6 Tips for Passing IT Certification Tests

Becoming IT-certified isn’t always required once you’ve earned your degree, but it can make a considerable difference in advancing your career. Certifications validate your skills, signal to employers your knowledge of industry standards, and often open doors to higher-paying roles. They also show your commitment to professional growth and lifelong learning.

Today’s IT certifications go beyond just networking or hardware—they also include cybersecurity, cloud platforms, AI, DevOps, test automation, and more. If you’re planning to take a certification exam soon, here are six strategies to help you prepare, feel more confident, and succeed on exam day as well as throughout your career path.

1. Understand the Value of IT Certifications in Today’s Market

Before starting any certification program, it’s crucial to understand why certifications hold so much value in the IT industry. They prove that your skills are still relevant and current amid rapid technological innovation. Earning the right certification means aligning it with your career goals and committing to keeping it current in the future. By regularly updating your certifications, you ensure your expertise stays competitive in this evolving field.

Whether in systems administration, software development, data analytics, automation, or other IT specialties, a certification can validate your expertise to employers and prove your ability to apply complex principles to practical, real-life scenarios.

2. Practice Your Test-Taking Skills

While many certifications now include performance-based testing (think simulations and labs), multiple-choice exams are still a major component. An understanding of testing principles paired with strong test-taking skills matters. The following are specific exercises to keep in mind as you practice:

• Read carefully. Misreading one word in a scenario question could lead to the wrong answer.
• Eliminate distractors. Cross out answers that are obviously incorrect to improve your odds.
• Manage your time. Don’t spend too long on one question; instead, mark it and return later if needed.
• Simulate the environment. If your test is online, practice in a quiet space with no distractions to approximate exam conditions.

3. Complete Practice Exams and Labs

Hands-on experience is often the best preparation for a certification test. Practice exams not only help you test your knowledge but also reduce test anxiety by familiarizing you with exam formats and structures. 

Fortunately, many providers offer virtual labs and practice exams. For instance, CompTIA and AWS provide official practice tests, and platforms like Udemy, Pluralsight, and Coursera offer guided labs for networking, cloud, and AI certifications. Free resources like AWS Free Tier or Microsoft Learn can also let you experiment with real tools before your exam. 

4. Connect with IT Professionals and Communities

Learning doesn’t need to happen in isolation. Making connections with others who share your professional goals can be a huge boon. Online communities on Reddit, LinkedIn, and other social media sites may offer specific advice from certified individuals with lived experience as well as a source of accountability. 

In addition, professional mentors are trained to guide you through certification prep with an emphasis on tailored, one-on-one support. Mentors can also offer valuable career advice and networking opportunities. Finally, conferences and boot camps offer opportunities for like-minded learners to gather together, form study groups, and practice hard skills.

Hearing about how other professionals prepared for exams can help you avoid common mistakes and adopt prep strategies that you may have not considered.

5. Balance Study with Real-World Experience

While certifications test knowledge of relevant material, employers often prize experience in job candidates. That’s why you should consider supplementing your study time with hands-on projects. You might try doing the following:

• Setting up a virtual lab to simulate networks, security systems, software programs, and more. Practicing techniques in this way can get you familiar with on-the-job duties.
• Building small applications that demonstrate skills in programming, database management, web development, and other IT fields. For example, platforms like GitHub let developers create and share code in a collaborative digital environment.
• Investigating and experimenting with AI tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch to apply skills in machine learning, deep learning, and AI training.

6. Keep Up to Date with Emerging Tech Trends

Information technology is one of the fastest-evolving industries in the world. In 2025, certifications related to AI, cloud security, and zero-trust networking are becoming increasingly more valuable. Staying informed helps ensure that the certifications you earn will pay off.

AI is now integrated into security operations, customer support, analytics, software testing, and more. Cloud platforms are standard for businesses of nearly every size, making cloud certifications essential. Certifications from providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud are particularly valuable.

Additionally, cybersecurity remains a top priority, with demand for certified professionals projected to increase over the next decade. 

Advance Your IT Career with WGU

Entry-, mid-, and expert-level certification exams can be challenging, but with the right preparation—studying strategically, practicing in labs, engaging with other professionals, and staying current on IT trends—you equip yourself for success.

At WGU, you don’t just earn an IT degree—you also have the opportunity to prepare for and earn several industry-recognized certifications with the cost included in your flat-rate tuition fee. That means you can graduate with the credentials employers are actively looking for and the confidence to take your IT career to the next level. 

Learn more today.

Western Governors University is a nonprofit, accredited, online university. WGU offers bachelor's and master's online degree programs in IT. Find out more about WGU's degree programs in IT.