CompTIA A+ vs Network+: Which Certification Comes First?

When skipping A+ makes sense

"Skip CompTIA A+" is good advice for a real minority of candidates. You are probably in it if any of these describe you:

• You already do IT support work, paid or seriously informal. If you have been imaging machines, resolving tickets or maintaining small-office networks for a year or more, A+ would certify what you already demonstrably do. Its content would be revision, and its two exam fees ($548 at US retail) buy you little a CV bullet does not already say.
• You hold a related qualification. A computing degree, a networking course, or military/vocational IT training typically covers A+'s ground. Employers reading "BSc Computer Science" do not then look for A+.
• Your target role is explicitly network-shaped. If the job adverts you are answering say "NOC technician" or "junior network administrator" and list Network+ by name, certify against the demand in front of you.
• You can pass the fundamentals test honestly. Try a set of A+-level questions cold. If you comfortably clear them without study, the certificate is optional; the knowledge was the point.

One caution even for confident skippers: skipping the A+ exam is fine; skipping the A+ knowledge is not. Skim the Core 1 objectives (free from comptia.org) and patch any holes before opening a Network+ book.

When skipping A+ backfires

The skip decision goes wrong in predictable ways:

• The double-learning trap. Beginners who jump to Network+ end up learning basic computing concepts and networking at the same time. Progress feels slow, motivation drops, and many abandon the attempt — an expensive way to discover why the recommended order exists.
• The experience mismatch. A Network+ pass without any support background can read oddly to recruiters for entry roles: certified above the job, experienced below it. A+ plus a helpdesk job is often the faster route into paid IT than Network+ plus a longer search.
• The false-economy calculation. Skipping A+ to "save money" only saves money if you pass Network+ efficiently. Every retake is a full-price voucher (CompTIA allows an immediate second attempt, then a 14-day wait from the third attempt onward), so a shaky foundation can cost more than the exam you skipped.

A three-question decision test

Answer honestly:

1. Could you resolve a typical helpdesk ticket today — a machine that will not boot, a printer that vanished, an application that crashes on launch — without searching every step?
2. Have you worked hands-on with computers in any sustained way for roughly a year, formally or not?
3. Does your target job description mention networking specifically rather than general IT support?

Three yeses: skip A+, start Network+. Three noes: start A+, and take the ladder in order. A mixed result usually means one of two middle paths — either sit just the A+ pair quickly as consolidation (experienced candidates often find it fast to prepare for), or self-study the A+ objectives without booking the exams, then commit your exam budget to Network+.

Before you book either exam: a readiness checklist

Whichever rung you choose, run through this list before paying Pearson VUE:

• You are studying the current exam version — 220-1201/220-1202 for A+ (the older 220-1101/1102 English exams retired in September 2025) and N10-009 for Network+. Older study materials are still sold everywhere; check codes before buying.
• You have read the official objectives for your exam, downloaded free from comptia.org, and can tick off most sub-objectives.
• You have taken at least one timed, full-length practice run and reviewed every miss against the objectives. ExamPractice's free sample CompTIA A+ practice questions and the wider CompTIA exams hub are built for exactly this benchmarking step, with fuller sets and a timed simulation mode for subscribers. Use them to find weak domains, not to memorise answers — the live exam rewards understanding, not recall of specific items.
• You know the passing bar and scoring model: scaled scores on 100–900, not percentages — 675/700 for the A+ cores, 720 for Network+.
• You have confirmed the current fee for your country on comptia.org, since prices vary by region and authorized resellers often price below retail.

Your first rung, not your last

Start with A+ if you are new; start with Network+ if your experience has already done A+'s job. Neither choice locks you in, and neither is a verdict on your ability — within two or three years, the person who started at A+ and the person who skipped it are frequently standing on the same rung anyway, deciding between networking depth and a security turn. Choose the entry point that matches where you stand this month, study to the current objectives, benchmark before you book, and keep moving.