Top 10 Cloud Computing Certifications

To help you decide on your next qualification, our Cloud Portfolio Director, Stuart Scott, has chosen his top 10 cloud certifications that you can earn in 2025. 

Stuart Scott is a cloud specialist who has authored a library of over 250 courses, reaching 1 million learners. Stuart leads the strategic direction of QA's cloud training portfolio, and speaks regularly on a range of topics, including AWS architecture, cloud security and FinOps. 

1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate 

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate certification focuses on the architectural principles, services and best practices for designing secure, scalable and highly available applications on the cloud. 

Who is Certified Solutions Architect Associate for? 

This certification is best for engineers who are moving into cloud architecture and want to validate their AWS knowledge. 

Prerequisites 

It is recommended that learners are familiar with AWS cloud concepts, provided by a course like the AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials programme. 

A basic understanding of cloud computing concepts and prior experience IT infrastructure design would also be beneficial. 

Our expert says

"This still the most widely held and sought after AWS certification. It gives a solid foundation in AWS design patterns, VPCs, security, and storage. Employers trust this cert as a signal of practical ability." - Stuart Scott

Learn more and book AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate

2. Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate 

This certification teaches IT admins how to manage their Azure subscription, secure identifies and administer the wider infrastructure. Azure Administrators implement, monitor and maintain Microsoft Azure solutions, including major services related to compute, storage, network and security. 

Who is Azure Administrator Associate for? 

This course is best for system administrators, cloud engineers and IT professionals who work in hybrid Microsoft Azure environments. 

Prerequisites 

Delegates should have prior experience of operating systems, virtualisation, cloud infrastructure, storage structures and networking. .

Our expert says

"This is the workhorse certification for Azure infrastructure management. It focuses on provisioning, identity, networking, and governance, a must-have for day-to-day Azure roles in large organisations." - SS

Learn more and book Azure Administrator Associate

3. ISC² Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) 

(ISC)² developed the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) for cloud security professionals to develop their skill in cloud security design and implementation. 

This certification is measured against a globally recognised body of knowledge and showcases and individuals competence in cloud security architecture, design, operations and service orchestration. 

Who is Certified Cloud Security Professional for? 

This certification is best for cloud architects, security leads, CISOs, and any other role involved in designing secure architecture in cloud environments. 

Prerequisites 

Candidates must have a minimum of 5 years paid work experience in IT, 3 of which were in information security. 

Our expert says

"Security is now table stakes in cloud, and this certification brings a vendor-neutral, governance-first view. It's especially important in industries with strict compliance (finance, healthcare, gov)." - SS

Learn more and book Certified Cloud Security Professional

4. Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate

Microsoft Azure Developers are responsible for designing, building, testing and maintaining cloud solutions. Learners will be taught how to implement complete Azure solutions, create Azure functions and implement authentication and authorisation. 

Who is Azure Developer Associate for?

This certification is best for software engineers building on Azure and is especially for those in regulated industries or with enterprise clients.

Prerequisites

Delegates should have around 2 years of experience in working with Microsoft Azure and must be able to program in an Azure supported language. 

Students should have 1-2 years professional development experience and experience with Microsoft Azure. They must be able to program in an Azure Supported Language.

Our expert says

"As Azure adoption grows, this cert validates skills in cloud-native developments using serverless, PaaS, event-driven apps, and CI/CD integration. It’s also a stepping stone to Azure DevOps roles" - SS

Learn more and book Azure Developer Associate

5. AWS Certified Developer – Associate

This certification showcases an understanding of core AWS services, uses and basic architecture best practices. It also highlights a proficiency in designing, developing and deploying cloud-based solutions using AWS. 

Who is AWS Certified Developer Associate for? 

This certification is best for cloud developers and backend engineers who work on AWS-based applications. 

Prerequisites 

Delegates should have knowledge of Amazon Simple Storage Service, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Simple Queue Service, Amazon Simple Notification Service, Amazon Simple Workflow Service, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, and AWS CloudFormation.

Our expert says

"This certification is focused on application development in AWS, including Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, and security. It’s highly relevant as serverless and event-driven design patterns become mainstream." - SS

Book AWS Certified Developer Associate

6. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional 

This certification builds on learning from AWS Solutions Architect Associate, covering how to build complex solutions that feature data services, governances and security. Obtaining this certification shows that cloud professionals are skilled in AWS Direct Connect and AWS Storage Gateway. 

Who AWS Solutions Architect Professional for? 

This certification is best for senior engineers, lead architects and consultants building enterprise AWS solutions. 

Prerequisites

Delegates should have achieved their AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate certification, or have at least a year's experience in operating AWS workloads. 

Our expert says

"This is one of the most difficult and respected AWS certs, signalling true mastery of cloud design under constraints. It covers hybrid environments, cost control, high availability, and advanced security." - SS

Learn more and book AWS Solutions Architect Professional

7. Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert 

The Azure Solutions Architect certification validates expertise in designing cloud and hybrid solutions that run on Microsoft Azure, including compute, network, storage, monitoring and security. 

Those in this role are responsible for advising stakeholders and translating business requirements into designs for secure, scalable and reliable Azure solutions. 

Who is Azure Solutions Architect Expert for? 

This certification is best for solutions architects and consultants in Azure-centric businesses or those that work with public sector clients who work in Azure. 

Prerequisites 

To take this exam, delegates should have advanced experience and knowledge of IT operations, including networking, virtualisation, security, business continuity, disaster recovery and governance. They should also hold the Microsoft Azure Administrator certification. 

Our expert says

Microsoft dominates in regulated and enterprise markets. This expert-level cert validates your ability to design secure, scalable, and integrated Azure solutions, including identity, networking, databases, and business continuity." - SS

Learn more and book Azure Solutions Architect Expert

8. CompTIA Cloud+ 

A CompTIA Cloud+ certification validates the skills needed to deploy and automate secure cloud environments, supporting the high availability of business systems and data.

Who is CompTIA Cloud+ for? 

This certification is best for system admins, NOC engineers and platform engineers who support multiple cloud providers. 

Prerequisites 

Attendees should have around 2-3 years of systems administration experience, as well as CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Server+ certifications. 

Our expert says

"This is a vendor-neutral certification that covers the infrastructure layer across cloud environments. It touches on virtualisation, storage, security, and performance. It's perfect for multi-cloud or hybrid deployments." - SS

Learn more and book CompTIA Cloud+

 9. Google Cloud Certified – Professional Cloud Architect 

The GCP Professional Cloud Architect certification gives learners a thorough understanding of cloud architecture within the Google Cloud Platform. It validates skills in designing, developing and managing robust, secure, scalable and dynamic solutions to drive business objectives.

Who is GCP Professional Cloud Architect for? 

This certification is best for cloud architects, consultants and solutions engineers who work in multi-cloud or GCP first organisations. 

Prerequisites

Delegates should have more than 3 years of industry experience, including a year of experience in designing and managing solutions using GCP.

Our expert says

"Google Cloud continues to grow in enterprise and AI-heavy sectors (healthcare, media, SaaS). This cert stands out for its balance of business acumen and technical depth, including system design, compliance, scalability, and cost optimisation." - SS

Learn more and book GCP Professional Cloud Architect

10. AWS Certified AI Practitioner

This new certification validates knowledge of AI, machine learning and generative AI. It is designed to prepare cloud engineers for the challenges of the future, with AI playing an increasingly large role in cloud solutions. 

Who is this certification for?

This certification is aimed at cloud engineers, product owners and early-career professionals looking to overlap in cloud and AI. 

Prerequisites

There are no official prerequisites, but a knowledge of cloud solutions and the principles of AI is recommended. 

Our expert says

Just launched in 2025, this certification reflects the growing convergence of AI and cloud. It validates basic understanding of AI/ML concepts, services like Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker, and how to integrate models responsibly." - SS

Prepare for this cert with our Generative AI Essentials on AWS course. 

Earn a cloud certification with QA

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