CompTIA offers a wide range of products that help individuals open more career paths in technology. But to meet the growing demand for technical expertise in various industries, the CompTIA product portfolio has expanded to include advanced tech certifications and learning resources aimed toward expert-level technology specialists – the CompTIA Xpert Series.
The progression of technology careers
Before we dive into CompTIA’s newest suite of certifications, let’s first take a step back and understand typical career paths in tech.
In an episode of CompTIA Volley, Teresa Sears, Vice President of Product Management, CompTIA, talks about how the progression of acquiring and developing technical skills can be represented by a pyramid.
Understanding the career progression pyramid
At the base of the pyramid is digital and career literacy where the focus is gaining a foundational understanding of different technologies. After the fundamentals are learned, individuals will work toward digital fluency, which builds additional skills and knowledge on top of the fundamental skills they already have.
“If a digitally literate person is a fairly capable end user, someone who is digitally fluent might start creating things at that level that can be used in their day-to-day work, or even in their personal lives,” Sears said.
Moving up the pyramid, the next layer is tech employability, where aspiring IT pros learn the skills needed for technical roles. This is where CompTIA certifications come in, to prepare individuals for an early-career role and prove to employers that they have the right skills for the job.
At the top of the pyramid is where expert tech pros reside, where a deep level of technical expertise is needed across multiple different IT functions. This layer of the pyramid shifts the focus from day-to-day tasks to the broader skill set and decision-making responsibilities that are vital to a business's success but might not be conducted frequently. To help mid-career professionals advance to and within this stage, CompTIA has introduced the Xpert Series certifications.
What is the CompTIA Xpert Series?
The CompTIA Xpert Series is comprised of advanced-level certifications designed for IT pros with multiple years of work experience who are interested in validating their expert-level knowledge of business-critical technologies.
The first set of CompTIA Xpert Series certifications will include CompTIA DataX, CompTIA CloudNetX, and CompTIA SecurityX.
Aside from validating technical skills, tech pros who earn a CompTIA Xpert Series certification will be able to lead discussions on the impact of emerging technologies on the business, implement advanced technology solutions and become more hands-on and practical. For each exam, candidates will be evaluated on two components of expertise:
Technical expertise in one or more well-defined areas
Broad expertise in adjacent areas
CompTIA DataX
As an advanced-level data science certification, CompTIA DataX will:
Validate the understanding of data, the ability to leverage data trends and AI to make predictions, and the ability to communicate those predictions to stakeholders
Be designed around the tasks performed by a senior data scientist
Be a natural progression from the job roles aligned to CompTIA Data+
CompTIA CloudNetX
CompTIA CloudNetX is an advanced networking certification that will:
Validate skills in advanced network and system architecture for designing and managing complex, hybrid, IT infrastructures
Be designed around the tasks performed by a network architect, infrastructure architect, and enterprise architect.
Be a natural progression for the job roles aligned to CompTIA Cloud+
CompTIA SecurityX
As the next version of CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+), CompTIA SecurityX will:
Validate job tasks performed by a security professional with 10 years of IT experience and five years of security experience
Be designed around the tasks performed by senior security engineer and security architect roles
Be a natural progression from the job roles aligned to CompTIA Security+
Benefits of earning a CompTIA Xpert Series certification
Earning a CompTIA Xpert Series certification can boost your career success. Not only can it help you stand out in the competitive job market and increase your earning potential, but it also allows you to showcase your technical expertise and commitment to professional growth. Whether you're looking to move into a senior-level role or aiming to broaden your skill set, the CompTIA Xpert Series certifications can provide you with the tools you need to achieve your career goals.
As organizations seek to align strategic plans with business objectives, the importance of certification programs becomes more evident. Expert-level credentials, like the CompTIA Xpert Series, play a vital role in validating the advanced skills and job requirements that seasoned IT professionals need to drive technology initiatives and contribute to business success.
CertMaster Perform for the Xpert Series is a specialized learning product designed to support experienced professionals preparing for CompTIA's Xpert series certifications. This course is tailored for individuals with substantial field experience, focusing on filling knowledge gaps rather than covering every topic comprehensively.
Key features:
Pre-assessment:
Helps learners identify gaps and areas for concentrated study
Comprehensive labs:
Applied labs: Test your ability to configure settings and demonstrate knowledge without detailed instructions
Challenge labs: Push your ability to recall and apply concepts with minimal guidance
Instructional support:
Narrative content, videos, and performance-based questions enhance the learning experience
Practice test:
Prepares candidates for the certification exam with realistic practice questions
Outcomes for learners:
Gain targeted expertise in essential skills and tasks critical for experts
Experience a robust, hands-on learning environment that mirrors real-world job activities
Achieve readiness for the CompTIA certification exam with confidence
CertMaster Perform offers a comprehensive approach, combining various instructional methods to ensure learners are well-prepared for their certification journey.
Take your career to the next level
The CompTIA Xpert Series is designed for individuals who are further along in their tech careers, offering advanced knowledge and skills that are essential for career progression. These products provide in-depth content and specialized training that help learners develop toolsets and industry-specific knowledge to deepen their expertise.
Ready to upgrade your IT skills? Here’s how to save big on CompTIA certifications and training
