CompTIA A+ Certification Guide for Beginners

What CompTIA A+ covers, how the 220-1201 and 220-1202 exams work, and a step-by-step plan to earn the certification as a complete beginner.

Liam Anderson1 September 2026 · 10 min read

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Roadmap showing the two CompTIA A+ core exams, 220-1201 and 220-1202, leading to one A+ certification badge

CompTIA A+ is the industry's standard entry-level certification for IT support roles, and earning it means passing two separate exams: Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202). There are no prerequisites, you can sit the two exams in either order, and once you pass both you hold a single credential — "CompTIA A+" — valid for three years. This guide walks you through what each exam tests, how the objectives break down, and a practical plan for getting from zero to certified.

CompTIA, the vendor-neutral IT association behind the credential, positions A+ as proof that you can install, configure, secure and troubleshoot the devices, operating systems and networks a support technician meets daily. According to CompTIA's own marketing, A+ appears in more tech support job listings than any other IT credential — a claim worth noting even with the usual scepticism about vendor statistics, because it reflects how consistently employers name-check A+ in help desk and desktop support adverts.

What is CompTIA A+, exactly?

CompTIA A+ is a vendor-neutral certification covering the foundational skills of IT support: hardware, operating systems, networking basics, mobile devices, cloud fundamentals, security hygiene and troubleshooting methodology. It is aimed at people starting out — help desk technicians, desktop support analysts, field service technicians — rather than experienced administrators.

Two things distinguish it from most beginner credentials. First, it is a two-exam certification: you must pass both Core 1 and Core 2 to be certified, and passing only one earns you nothing except progress. Second, it is heavily practical. Alongside standard multiple-choice questions, both exams include performance-based questions (PBQs) — interactive simulations where you complete a task rather than pick an answer.

If you are still weighing A+ against other starting points in the CompTIA line-up, the sequencing question is covered in our guide to which CompTIA certification to take first, and the specific "can I skip straight to networking?" question is settled in CompTIA A+ vs Network+ — this article assumes you have decided A+ is your route.

The two core exams: 220-1201 and 220-1202

As of August 2026, the current A+ series is V15: Core 1 is exam 220-1201 and Core 2 is exam 220-1202, both launched on 25 March 2025. If you have seen study materials referencing 220-1101 and 220-1102, be careful — that earlier series retired in English on 25 September 2025 and is no longer the exam you will sit. Older books and question banks built for 1101/1102 cover much of the same ground but miss the newer emphasis V15 added: more cloud and virtualisation content, IoT security, scripting basics and remote-troubleshooting scenarios.

Here is how the two current exams compare:

Factor	Core 1 (220-1201)	Core 2 (220-1202)
Focus	Hardware, networking, mobile devices, virtualisation and cloud, hardware troubleshooting	Operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, operational procedures
Questions	Maximum 90	Maximum 90
Time	90 minutes	90 minutes
Question types	Multiple-choice (single and multiple response), drag-and-drop, performance-based	Multiple-choice (single and multiple response), drag-and-drop, performance-based
Passing score	675 (scale of 100–900)	700 (scale of 100–900)
Prerequisites	None	None

Three rules trip up beginners:

Both exams must come from the same version. You cannot pass 220-1101 and pair it with 220-1202. Mixed-version passes do not combine into a certification.
The passing scores differ. Core 1 requires 675 and Core 2 requires 700 — an easy detail to misremember. Both are scaled scores on a 100–900 range, not percentages, so "700 out of 900" does not mean you need roughly 78% of questions correct.
Order is your choice. Most candidates sit Core 1 first because hardware content feels more concrete, but nothing stops you starting with Core 2 if operating systems and security are your stronger suit.

"Maximum 90 questions" is deliberate wording: CompTIA seeds unscored trial questions into live exams, so you may see fewer than 90, and two candidates may not see identical counts.

What do the A+ exam objectives cover?

CompTIA publishes free, downloadable exam objectives for both cores on comptia.org, and they should be the spine of your preparation — every question you meet maps back to a line in those documents. Reading them cold can feel overwhelming, so here is an interpretation of where your effort actually pays off.

Core 1 (220-1201): the physical and connected world

Core 1 tests whether you can handle the tangible side of IT support. In practice, the objectives cluster into:

Hardware identification and installation. RAM types, storage interfaces, power supplies, motherboard form factors, peripheral connections. Expect questions that give you symptoms — a workstation that will not POST, a laptop with a dim display — and ask what component is at fault.
Networking fundamentals. Ports and protocols, Wi-Fi standards, SOHO router configuration, common network hardware. This is the shallow end of the pool that Network+ later deepens, and it is heavily tested.
Mobile devices. Laptop component replacement, mobile display technologies, synchronisation and connectivity.
Virtualisation and cloud. A V15 growth area: cloud service models, client-side virtualisation, and why an organisation might choose each. Beginners who skip this because it "sounds advanced" lose easy marks — the coverage is conceptual, not hands-on engineering.
Troubleshooting methodology. CompTIA's step-by-step troubleshooting process appears across both exams. Learn the sequence verbatim; questions test the order of steps, not just the ideas.

Core 2 (220-1202): software, security and professionalism

Core 2 shifts to what happens on screen and in policy:

Operating systems. Windows administration dominates — editions, control panel and settings utilities, command-line tools — with meaningful coverage of macOS and Linux basics.
Security. Malware types and removal, authentication methods, physical security, and the IoT and small-office security scenarios V15 expanded. For a support technician the framing is defensive hygiene: recognise the threat, contain it, escalate appropriately.
Software troubleshooting. Application crashes, boot problems, mobile OS issues — usually presented as scenarios.
Operational procedures. Documentation, change management, safety, environmental controls and communication skills. Candidates routinely underestimate this domain because it feels like common sense; the exam tests it with specific terminology.
Scripting basics. Another V15 addition: recognising script file types and what basic script constructs do. You do not need to write code, but you need to read simple examples.

How to get CompTIA A+ certified: the process step by step

The administrative path is straightforward once you see it end to end:

Download the current objectives for 220-1201 and 220-1202 from comptia.org and skim both, marking each line as "know it", "seen it" or "no idea". This 30-minute exercise sizes your preparation honestly.
Choose your first exam. Pick the core where your "know it" column is longer. Momentum from an early pass is worth more than a textbook-perfect order.
Study against the objectives using a structured resource — a book, video course or instructor-led class — and reinforce with hands-on practice (more on this below).
Buy your exam voucher. As of June 2026, US retail pricing listed by CompTIA's authorised resellers is $274 per exam — $548 for the pair — and pricing varies by country, so confirm the current fee for your region on CompTIA's site before budgeting. Authorised resellers legitimately sell discounted vouchers.
Schedule through Pearson VUE, CompTIA's delivery partner, either at a test centre or online from home via OnVUE proctoring. Online delivery requires a webcam, a quiet room and an identity check.
Sit the exam, review, repeat for the second core. If you fail an attempt, CompTIA's retake policy allows an immediate second attempt with no waiting period; from the third attempt onwards you must wait 14 calendar days. Each attempt needs a new full-price voucher unless you bought a retake bundle.
Claim your certification once both cores are passed. Your three-year renewal clock starts on the date you complete the second exam.

One reassurance about version churn: the credential you earn never carries an exam code. Whether someone passed the current 1201/1202 series or the retired 1101/1102 series, the CV line is identical — "CompTIA A+". Version codes matter only when you choose study materials and book the exam.

A beginner's A+ study plan

CompTIA recommends the equivalent of 12 months' hands-on experience in an IT support role, but recommends is the operative word — there is no enforced prerequisite, and plenty of career-changers pass without a day of formal IT employment. What replaces experience is deliberate, hands-on study. CompTIA publishes no official study-hours figure, so distrust anyone promising certification in a fixed number of weeks; instead, plan in phases and let your practice results tell you when you are ready.

Phase 1 — Map and absorb

Work through your primary resource in objective order for your chosen core. Keep the objectives document open beside you and tick lines off as you genuinely understand them, not as the video ends. Beginners should expect Core 1's hardware vocabulary to take real repetition: connector types, cable standards and port numbers are memorisation-heavy.

Phase 2 — Build a lab, however small

A+ rewards people who have touched the technology:

Open an old desktop and identify every component; reseat the RAM; swap a drive.
Install Windows in a free virtual machine, then break and repair it — this doubles as Core 1 virtualisation practice and Core 2 OS practice.
Configure a home router: change DNS, set up a guest network, forward a port.
Try five commands each in the Windows command line and a Linux terminal.

A realistic scenario shows why this matters: a retail worker moving into IT studied purely from flashcards, passed the multiple-choice questions comfortably, and still failed Core 1 — the PBQs asked her to assemble a connection scenario she had read about but never done. On her retake, after two weekends with a second-hand PC and a virtual machine, the same question style felt routine. PBQs punish theoretical-only preparation more than any other question type.

Phase 3 — Practise, analyse, target

Once you have covered the objectives, shift from reading to answering. Work through practice questions domain by domain, and treat every wrong answer as a signpost: log which objective it maps to, and restudy that line rather than rereading whole chapters. When your domain-level accuracy looks even, take a full-length, timed practice test to rehearse the 90-minute pace — ExamPractice offers free sample questions for CompTIA exams, with fuller question sets and a timed practice-test simulation available to subscribers, and you can browse everything in the CompTIA exams hub. Resist the urge to memorise answer letters; the goal is to explain why the right answer is right, because the live exam will rephrase everything.

Phase 4 — Book while the momentum holds

Beginners commonly over-prepare, circling for months past the point of readiness. When your timed practice runs are comfortably above the passing threshold and your weak domains have stopped being weak, book the exam two to three weeks out and use the deadline.

Common beginner mistakes to avoid

Studying the retired 1101/1102 materials without checking. Second-hand books are fine for fundamentals but will not mention V15's expanded cloud, IoT security and scripting content. Verify any resource names 220-1201/220-1202.
Treating the two cores as one exam. They are separately booked, separately paid and separately scored, with different passing marks. Prepare for one at a time.
Ignoring operational procedures. The "soft" Core 2 domain has hard, specific answers on the exam.
Percentage thinking. Chasing "90% on practice tests" misunderstands scaled scoring. Aim for consistent, explainable correctness across all domains instead.
Skipping the PBQ rehearsal. If your practice routine is entirely multiple-choice, the interactive questions on exam day will cost you time and nerves. Simulate tasks in a lab or VM until configuration steps feel mechanical.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to take Core 1 before Core 2?

No. CompTIA lets you sit the exams in any order; you simply need to pass both — from the same version series — to earn the certification. Choose whichever core matches your current strengths and build momentum.

How long is CompTIA A+ valid, and what happens after three years?

The certification is valid for three years from the date you pass your second exam. You renew through CompTIA's Continuing Education programme — for A+ that means earning 20 continuing education units (CEUs), completing CompTIA's CertMaster CE course, or passing a higher-level CompTIA exam, which renews A+ automatically.

Can I take the A+ exams online from home?

Yes. Both exams are delivered by Pearson VUE, either at a physical test centre or through OnVUE online proctoring. Home testing requires a webcam check-in, an ID check and an uninterrupted, private room.

Is CompTIA A+ worth it for beginners?

For most people starting an IT support career it remains the most widely recognised opening credential, though the full value-for-money question — including when skipping it makes sense — deserves its own analysis, which you will find in Is CompTIA A+ still worth it?

How hard are the A+ exams?

Difficulty is personal to your background, and we have a dedicated breakdown of question styles and why candidates fail in How hard is the CompTIA A+ exam?

Your route from here

Earning CompTIA A+ is less about talent and more about sequence: download the 220-1201 and 220-1202 objectives, study one core at a time against them, put your hands on real hardware and virtual machines, then use practice results — not vague confidence — to decide when to book. The two-exam structure that intimidates beginners is actually an advantage: it splits a large body of knowledge into two winnable projects, and the first pass tends to make the second one faster. Start with the objectives download today, and let everything else follow from what it tells you.

Exam facts in this guide were checked against official certification-provider pages on 30 August 2026. Fees, exam codes and policies change — confirm on the provider’s own site before you book.