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Certification path

CompTIA certification path

CompTIA is vendor-neutral, which is the point: it certifies that you understand networking rather than that you understand Cisco's networking. The core sequence is A+ then Network+ then Security+, and Security+ is the one that appears in job adverts and in the US Department of Defense 8570 baseline. Above it the path forks into infrastructure and into cybersecurity.

Where to start

If you want one CompTIA certification, make it Security+ — it clears more HR filters than the rest combined. If you are starting from nothing, A+ first, and note that A+ is two exams, not one.

  1. 01

    Core

    5 exams

    The sequence everything else assumes. A+ is two papers, Core 1 and Core 2, and you need both.

  2. 02

    Infrastructure

    3 exams

    For people who run the machines. Network+ is the assumed starting point for all three.

  3. 03

    Cybersecurity

    3 exams

    The ladder above Security+: analysis, then offence, then architecture. CASP+ is CompTIA's only expert-level exam.

  4. 04

    Additional

    4 exams

    Sideways rather than upwards — taken when a role calls for them.

Work the whole ladder on one plan

$39.99 a month covers all 15 exams on this page and every other exam on the site — which is the point of a path. Or read 10 questions from any of them first, free.

See pricingAll CompTIA exams

Common questions

Where should I start on the CompTIA certification path?
If you want one CompTIA certification, make it Security+ — it clears more HR filters than the rest combined. If you are starting from nothing, A+ first, and note that A+ is two exams, not one.
How many CompTIA exams are there?
15 of them are covered here, arranged into 4 tiers: core, infrastructure, cybersecurity, additional. Retired versions still in our catalogue are deliberately left off — the point of this page is what to sit next.
Do I have to take the CompTIA exams in order?
CompTIA is vendor-neutral, which is the point: it certifies that you understand networking rather than that you understand Cisco's networking. The core sequence is A+ then Network+ then Security+, and Security+ is the one that appears in job adverts and in the US Department of Defense 8570 baseline. Above it the path forks into infrastructure and into cybersecurity.
Can I practise these before paying?
Yes — 10 free questions on every exam on this page, with no card and no account. Each also has a timed practice test of 65 questions in 130 minutes.
What does it cost to prepare for the whole path?
$39.99 a month opens every exam on this page and every other exam on the site, which is the plan that makes sense if you are working through a ladder. A single exam on its own is a one-time $19.99 for 30 days.

Other certification paths