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Certification inventory

The repository keeps discovery separate from full-guide publication, while the site exposes both in its generated certification inventory. That page lists every row in the seed catalog, links to the official listing, and marks whether a complete guide is published.

  • config/certification-seeds.json is the source-backed research inventory and drives the site's complete certification inventory.
  • CERTIFICATIONS.txt is its generated, tab-separated Python query input.
  • Certification lifecycle and name history shows recorded update/release dates, retirements, replacements and aliases.
  • config/exams.json contains credentials with complete study guides and the metadata needed to publish and monitor those guides. The site's study guide catalog is limited to these entries.

An entry in the seed catalog means “research or enrich this credential.” Its inventory row is visible on the site, but that does not mean a guide exists or that its sources have been reviewed. Repository validation requires every published guide to have a seed, while research-only seeds remain valid inventory entries without a full guide.

Current coverage baseline

The IBM Bob v2 Developer Associate intake adds live exam C3000-006 / credential C9010800 as checked October 28, 2026. It joins the existing six IBM guides; this targeted addition does not reverify those older entries or the full IBM catalog. The guide maps all 52 public objectives and preserves the official preparation PDF's unresolved general marketplace-browser question. Product labs and independent human review remain pending.

The Azure and HashiCorp baseline was verified on August 31, 2026. The broader Microsoft catalog expansion was rechecked on September 1, 2026 and is being published one source-validated guide at a time.

The Python Institute/OpenEDG catalog was checked September 2, 2026. It adds ten current exam versions: three general-purpose programming exams, two data exams, two testing exams, and one each for security, automation, and artificial intelligence. PCEA-30-01 is labeled beta because the official page describes limited availability through a small-market trial. Announced replacements and work-in-progress tracks stay outside the query list until they are earnable.

The adjacent OpenEDG programming inventory adds the six active C++ Institute C/C++ exams and four active JS Institute JavaScript/web-development exams shown September 2, 2026. It records independently proctored certifications, not the aligned learning platforms' course-completion certificates.

Microsoft Azure

The scope is the official Microsoft Learn certification catalog filtered to the Azure product. The August 31 check also enumerated the live Microsoft Learn credentials API and filtered its results to non-hidden entries whose credential_types contains certification and whose products contains azure. Both views returned 24 certifications. The broader Azure study scope adds the current AZ-802 exam and SC-100, which Microsoft does not tag with the Azure product. The query file therefore contains 27 Azure-scope exam rows for 26 credentials; Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate requires both AZ-800 and AZ-801.

The rule deliberately includes cross-product certifications when Microsoft tags them with Azure, including AB-900, AB-620, and the SC credentials. It then adds current AZ-* exams that the product facet misses and SC-100 because it is the expert cybersecurity architecture path over Azure security, identity, and operations credentials. It excludes Applied Skills and retired credentials. AB-100 and PL-900 are retained separately because this library already publishes those guides. AI-500 remains beta; AZ-802 is active as checked September 27, 2026.

Microsoft beyond Azure

The broader Microsoft expansion uses the unfiltered official Microsoft Learn certification catalog while excluding Applied Skills and Microsoft Office Specialist credentials. Microsoft Certified Educator is also deferred. A credential enters the generated query list when its guide is published, so each per-certification commit remains independently valid and reviewable.

The September 1, 2026 final reconciliation closed the selected Microsoft phase at 50 published exam guides. The official retirement indexes confirm that MB-335, MB-700, PL-500, and PL-600 retired June 30; AZ-204 and MB-280 retired July 31; and AZ-500 and PL-200 retired August 31. Those codes are not missing current-study targets. Existing guides already cover the selected active, beta, and still-earnable announced-retirement exams, including AZ-800/AZ-801, AZ-802, SC-500 and MS-102. This is a curated current catalog, not a promise to publish every historical Microsoft exam.

MS-102 is included as an announced-retirement credential because its exam and Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert certification remain earnable through November 30, 2026. Microsoft had not named a direct replacement as of the September 1 review.

AB-650 is included as a beta credential. Its official study guide was last updated July 27, 2026 without a separate “skills measured as of” date, and Microsoft had not yet published a Practice Assessment as of the September 1 review. Beta exam status, objectives, product surfaces, languages, scoring timing, and assessment availability must be rechecked before scheduling.

SC-401 is included as the active Microsoft Certified: Information Security Administrator Associate exam. Its current skills baseline is July 28, 2026; Microsoft publishes a free Practice Assessment and lists no retirement date.

Lifecycle and replacement rule

  • An already retired exam is not a current study target and is omitted from the generated query list unless an existing published guide or downstream history requires its identity to be preserved.
  • An exam with an announced future retirement remains in scope. Its seed records retirement-announced and the exact retirement_date; its guide must show the date prominently.
  • When the vendor names a replacement, the seed also records replacement_exam_code and replacement_official_url. A replacement code must exist in this inventory. Beta replacements remain labeled beta.
  • A retiring guide explains that earned-credential and transition behavior must be verified with the vendor; it does not imply automatic conversion to the new credential.

AZ-800 and AZ-801 remain in the current catalog, but Microsoft has announced that both exams retire on September 30, 2026. Their seed lifecycle is therefore retirement-announced, not merely active.

AZ-204 retired on July 31, 2026, and AZ-500 retired on August 31, 2026. They are not new study targets. The current successor paths are AI-200 and SC-500, respectively; these are new credentials rather than an assertion that an earned retired credential converts automatically.

HashiCorp

The scope is every credential shown in the official HashiCorp certification catalog:

  • HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (004)
  • HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Authoring and Operations Advanced
  • HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate (003)
  • HashiCorp Certified: Vault Operations Advanced (internal code retained as VAULT-OPERATIONS-PROFESSIONAL)

HashiCorp publishes numeric versions for the associate credentials but does not display short exam codes for the two professional credentials. The uppercase professional identifiers in this repository are stable query keys, not claimed vendor-issued exam codes.

Databricks

The scope is all seven credentials on the official Databricks certification catalog. All seven are registered: Data Analyst Associate, both Data Engineer levels, both Machine Learning levels, Generative AI Engineer Associate, and Associate Developer for Apache Spark. Databricks does not display short codes for them, so the uppercase identifiers are stable library and downstream-query keys, not vendor-issued codes. The live HTML certification page is the monitored weighted blueprint, while each linked PDF is preserved as the detailed objective baseline. The adapter accepts both “The exam covers” and “This exam covers,” the two heading variants encountered so far. Apply that live-page-plus-linked-PDF rule during every revalidation.

AWS

The September 1, 2026 official exam-guide index contains 14 current or announced exam-version pages: one Business, two Foundational, six Associate-version, three Professional, and two Specialty guides. The count deliberately includes both MLA-C01, whose last exam date is September 28, and the MLA-C02 beta replacement, whose registration opens September 1 and delivery begins September 29. It also includes the newly indexed AIB-C01 business credential. Microcredentials and training badges are excluded.

Red Hat

The selected first wave is not Red Hat's complete catalog. It uses one public, performance-based anchor for each chosen specialization: EX200 for Enterprise Linux, EX294 for Ansible, EX280 for OpenShift administration, EX378 for cloud-native development, and EX267 for AI. Record the tested product versions from each exact exam page and label EX280's multiple-version boundary rather than combining objectives from an unidentified LMS assignment.

CompTIA

The selected foundation/core set is Tech+ V6 (FC0-U71), A+ V15 Core 1 (220-1201), A+ V15 Core 2 (220-1202), Network+ V9 (N10-009), Security+ V7 (SY0-701), Linux+ V8 (XK0-006), and Cloud+ V4 (CV0-004). A+ requires both exams from the same version; because their objective maps are independent, this library counts and publishes them as two guides.

Linux Foundation and CNCF

The first wave is LFCA, LFCS, CKA, CKAD, and CKS. LFCA is multiple-choice; the other four are performance-based. The Kubernetes pages list version 1.35 on the September 1 baseline, and CKS requires a previously passed CKA but not an active CKA. Bundles, translations, and the rest of the much larger product catalog do not create additional guide targets.

NVIDIA

The selected first expansion is the active NCA-GENL associate Generative AI LLMs credential, NCA-AIIO associate AI Infrastructure and Operations, and NCP-AIO professional AI Operations. Their live certification pages expose weighted public blueprints and exact delivery/validity contracts. NCP-AIO also includes three hands-on labs inside the 120-minute exam and expects Linux CLI, Slurm, Kubernetes and Base Command Manager experience. Other NVIDIA associate, professional and coming-soon credentials remain future breadth candidates; a course certificate or Academy instructor requirement is not treated as a separate public certification exam.

MongoDB

The selected expansion is Associate Developer, Associate Data Modeler, and Associate Atlas Administrator. MongoDB publishes exact public exam contracts and free learning-path outlines, while detailed study guides require free enrollment. The self-managed Associate Database Administrator remains future breadth. The current 13-hour Atlas Administrator path supersedes the 11.5-hour v1 path flagged for replacement May 29, 2026.

ServiceNow

The first ServiceNow expansion is limited to the two cross-platform mainline credentials: Certified System Administrator (CSA) and Certified Application Developer (CAD). Their current public ServiceNow University blueprint knowledge articles are the canonical objective sources. Product-specific Certified Implementation Specialist credentials, micro-certifications, accreditations, and expert programs remain future breadth and must not be inferred from these two guides. Mainline exam completion is distinct from annual maintenance exams and the Certification Maintenance Program fee.

Palo Alto Networks

The September 2, 2026 role-based portfolio has 17 current public titles: two shared foundational credentials (Cybersecurity Apprentice and Cybersecurity Practitioner); Network Security Professional, four network specialists, and Network Security Architect; Security Operations Professional, five Cortex analyst/engineer specialists, and Security Operations Architect; plus Cloud Security Professional and Cloud Security Engineer. The same two foundational credentials are displayed under multiple platform tabs but are counted once. Cybersecurity Apprentice is the first guide pilot because its May 2026 public datasheet exposes a complete seven-domain weighted blueprint. Legacy PCCET, PCNSA, PCNSE, and other retired product-era exams are not current targets.

Fortinet

The September 2, 2026 post-transition portfolio has 19 current certifications: NSE 1, NSE 2, NSE 3, and NSE 4 FortiOS; Secure Networking, SASE, Cloud Security, and Security Operations tracks at each of NSE 5, NSE 6, and NSE 7; NSE 8 Cybersecurity Expert; and the MSSP Security and OT Security industry certifications. This inventory counts certifications, not each versioned product exam that can satisfy a track. NSE 4 FortiOS is the first guide pilot because its public FortiOS 7.6 Administrator exam page publishes a complete weighted topic table. FCF, FCA, FCP, FCSS, and FCX remain in certification histories but were replaced as the current program labels on July 15, 2026.

Splunk

The September 2, 2026 live catalog displays 14 tracks: 11 current platform, observability, and cyber-defense certifications plus three tracks explicitly labeled Legacy. The Legacy Enterprise Security Admin, ITSI Admin, and SOAR Automation Developer credentials remain valid historical records but are no longer refreshed; they carry a distinct legacy inventory state rather than being mislabeled as retired or mixed into the current queue. Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Architect remains beta/change-sensitive until Splunk resolves the difference between its normal-looking public registration page and the still-pending beta results timeline. Cybersecurity Defense Analyst is the first published guide because Splunk provides both a six-domain weighted test blueprint and a public track with named preparation resources.

Updating the inventory

  1. Recheck each catalog_sources URL and apply its written selection rule.
  2. Add, change, retire, or remove entries in config/certification-seeds.json.
  3. Preserve retired entries only when a published guide or downstream history still needs the identity, and mark the lifecycle state accurately. For every announced or completed retirement, record its date; when the vendor identifies a replacement, record and validate the replacement code and official URL. When a credential is renamed, keep its current title and add confirmed former names to aliases. Keep one row per vendor/exam code; an alias is not a new exam. AB-100 now retains the former name without “Expert” for LMS searches.
  4. Update the source's last_verified date.
  5. Regenerate and validate:
python scripts/generate_certification_list.py
python scripts/generate_certification_lifecycle.py
python scripts/validate_repository.py

The JSON catalog retains official URLs, lifecycle state, provenance, and review dates. The generated text file has four tab-separated columns: vendor_id, exam_code, title, and aliases. The first three retain their previous order. aliases is a JSON array of strings, or [] when none are recorded. Readers that unpack exactly three columns must be updated; header-based readers can select the fields they need. Query the current title and each alias separately, then merge matches under the same vendor/exam identity. A matching old course name does not prove alignment with the current blueprint. See the example in the repository README.

Lifecycle facts live in the same catalog. Set lifecycle.checked_on to the date the cited evidence was checked. Each blueprint_updates entry needs an effective_on date, a language code and a public source_url; preserve both historical and announced dates. initial_release, when confirmed, needs date, stage (beta or general-availability) and source_url. Use optional initial_release.scope for a documented language or delivery limit. Do not infer launch, rename or exam-update dates from a page timestamp or the library review date. Unknown values stay absent. The lifecycle page lists confirmed dated events and counts entries still needing date research by vendor. Record conflicts and next-pass questions in lifecycle.notes rather than choosing an unsupported date; cite the supporting public URLs in lifecycle.source_urls. The release date belongs to the tracked exam version, not necessarily the credential's first launch. Use retirement_scope for restrictions such as “English only” and retirement_source_url for the specific announcement when available.

lifecycle_as_of is the page's dated comparison point. Advance it deliberately when refreshing the view; it does not claim every credential was rechecked. Repository validation catches stale generated query and lifecycle files.