IAT Level I: which certification should you actually get?

You are reading this because a job posting, a security officer, or an offer letter said “IAT Level I.” That phrase comes from the DoD 8570 baseline table, where five certifications share the Level I cell. You need only one of them, and Level I is the entry technical tier, so this is the smallest of the IAT questions to solve. Every exam figure below was read off the vendor’s own page on October 9, 2026 and links back to it.

The five, as their vendors describe them today

Read the format column before comparing anything across rows. A CompTIA scaled score, an ISC2 scaled score, and an EC-Council percentage are three different scoring systems, and the only figure that compares cleanly is seat time.

The CCNA Security row is the trap. The 8570 table still prints “CCNA-Security,” but its own footnote says Cisco retired that certification and rebranded it as plain CCNA. The same footnote limits the substitute: if you held CCNA Security and were in a position that required it when it was retired, you may be eligible for a DoD CIO waiver to cite the current CCNA instead. If you never held CCNA Security, do not plan on the current CCNA satisfying this cell without asking your security officer first. For reference, that current CCNA is exam 200-301, a 120 minute exam, and Cisco publishes no question count or passing score for it.

Two more notes the table cannot hold. A+ is two exams, Core 1 and Core 2, and CompTIA requires both from the same version with no mixing, so it is twice the bookings of anything else here. And Network+ is the one CompTIA itself positions as the step after A+: its recommended experience is A+ plus 9 to 12 months in a junior network role, though nothing stops you sitting it first.

Two of the five have experience gates

A+ and Network+ have no experience requirement, only a recommendation. SSCP and CND are different: you can study for them today, but each vendor wants proof of work before it will certify you or, for CND, before it will let you sit the exam.

The SSCP Associate route works like the better known CISSP one, on a shorter clock. ISC2 says a candidate without the experience may become an Associate of ISC2 by passing the SSCP exam, and then has two years to earn the one year. One caution: the 8570 table writes its CISSP entry as “CISSP (or Associate)” but prints SSCP with no such wording. If you plan to rely on Associate status for Level I, confirm with your security officer that it will be accepted.

SSCP and CND do have one thing the CompTIA pair does not: both also sit in the IAT Level II cell, so either one covers Level I and Level II at once. That is the same advantage Security+ has, with an experience gate attached.

Why a Level II certification is often the better buy

The table’s own rule is that higher level IAT certifications satisfy lower level requirements, while Level I certifications do not satisfy Level II unless they are listed there too. A+ and Network+ appear only at Level I. So if your position is recoded, or you apply for the next job up, a Level I certification can leave you starting over.

Security+ avoids that. It is one exam, CompTIA lists it as SY0-701: max 90 questions, 90 minutes, 750 on a scale of 100 to 900 to pass, and it has no experience requirement. CompTIA does recommend Network+ and two years in a security or systems administrator role first, which is the honest reason some people still start with Network+. The current exam is also about to change: CompTIA lists SY0-801 launching November 17, 2026. Our guide to IAT Level II certifications covers the full Level II cell, and Network+ vs Security+ goes deeper on which to take first.

What each one costs to keep

The exam is a one time cost. The renewal repeats for as long as you hold the certification, and across this cell it ranges from $75 every three years to $135 every year.

Three things fall out of that table. CompTIA’s fees are per three year cycle, not per year: $75 for A+ and $150 for Network+ or Security+. EC-Council charges $80 a year for CND, $240 over three years. And ISC2 charges a single $135 annual fee for SSCP holders, which is the most in the table over a cycle but stays the same if you add CISSP later.

The CompTIA ladder also renews itself from the top. CompTIA says Security+ fully renews Network+ and A+, and Network+ fully renews A+, with the lower certification’s fee waived and its expiration date moved to match the higher one. Earn A+, then Network+, then Security+, and you only ever pay to keep the top one current.

Which one to actually pick

You need Level I and nothing more, soon. Network+. It is a single exam, it has no experience requirement, and if you already hold A+, earning it renews A+ with the fee waived.

You are brand new to IT. A+ is the one CompTIA describes as preparing you for IT support specialist and help desk technician roles, and it is where CompTIA expects a Network+ candidate to have started. Budget for two exams. Our A+ certification page has both domain tables.

You might be recoded to Level II, or you want the next job up. Security+. One exam satisfies both levels, so a recode or a promotion does not send you back to study.

You already have a year of work in the SSCP domains. SSCP covers Levels I and II, though it costs more to keep than Security+: $135 every year against $150 every three.

Your employer is sending you to EC-Council training. CND, which the training makes you eligible for and which also covers Level II. Without the training, the two year eligibility gate makes it a harder road than Security+.

You held CCNA Security before Cisco retired it. Ask about the DoD CIO waiver before you study anything new. It may let your current CCNA count.

FAQ

Covering Level I and Level II with one exam? Our Security+ course follows the SY0-701 objectives, and the first module, General security concepts, is free with a free account. Start there and see whether the level fits before you book anything.

A note on currency: the 8570 baseline table this requirement comes from was published by DoD and then frozen. The manual behind it was cancelled in 2023, but legacy contract language keeps its terms in force, which is why postings still say “IAT Level I.” The preserved cell, with provenance, is here.