CompTIA Network+ Certification Guide

What CompTIA Network+ covers, how the N10-009 exam works, who should take it and a practical preparation plan — everything in one guide.

Liam Anderson30 August 2026 · 10 min read

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Network topology diagram styled as a learning path leading to a CompTIA Network+ certificate

CompTIA Network+ is a vendor-neutral certification that validates the core skills needed to configure, manage, secure and troubleshoot networks — the foundation work of a network technician or junior network administrator. The current exam version, as of August 2026, is N10-009: a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, mixing multiple-choice with hands-on performance-based questions, with a passing score of 720 on a 100–900 scale.

This guide walks through the whole certification: what Network+ actually is, whether it fits your situation, exactly how the N10-009 exam works, what it tests, and a step-by-step preparation plan. It deliberately stays out of two neighbouring debates — whether the certification justifies its price, and how it stacks against Cisco's CCNA — because those deserve their own analysis. For the value question, see is CompTIA Network+ worth it.

What is CompTIA Network+?

CompTIA Network+ is an intermediate-level networking certification issued by CompTIA, the non-profit IT industry association behind A+, Security+ and a dozen other credentials. You earn it by passing a single exam — currently N10-009 — delivered through Pearson VUE, either at a test centre or online with a proctor watching via webcam.

"Vendor-neutral" is the defining trait. Where Cisco or Juniper certifications teach you one manufacturer's equipment and command syntax, Network+ tests concepts that apply to any network: how IP addressing and subnetting work, what happens at each layer of the OSI model, how switches and routers move traffic, how wireless networks are secured, and how to troubleshoot methodically when something breaks. That neutrality makes it a common baseline requirement in job adverts for support and infrastructure roles, where employers care that you understand networking itself rather than one vendor's implementation of it.

One naming detail worth knowing: the exam code never appears on the credential. Whether you passed N10-009 or an earlier version, your certificate simply says "CompTIA Network+". Version codes matter only when you buy study materials — anything written for N10-008 or earlier is out of date, since CompTIA retired N10-008 in December 2024.

Who should take Network+ — and who shouldn't?

Network+ suits three groups particularly well:

IT support staff moving toward infrastructure. If you handle tickets on a helpdesk and want to progress into network administration, Network+ is the conventional bridge. CompTIA itself recommends candidates hold A+ and have nine to twelve months in a junior network administration or support role — a recommendation, not a rule.
Career changers building a structured foundation. There are no enforced prerequisites, so nothing stops a motivated beginner from studying networking from scratch and sitting the exam. Expect a longer preparation runway if you have never configured a router or read a packet capture.
Security-bound candidates who need networking depth first. Most security work is applied networking. Many candidates take Network+ before Security+ precisely because firewall rules, VPNs and network attacks make little sense without the underlying protocols. If you are weighing that order, our Security+ vs Network+ comparison settles it by career goal.

Who might skip it? Experienced network engineers who already run enterprise infrastructure daily may find it validates what they know rather than teaching anything new — for them the certification is a CV formality, and the worth-it calculation matters more than the syllabus. And complete beginners unsure whether they even want infrastructure work may be better starting with CompTIA's broader entry exams; the question of whether to take A+ first or jump straight to Network+ is covered in A+ vs Network+: which comes first.

The N10-009 exam at a glance

Factor	Detail (as of August 2026)
Exam code	N10-009 (launched June 2024; N10-008 retired December 2024)
Questions	Maximum of 90
Time limit	90 minutes
Question types	Multiple-choice plus performance-based questions (PBQs)
Passing score	720 on a scale of 100–900
Cost	US retail $399 as listed by CompTIA's authorised resellers in June 2026; varies by country — confirm on comptia.org
Prerequisites	None enforced; A+ plus 9–12 months of network support experience recommended
Delivery	Pearson VUE test centre or OnVUE online proctoring
Validity	3 years; renewable through CompTIA's Continuing Education programme

Two details in that table trip candidates up. First, "maximum of 90 questions" means exactly that — many candidates see fewer, because CompTIA seeds unscored trial questions and the count varies. Do not panic if your exam ends at question 82. Second, 720 is a scaled score, not a percentage. You cannot translate it to "80%"; CompTIA weights questions and scales results, so the only sensible goal is comfortable mastery of every objective rather than a mental running tally.

No successor version had been announced as of August 2026, so N10-009 is the exam to prepare for; CompTIA's page estimates it will remain current until around 2027.

What does the Network+ exam test?

CompTIA publishes the full official exam objectives for N10-009 as a free download on comptia.org, and that document should be the spine of your preparation — every question on the exam maps to a line in it. Rather than reproduce it, here is what the content actually demands of you in practice:

Networking concepts and addressing

The conceptual core: the OSI model and what belongs at each layer, common protocols and their port numbers, and IP addressing. Subnetting deserves special mention because it is the single topic most candidates underestimate. The exam expects you to work with CIDR notation, identify network and broadcast addresses, and size subnets — under time pressure, without a subnet calculator. If you cannot subnet on paper in under a minute per problem, that is your first study priority.

Implementation and operations

Expect questions about configuring the things networks are made of: switching concepts such as VLANs and trunking, routing fundamentals, wireless standards and security options, and the cabling and connector knowledge that still decides whether a link comes up. Operations topics cover the unglamorous work that keeps networks alive — documentation, monitoring, backups and change discipline.

Network security

Network+ is not a security certification, but it tests security applied to networks: segmentation, VPNs and remote access, common attacks such as spoofing and denial of service, and the hardening basics a network administrator is expected to own. This overlap is exactly why Network+ knowledge feeds so directly into Security+ afterwards.

Troubleshooting

The area with the most questions relative to its size on paper, in most candidates' experience of studying for CompTIA networking exams — and the one that behaves least like a memorisation exercise. You will be given symptoms (a user cannot reach a server; a wireless network drops intermittently) and asked to identify causes, next diagnostic steps, or the right tool. Command-line utilities matter here: know what ping, traceroute, nslookup, ipconfig/ifconfig and their peers actually show you, and when you would reach for each.

What are performance-based questions like?

Performance-based questions (PBQs) are interactive items, usually placed at the start of the exam, that ask you to do something rather than pick an answer — drag device types onto a network diagram, order troubleshooting steps, or configure settings in a simulated interface. They are worth more than a standard question and they eat time.

The standard tactic: give each PBQ a fair attempt, and if one is consuming several minutes, flag it and return after the multiple-choice section. The exam interface lets you revisit flagged questions, and trading one stubborn PBQ for ten unanswered multiple-choice items is a bad exchange. PBQs reward hands-on familiarity — people who have actually built a small network, even virtually, find them far more natural than people who have only read about one.

How to prepare for Network+: a six-step plan

There is no official CompTIA figure for how long preparation takes, and any source promising "X hours guaranteed" is inventing it. What follows is a sequence, not a schedule — fit it to your starting point.

Download the official N10-009 objectives from comptia.org and read them end to end. Mark every line as "know it", "shaky" or "new to me". This twenty-minute exercise turns a vague goal into a concrete gap list.
Work through one primary study resource — a current N10-009 book or video course — in objective order. Resist collecting five resources; one thorough pass beats three shallow ones.
Build things as you learn. Networking does not stick from reading. Use free network-simulation software or a couple of virtual machines to create VLANs, break routing on purpose, and watch traffic. Every concept you have configured yourself becomes a question you can answer from memory of doing, not memory of text.
Drill subnetting separately until it is mechanical. Ten problems a day for two weeks does more than a weekend cram.
Test yourself against the objectives, domain by domain. Practice questions are for diagnosis, not memorisation: when you get one wrong, the valuable work is tracing why — which objective you misunderstood — and restudying that area. ExamPractice offers free sample CompTIA practice questions you can use for exactly this kind of spot-checking, with fuller question sets and a timed simulation mode for subscribers.
Finish with full-length timed simulation. Ninety minutes for up to 90 questions plus PBQs is a genuine pacing challenge. At least two full timed runs before exam day will teach you where your time goes. When your timed scores are consistently strong and stable across attempts, book the exam — a fixed date sharpens the final fortnight wonderfully.

For a concrete example of how this plays out: a helpdesk analyst with a year of ticket experience typically finds the operations and troubleshooting material familiar from work, but has never subnetted or configured a VLAN. Their plan should front-load steps 3 and 4 and compress the review of material they use daily — which is precisely why step 1's gap list matters more than any generic timetable. When you reach the final stretch, our Network+ exam preparation checklist gives you a tick-off readiness audit for the last weeks before test day.

Booking the exam and what happens on the day

You buy an exam voucher from CompTIA or an authorised reseller (reseller vouchers are legitimate and often cheaper), then schedule through Pearson VUE. You can sit the exam at a test centre or from home via OnVUE online proctoring — home testing requires a webcam, a quiet room and a clean desk, and the proctor will check all three.

Know the retake rules before you book: there is no waiting period between a first and second attempt, but from the third attempt onwards CompTIA requires 14 calendar days between tries, and every attempt needs a new full-price voucher unless you purchased a bundle that includes a retake. Results appear on screen at the end of the exam, so you leave knowing.

After you pass: keeping Network+ current

Network+ is valid for three years from your pass date. You renew through CompTIA's Continuing Education (CE) programme, which for Network+ means earning 30 Continuing Education Units through training, work activities and community contributions — or, alternatively, completing a CertMaster CE course, passing the latest exam version, or earning a higher-level CompTIA certification, which automatically renews the lower ones. CE fees apply per three-year cycle when renewing via CEU upload; check CompTIA's renewal-fee page for current amounts.

That stackable renewal model is worth planning around: if you intend to add Security+ within three years, passing it renews your Network+ at the same time. What roles the certification opens immediately is mapped in what jobs you can get with Network+, and the longer progression into network engineering is traced in the Network+ career path guide.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need A+ before Network+?

No. CompTIA recommends A+ and 9–12 months of experience, but nothing is enforced. Candidates with existing IT exposure regularly start at Network+.

Can I take the N10-009 exam online from home?

Yes — through Pearson VUE's OnVUE online proctoring, subject to a system test, ID check and room scan. Test centres remain available if you prefer a controlled environment.

Is N10-009 still the current exam, or should I wait for a new version?

As of August 2026, N10-009 is the only live version and no successor has been announced; CompTIA estimates it will remain current until around 2027. There is no reason to wait.

What score do I need, and is 720 a percentage?

You need 720 on a 100–900 scale. It is a scaled score, not a percentage, so you cannot compute a "questions right" target — aim for consistent coverage of every objective instead.

Where Network+ fits in your plan

Treat Network+ as the point where general IT knowledge becomes infrastructure specialisation. It certifies that you understand how networks actually work — addressing, switching, routing, wireless, security and structured troubleshooting — independent of any vendor, and it is the layer that everything from Security+ to vendor networking tracks builds on. The exam itself is honest work rather than a trick: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, PBQs that reward hands-on practice, and a 720 scaled pass mark that punishes gaps more than it rewards brilliance in one domain.

If you take one action today, make it the free objectives download from comptia.org and the twenty-minute gap audit against it. Everything else in your preparation flows from knowing precisely what you do not yet know.

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.