Coding Courses

Why learn to code?

Coding and web skills are some of the most portable in tech. Almost every organisation has a website, an app or internal tools that need building and maintaining, and front-end skills — HTML, CSS and JavaScript — are the foundation of all of it. A recognised certification gives you something concrete to show employers while you build a portfolio, which matters in a field where what you can do counts as much as what you know.

Where to start

If you’re new, begin with the CIW Site Development Associate for the foundations of how the web works. From there, the JavaScript Specialist and Advanced HTML5 & CSS3 Specialist build the front-end coding skills employers ask for. If your interest is in building and deploying applications in the cloud, the Microsoft Azure Developer Associate is the route — it suits people who already have some development experience.

Vendor-neutral foundations

The CIW certifications are vendor-neutral, which means they teach universal web standards and best practice rather than one company’s tools. That’s a deliberate strength for a beginner: the HTML, CSS and JavaScript you learn apply everywhere, and they stay relevant as frameworks and tools come and go. CIW is recognised internationally by employers and academic institutions.

The CIW exams

Your course covers the training and full exam preparation; the official CIW exam is sat separately with CIW, and we help you arrange it. Each CIW exam currently costs around US$175 and is computer-based, with your score shown the moment you finish. You can sit it online with remote proctoring or at a test centre. The content is vendor-neutral, certifications are valid for three years, and the number of questions, time limit and pass mark vary by exam (CIW publishes these on each certification page). The Microsoft Azure exam works differently — it’s sat through Pearson VUE, and you can add it as an option at checkout.

Careers in coding and web development

These courses point towards roles such as front-end developer, web developer, UI developer and junior software developer, while the Azure Developer route opens up cloud and application development. Most people start by combining a certification with a small portfolio of their own projects — the certification gets you noticed, and the projects show you can deliver.

Related courses

• All CIW courses — including UI design and web foundations
• Microsoft Azure courses — cloud fundamentals through to developer and architect
• All IT courses