In this document: - Adapting IT Operations with CompTIA Cloud+ - Measuring CompTIA Cloud+ Difficulty - Why Hybrid Testing Approaches Work Best - Mapping the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework

1. • Security: Following best practices in
data center security and implementing
appropriate system-hardening techniques.
• Virtualization: Managing virtualized resources
and understanding virtualization as a key
technology powering cloud systems.
• Migration: Evaluating different cloud
deployment models and assessing the
impact of migrating workloads from
existing infrastructure to the cloud.
• Systems Management: Supporting IT
infrastructure and provisioning appropriate
compute, storage and network configurations.
The benefits of cloud computing are well-documented: faster access to
infrastructure, greater scalability, higher availability, increased efficiency
and a reduction in needed capital expenditures, among other advantages.
So why haven’t more organizations shifted additional workloads and
processes to the cloud? Businesses report that the top challenge to realizing
more benefits from cloud-based technologies is a lack of expertise.1
Cloud+ was designed to close that gap. Recognizing the large numbers of storage, network
and server administrators engaged in managing data centers and networks, CompTIA
built a certification that would help organizations develop and nurture the system
administration skills needed to leverage the many benefits of cloud technologies.
Cloud+ certification addresses the increased diversity of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs)
required of today’s systems administrators and systems engineers and validates what is currently
necessary to perform effectively on the job. The current version of the certification includes:
1 Cloud Computing Trends: 2016 State of the Cloud Survey, RightScale
Adapting IT Operations
with CompTIA Cloud+
In this
document:
• Adapting IT
Architectures with
CompTIA Cloud+
• Measuring CompTIA
Cloud+ Difficulty
• Why Hybrid Testing
Approaches Work
Best
• Mapping the NICE
Cybersecurity Work-
force Framework
of the exam
objectives
require
application or
analysis of
domain
knowledge
62%
Measuring Cloud+ Difficulty
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy as an organizing principle to discuss the difficulty level of the exam illustrates
the emphasis on the application of KSAs, rather than the simple recall of information. Looking at the exam
objectives, 62 percent require candidates to demonstrate their knowledge at Bloom’s Level 3 (apply) and above.
The Cloud+ exam is at a higher taxonomy level because we carefully track job roles and skills in the IT
industry. We strive to make sure that the exams directly reflect industry standards and best practices.
The following table summarizes the percentage of certification exam objectives that fall
into each of Bloom’s levels.
1

2. Bloom’s Level and Description
Total Cloud+
Objectives
Security Virtualization
Level 1: Remembering/Recalling Information
The candidate is able to recall, restate and remember learned information.
0% 0% 0%
Level 2: Understanding/Explaining Ideas or Concepts
The learner grasps the meaning of information by
interpreting and translating what has been learned.
38% 43% 29%
Level 3: Applying Knowledge and Skills
The learner makes use of information in a new situation
from the one in which it was learned.
34% 14% 57%
Level 4: Analyzing
The learner breaks learned information into parts to best understand
that information in an attempt to identify evidence for a conclusion.
22% 43% 14%
Level 5: Evaluating
The learner makes decisions based on in depth
reflection, criticism and assessment.
6% 0% 0%
Level 6: Creating
The learner creates new ideas and information
using what has been previously learned.
0% 0% 0%
Cloud+ Executive Summary
Why Hybrid Testing Approaches Work Best
Over the past several years, cybersecurity practitioners and educators have debated as to which of the following is more
important to validate:
1. An individual’s conceptual knowledge, as validated by “linear” multiple choice items, or
2. Performance associated with a particular job or responsibility, as validated by performance-based items.
Advocates for each of these two aspects of validation often hold one of the approaches as superior over the other, with most
individuals favoring only performance-based items.
CompTIA regards this rift in opinion as a false dilemma. Both domain knowledge expertise and practical skills are absolutely vital
and should be a part of any serious competency training and validation process. Both knowledge- and performance-based
aspects are necessary for training, and nothing can substitute for hands-on learning. The same principle applies to assessment.
This is why CompTIA adopted performance-based items into its certification exams starting in 2011.
The following CompTIA exams contain roughly 10 percent performance-based items:
On average, it takes a test taker roughly one-third of the examination time to complete these performance-
based items. Performance-based items include simulations of technology solutions and story-based
items that require advanced cognitive thinking on the part of the successful test taker.
A+ | Network+ | Security+ | Cybersecurity Analyst (CSA+) | CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP)
2

3. System Administrator (OM-SA-001) CompTIA Cloud+
Description Installs, configures, troubleshoots and
maintains hardware and software, and
administers system accounts.
Cloud+ focuses on validating the skills needed for
those in a defined family of job roles – those related
to IT infrastructure and operations. The certification
validates a candidate’s ability to implement, maintain
and deliver cloud technologies and infrastructures.
Sample KSA
Comparisons
K0053
Knowledge of measures or indicators of
system performance and availability.
Domain 4-Resource Management
4.1— Given a scenario, implement and use
proper resource monitoring techniques
4.2 — Given a scenario, appropriately allocate
physical (host) resources using best practices
4.3 — Given a scenario, appropriately allocate
virtual (guest) resources using best practices
Domain 6-Systems Management
6.2 — Given a scenario, diagnose, remediate
and optimize physical host performance
6.3 — Explain common performance concepts
as they relate to the host and the guest
6.4 — Implement appropriate testing techniques
when deploying cloud services
Domain 7-Business Continuity in the Cloud
7.2 — Deploy solutions to meet
availability requirements
S0073
Skill in using virtual machines.
K0130
Knowledge of virtualization technologies and
virtual machine development and maintenance.
Domain 2-Virtualization
2.1 — Explain the differences between hypervisor types
2.2 — Install, configure and manage
virtual machines and devices
2.3 — Given a scenario, perform
virtual resource migration
2.4 — Explain the benefits of virtualization
in a cloud environment
2.5 — Compare and contrast virtual components
used to construct a cloud environment
Domain 3-Infrastructure
3.8 — Explain common hardware resources and
features used to enable virtual environments
Mapping the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework
CompTIA Cloud+ certification aligns with the System Administrator work role (OM-SA-001) as described in the National
Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NCWF), draft NIST special publication
800-181. Both the work role and the certification share a focus on systems installation, maintenance and troubleshooting,
with Cloud+ specifically addressing the impact of cloud technologies on the system administrator and engineer roles.
Cloud+ Executive Summary
LEARN MORE
For government inquiries contact: GovernmentSales@CompTIA.org.
For corporate inquiries contact: Jennifer Herroon at jherroon@CompTIA.org 3

4. Cloud+ Executive Summary
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consent of CompTIA Properties, LLC. Printed in the U.S. 03724-Apr2017 4