementation professional responsible for training leaders and change agents to drive Lean-Agile transformation at enterprise scale. - Project Management Professional (PMP)
(Obtained: 2012-Dec-22) (License: 1563680)
PMI’s most important industry-recognized certification for project managers. - CompTIA Project+ (P+)
(Obtained: 2009-Jan-14) (License: COMP001007606759)
Industry Certifications (DoD 8570.1M / DoD NICE Framework IAM III, IAT III, & IASAE III Qualified)
DoD 8570 Baseline Security Certifications
- CISSP – Information Systems Security Engineering (CISSP-ISSEP)
(Obtained: 2019-Nov-6) (License: 393607) - Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
(Obtained: 2018-Dec-05) (License: 393607) - CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist (CSIS) — includes S+ce, N+ce, & A+ce
(Obtained: 2013-Aug-27) (License: COMP001007606759) - CompTIA Security+ (S+ce) (Obtained: 2008-Nov-19)
- CompTIA Network+ (N+ce) (Obtained: 2008-Oct-08)
- CompTIA A+ (A+ce) (Obtained: 2008-Aug-15)
DoD 8570 Computing Environment Certifications
- VMware Certified Professional – Application Modernization 2021/2022 (VCP-AM) (License: VMW-02637767W)
- VMware Certified Professional 6 – Cloud Management and Automation (VCP6-CMA) (Obtained: 2018-May-15)
- Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) (Obtained: 2009-Mar-21)
- CIW Professional (Obtained: 2009-Apr-22) including CIW Database Design Specialist
Microsoft Azure Certifications
- Microsoft MS-900: Microsoft 365 Fundamentals
- Microsoft AZ-900: Azure Fundamentals
- Microsoft AI-900: Azure AI Fundamentals
- Microsoft SC-900: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals
- Microsoft SC-500: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate
Service Management
- ITIL 4 Foundation
Degrees and Graduate Certificates
- DBA (Focus: IT Management) — Penn State University (In Progress)
- GC-PM (Focus: Project Management) — University of Maryland (Completed 08/30/2012)
- MBA-ITM (Focus: IT Management) — Western Governors University (Completed 6/18/2010)
- BS-IT (Focus: Information Technology) — Western Governors University (Completed 07/16/2009)
- A.A.S. (Focus: Electronics Technology) — Cochise College (Awarded 12/2013)
Planning your next certification?
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