CompTIA A+ is the classic first certification for people starting in IT. It is aimed at help desk, desktop support, and field technician roles, and CompTIA recommends about 12 months of hands-on IT support experience. That is a recommendation, not a requirement, so plenty of people sit it as complete beginners who studied hard and practiced on real hardware.
A+ is split into two exams because it covers a lot of ground. Core 1 (220-1201) is the hardware side: mobile devices, networking, PC components, printers, virtualization, cloud, and troubleshooting all of it. Core 2 (220-1202) is the software and people side: Windows, macOS, and Linux, security, software troubleshooting, and the operational procedures of working in a support role. You must pass both to earn the certification.
Use this guide as a roadmap. Start with the exam facts, then work through the domain breakdown for each exam, follow the study plan, and spend extra time on the topics people most often mix up. Keep the official objectives PDFs open as your checklist, since the exam can only test what is in them.
The exam at a glance
| Exam codes | 220-1201 (Core 1) and 220-1202 (Core 2), the V15 series |
|---|---|
| Questions | Maximum of 90 per exam |
| Time | 90 minutes per exam |
| Passing score | Core 1: 675. Core 2: 700. Both on a scale of 100 to 900 |
| Question types | Multiple choice (single and multiple response), drag and drop, and performance-based questions (PBQs) |
| Price | $274 US per exam voucher, so $548 for both (CompTIA list price since June 1, 2026) |
| Prerequisites | None required. CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on IT support experience |
| Exams required | Both. You can take them in either order, but both must be from the same version |
| Previous version retirement | 220-1101 and 220-1102 retired on September 25, 2025 |
What each domain tests
Core 1 (220-1201)
Mobile Devices
13%Replacing laptop and mobile parts, connecting accessories, and setting up mobile connectivity and apps.
- Laptop battery, RAM, SSD, and wireless card replacement
- USB-C, Lightning, NFC, Bluetooth, and hotspot connections
- Docking stations vs. port replicators
- Cellular data, SIM vs. eSIM, and location services
- MDM, BYOD, and corporate device policies
Networking
23%Ports and protocols, wireless standards, network services, SOHO setup, and the tools technicians use.
- Common TCP and UDP port numbers and what runs on them
- 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands, channels, and 802.11 standards
- DNS record types (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT) and DHCP scopes, leases, and reservations
- IPv4 private vs. public, APIPA, IPv6, static vs. dynamic addressing
- Routers, switches, access points, firewalls, and PoE
- Crimpers, toner probes, cable testers, loopback plugs, and Wi-Fi analyzers
Hardware
25%Cables, connectors, displays, RAM, storage, motherboards, power supplies, and printers.
- Network, video, peripheral, and drive cables plus their connectors
- RAM form factors, DDR generations, ECC, and channel configurations
- HDD vs. SSD, NVMe vs. SATA, M.2, and RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10
- Motherboard form factors, expansion slots, and CPU compatibility
- Power supply selection and connectors
- Printer setup and maintenance for laser, inkjet, thermal, and impact
Virtualization and Cloud Computing
11%Why and how virtual machines are used, and the core cloud models and characteristics.
- Type 1 vs. Type 2 hypervisors
- VMs vs. containers, sandboxes, and VDI
- IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS
- Public, private, hybrid, and community clouds
- Elasticity, metered utilization, multitenancy, and file synchronization
Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
28%Matching symptoms to likely causes for PCs, drives, displays, mobile devices, networks, and printers.
- POST beeps, no power, overheating, and swollen capacitors
- Clicking drives, S.M.A.R.T. failures, and missing RAID arrays
- Display issues like dead pixels, burn-in, and wrong input source
- Mobile battery, charging, liquid damage, and digitizer problems
- Network symptoms like jitter, high latency, and port flapping
- Printer symptoms like lines on pages, faded prints, and misfeeds
Core 2 (220-1202)
Operating Systems
28%Installing, configuring, and using Windows, plus the essential features and commands of macOS and Linux.
- Windows editions and their feature differences
- Task Manager, MMC snap-ins, and tools like msconfig and regedit
- Windows command-line tools such as ipconfig, chkdsk, diskpart, and robocopy
- Windows settings and client networking configuration
- macOS features and core Linux commands, files, and package managers
- Application installs and cloud-based productivity tools
Security
28%Physical and logical security, Windows security settings, malware, social engineering, and hardening.
- Physical security controls and MFA methods
- Windows users, groups, permissions, and UAC
- WPA2 vs. WPA3, AES vs. TKIP, and RADIUS, TACACS+, and Kerberos
- Malware types and the SOHO malware removal procedure
- Social engineering attacks and common threats
- Data destruction methods and SOHO router and browser security
Software Troubleshooting
23%Diagnosing Windows, mobile OS, application, and PC security problems from their symptoms.
- BSODs, boot issues, and services that will not start
- Slow performance, crashes, and low memory warnings
- Mobile app and OS problems
- Signs of a compromised phone or PC
- Browser redirects, pop-ups, and certificate warnings
Operational Procedures
21%How professional technicians document, change, back up, stay safe, communicate, script, and work remotely.
- Ticketing systems, asset management, and documentation types
- Change management steps and rollback plans
- Full, incremental, differential, and synthetic full backups, plus GFS and 3-2-1
- ESD and electrical safety, and environmental controls
- Licensing, privacy, communication, and professionalism
- Script file types, remote access tools, and basic AI concepts
Study plan
If you are new to IT and can study about 8 to 10 hours a week, plan on roughly 6 weeks per exam, so about 12 weeks total for both. If you already work with computers or have done some help desk work, you can often compress each exam to 3 or 4 weeks. Either way, book your Core 1 exam date early. A real deadline keeps you consistent.
- Weeks 1-2
Core 1 foundations: hardware and cables
Work through the Hardware and Mobile Devices domains with the objectives PDF beside you. Open up an old desktop or laptop if you can and identify every part by sight. Start a daily flashcard habit for cables, connectors, and RAM types.
- Weeks 3-4
Core 1 networking, virtualization, and cloud
Learn the port numbers, wireless bands, DNS records, and IP addressing basics, then cover Virtualization and Cloud Computing. Short daily port drills beat one long cram session. Do practice questions by domain at the end of each week to find your weak spots.
- Weeks 5-6
Core 1 troubleshooting and the exam
Spend most of this stretch on Hardware and Network Troubleshooting, since it is the largest Core 1 domain. Take at least two timed, full length mock exams; the CyberExamPrep mock exams end with a domain score report, which tells you exactly where to spend your remaining review time. Sit Core 1 when you are scoring comfortably above passing on full mocks.
- Weeks 7-8
Core 2 operating systems
Get hands-on with Windows tools, settings, and the command line, and spend time in a Linux terminal and on macOS if you can. Type the commands yourself rather than just reading about them. Add the Windows tool names and Linux commands to your flashcards.
- Weeks 9-10
Core 2 security and software troubleshooting
Cover the Security domain in depth, especially the malware removal procedure, wireless security, and NTFS vs. share permissions. If a concept will not click, ask Aurora, the CyberExamPrep AI tutor, to explain it another way or quiz you on it. Then move to Software Troubleshooting and practice reading a symptom and naming the most likely fix.
- Weeks 11-12
Core 2 operational procedures and the exam
Study Operational Procedures, which is very learnable with careful reading: backups, change management, safety, and documentation. Take timed mock exams, review every missed question until you understand why the right answer is right, and then sit Core 2.
Most-missed topics
These concepts look alike on paper, which is exactly why they trip people up. Know the difference cold.
- Port numbers and what runs on them
- Ports like 110 (POP3) vs. 143 (IMAP), 22 (SSH) vs. 23 (Telnet), and 137 to 139 (NetBIOS) vs. 445 (SMB) are easy to swap under pressure. Learn them in both directions: port to protocol and protocol to port.
- RAID levels
- RAID 0 stripes with no redundancy, RAID 1 mirrors, RAID 5 uses parity across at least three drives, RAID 6 uses double parity across at least four, and RAID 10 combines mirroring and striping. Know the minimum drive count and how many drives each level can lose.
- Cable and connector types
- Fiber connectors (ST, SC, LC), RJ11 vs. RJ45, and video cables like HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, and VGA all look similar in photos. Study them as images, not just names, and know single-mode vs. multimode fiber.
- Printer maintenance by printer type
- Each printer type has its own consumables and maintenance: toner and maintenance kits for laser, printheads and cartridges for inkjet, heating elements and special paper for thermal, and ribbons and multipart paper for impact. Mixing these up is a common mistake, so tie each symptom and fix to the right printer type.
- Type 1 vs. Type 2 hypervisors and cloud service models
- A Type 1 hypervisor runs directly on hardware, and a Type 2 runs on top of a host OS. For IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, focus on who manages what: the further toward SaaS you go, the less you manage.
- Windows tools and their .msc or .exe names
- Device Manager, Disk Management, Event Viewer, Performance Monitor, Resource Monitor, and System Configuration overlap in purpose. Know what each one is for and its filename, such as devmgmt.msc, diskmgmt.msc, eventvwr.msc, and msconfig.exe.
- The malware removal order
- The objectives list a specific sequence: investigate and verify symptoms, quarantine the system, disable System Restore in Windows Home, remediate (update anti-malware, then scan and remove, or reimage if needed), schedule scans and updates, re-enable System Restore and create a restore point, and educate the user. Questions often ask what comes next, so memorize the order, not just the steps.
- Backup types
- Incremental backs up changes since the last backup of any kind, while differential backs up changes since the last full backup. That difference changes how many backup sets you need to restore, which is exactly what scenario questions test.
- The troubleshooting methodology on V15
- The 220-1201 objectives list CompTIA's six step troubleshooting methodology but state it is not a formal objective on the V15 exams. Learn it anyway, because the same identify, theorize, test, plan, verify, and document mindset helps you answer the many scenario questions that are on the exams.
How to handle PBQs
Performance-based questions ask you to do something rather than pick an answer: match ports to protocols, drag connectors to the right cables, configure a SOHO router, put steps in order, or choose the right Windows tool or command for a scenario. They often appear near the start of the exam and can take longer than multiple choice questions, so your strategy for them matters as much as your knowledge.
- Read the whole task and every tab or panel before you click anything. Many PBQs hide key details in a second screen.
- If a PBQ looks long, flag it and come back after the multiple choice questions. You can return to it later in the exam.
- Do partial work when you are unsure. Fill in every part you know rather than leaving the question blank.
- Practice the hands-on parts for real: run ipconfig, ping, and nslookup, open each MMC snap-in, and walk through router settings in a lab or on your own network.
- Use PBQ labs, such as the ones at pbq.cyberexamprep.com, so the drag and drop and configuration formats feel familiar before exam day.
- Watch the clock. Give each PBQ a time budget, roughly 5 to 7 minutes, and move on if you blow past it.
Exam day
- Choose your format: a Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE online proctoring from home. For OnVUE, run the system test ahead of time and clear your desk and room.
- Bring valid, unexpired government issued photo ID, and make sure the name matches your Pearson VUE account exactly.
- Check in early. Plan to arrive about 30 minutes early at a test center, or start OnVUE check-in up to 30 minutes before your appointment for the photos and room scan.
- You will see a candidate agreement (NDA) screen before the exam starts. Read it and accept it so your exam can begin.
- Use flag for review on anything you are unsure about. Answer every question, because a blank answer can only be wrong.
- Pace yourself: with up to 90 questions in 90 minutes you have about 1 minute per question. If PBQs take 15 to 20 minutes, aim to clear the multiple choice questions at under a minute each so you have time left to review your flags.
- Remember the passing scores differ: 675 for Core 1 and 700 for Core 2. Treat Core 2 as needing a slightly stronger performance.
FAQ
- How long to study for both A+ exams?
- Most students need 3-4 months total. Plan 6-8 weeks per exam. Some take both exams within a few weeks of each other to minimize total study time.
- Which exam should I take first?
- We strongly recommend Core 1 first. Hardware and networking concepts from Core 1 provide context for Core 2's software and troubleshooting topics.
- What's the passing score?
- Core 1 (220-1201) requires 675/900. Core 2 (220-1202) requires 700/900. You must pass both to earn A+ certification.
- Is A+ worth it in 2026?
- Absolutely! A+ remains the most recognized entry-level IT certification. It's required for many help desk and support positions and provides a foundation for advanced certifications.
- How many PBQs are on each exam?
- CompTIA does not publish how many performance-based questions appear or how they are weighted. Expect at least a few, and practice scenario-based troubleshooting questions thoroughly.