CompTIA A Plus certification: exams, passing scores and renewal

What is the CompTIA A Plus certification?

CompTIA A+ is the entry-level IT support certification from CompTIA. CompTIA positions it for technical support and IT operational roles; passing both exams prepares candidates, in CompTIA’s words, for roles such as IT support specialist and help desk technician. On the Core 1 page CompTIA lists technical support specialist, system administrator and cyber defense infrastructure support specialist as DoD 8140 approved work roles.

Unlike most CompTIA certifications, A+ is two exams, not one. Core 1 covers hardware and networking; Core 2 covers operating systems and security. CompTIA states that you can take them in any order, but that both must come from the same version — no mixing of an old Core 1 with a new Core 2.

In CompTIA’s certification path A+ sits at the start: CompTIA names A+ certification as part of the recommended experience for Network+.

Source: CompTIA — A+ certification. Checked 8 October 2026.

Which A+ version is current: V15 or V14?

The current version is V15, launched on 25 March 2025, with exam codes 220-1201 (Core 1) and 220-1202 (Core 2). CompTIA estimates its retirement for 2028 — usually three years after launch.

The previous version, V14, is no longer the one to plan for: CompTIA’s A+ page states that V14 retired on 25 September 2025. Study material written for V14 follows an older set of objectives, so check that whatever you use is labelled V15, 220-1201 and 220-1202.

Source: CompTIA — A+ certification. Checked 8 October 2026.

How much does the CompTIA A Plus certification cost?

CompTIA does not print a voucher price on its A+ certification pages. Vouchers and bundles are sold through the CompTIA store, which could not be checked for this page, so no figure is given here. You will see the binding price at checkout, in your own currency.

Two things are certain about the cost structure. First, A+ means two exams, so you need two vouchers or a bundle covering both. Second, CompTIA states that if you do not pass an exam, you must purchase another voucher to take another test — unless you bought one of the bundles CompTIA sells “with Retake”, which include Retake Assurance.

Renewal also carries a cost: CompTIA requires CE fees for renewal, paid before the certification is renewed, unless you renew through one of the exempt routes such as a higher-level CompTIA certification.

Source: CompTIA — How much does the A+ certification cost?. Checked 8 October 2026.

What is the A+ exam format?

Each of the two exams has a maximum of 90 questions and a time limit of 90 minutes. CompTIA lists three question types: multiple choice (single and multiple response), drag-and-drop, and performance-based questions. Performance-based items ask you to do something rather than pick something, so practise tasks, not only recall.

You can sit the exams at a Pearson VUE test center or online through OnVUE; CompTIA states that the scheduling steps are the same either way. The exams are offered in English, German and Japanese.

Source: CompTIA — A+ Core 1 V15. Checked 8 October 2026.

CompTIA A+ passing score

CompTIA publishes the passing scores: 675 for Core 1 and 700 for Core 2, both on a scale of 900. The two cut scores differ, so passing one exam comfortably says little about the other.

These are scaled scores, not percentages. 700 does not mean 70 per cent of questions answered correctly, and CompTIA does not publish a conversion. For preparation that means a percentage on a practice set is a rough signal, not a prediction — what matters is that you are solid across every domain, and the published weightings below show where the largest shares of each exam sit.

Source: CompTIA — A+ Core 2 V15. Checked 8 October 2026.

What is on the A+ exams?

CompTIA publishes the domains and weightings for both V15 exams. Core 1 is weighted towards troubleshooting and hardware: those two domains alone make up 53 per cent of it.

Core 2 is more evenly spread, with operating systems and security at 28 per cent each. Across both exams, troubleshooting appears twice — hardware and network troubleshooting in Core 1, software troubleshooting in Core 2 — which tells you how much of A+ is about diagnosing problems rather than naming parts.

• Core 1 — Mobile devices: 13%
• Core 1 — Networking: 23%
• Core 1 — Hardware: 25%
• Core 1 — Virtualization and cloud computing: 11%
• Core 1 — Hardware and network troubleshooting: 28%
• Core 2 — Operating systems: 28%
• Core 2 — Security: 28%
• Core 2 — Software troubleshooting: 23%
• Core 2 — Operational procedures: 21%

Source: CompTIA — A+ Core 1 V15. Checked 8 October 2026.

CompTIA A+ prerequisites, and how long A+ is valid

There is no required prerequisite. CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist job role, but states it as recommended experience, not as a condition for booking. If you have not worked in support yet, read the recommendation as a description of the level the questions are pitched at.

CompTIA states that your certification expires three years from the date you earn it and must be renewed before that date. For A+, the continuing education programme requires 20 CEUs over the cycle.

CEUs are only one route. CompTIA also lets you renew with a single activity — completing CertMaster CE, earning a higher-level CompTIA certification, earning a qualifying non-CompTIA IT certification, or passing the latest release of your CompTIA exam — or with a combination of activities such as training, industry work and publishing.

Source: CompTIA — How to renew your certification. Checked 8 October 2026.

A+ study materials and training

CompTIA’s own preparation products for A+ are CertMaster Learn, CertMaster Practice and CertMaster Labs, also sold as bundles with an exam voucher and Retake Assurance. CompTIA lists the domains and their weightings on each exam page, and that list is the authoritative scope.

Whatever you use, check that it was written for V15 (220-1201 and 220-1202). With two exams and nine domains between them, an outdated objective list is the easiest way to study the wrong thing.

Source: CompTIA — A+ Core 1 V15. Checked 8 October 2026.

CompTIA A+ vs Network+

A+ and Network+ are consecutive steps rather than alternatives. CompTIA names A+ certification as the recommended experience for Network+, together with 9 to 12 months in a junior network administrator or network support technician role.

The formats differ as well: Network+ (N10-009) is one exam with a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes and a passing score of 720 on a scale of 100–900; A+ is two exams with separate cut scores of 675 and 700. A+ covers the whole support desk — hardware, mobile devices, operating systems, security basics — while Network+ goes deeper on networking alone.

Source: CompTIA — Network+ certification. Checked 8 October 2026.

CompTIA A+ practice questions

Certsqill’s CompTIA A+ practice questions are expert-developed and cover both Core 1 and Core 2, with an explanation for every option, weighted the way CompTIA weights the V15 domains — including the troubleshooting domains that make up 28 per cent of Core 1.

A+ questions people ask

How many exams is the CompTIA A Plus certification?

Two: Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202), taken in any order but from the same version. Source: CompTIA, checked 8 October 2026.

How many questions are on the A+ exams?

A maximum of 90 per exam, including multiple-choice, drag-and-drop and performance-based questions. Source: CompTIA, checked 8 October 2026.

How long is each A+ exam?

90 minutes. Source: CompTIA, checked 8 October 2026.

What is the A+ passing score?

675 for Core 1 and 700 for Core 2, on a scale of 900. These are scaled scores, not percentages. Source: CompTIA, checked 8 October 2026.

How much does the CompTIA A+ exam cost?

CompTIA does not state a voucher price on its A+ certification pages; vouchers are sold through its store, checked 8 October 2026. A failed attempt needs a new voucher unless your bundle includes a retake.

Are there prerequisites for A+?

No required prerequisites. CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support role. Source: CompTIA, checked 8 October 2026.

Does CompTIA A+ expire?

Yes — three years after you earn it. Renewal takes 20 CEUs or another qualifying activity. Source: CompTIA, checked 8 October 2026.

Is A+ V14 still available?

No. CompTIA states that V14 retired on 25 September 2025; the current version is V15. Source: CompTIA, checked 8 October 2026.

Can I take A+ online?

Yes — online through OnVUE, or in person at a Pearson VUE test center. Source: CompTIA, checked 8 October 2026.

What is an A Plus certification, in plain terms?

If you are asking what is an A Plus certification, the short answer is: proof that you can do first-line IT support. CompTIA calls A+ the “industry standard to start your IT career” and says it appears in more tech support job listings than any other IT credential. It is often described as the computer A Plus certification because so much of it is about the machine itself — hardware, mobile devices, operating systems and fixing them when they break.

Unlike most CompTIA certifications, the A Plus certification takes two exams: Core 1 covers hardware and networking, Core 2 operating systems and security.

Source: CompTIA — A+ certification. Checked 9 October 2026.

Is there a network A Plus certification?

Not as a separate credential. Networking is part of A+: in Core 1 it is a domain of its own at 23%, and network problems appear again in hardware and network troubleshooting, the largest Core 1 domain at 28%. So anyone looking for a network A Plus certification gets real networking coverage from A+ itself.

The dedicated networking certification is CompTIA Network+, a separate exam. CompTIA lists A+ certification as part of the recommended experience for Network+, so the usual order is A+ first, then Network+ if you want to specialise.

Source: CompTIA — A+ Core 1 V15. Checked 9 October 2026.

A Plus certification jobs

CompTIA says passing both exams prepares you for roles such as IT support specialist and help desk technician. On the Core 1 page it also lists three DoD 8140 approved work roles: technical support specialist, system administrator and cyber defense infrastructure support specialist.

Jobs with A Plus certification listed as a requirement are mostly first- and second-line support roles. CompTIA publishes no salary data on its A+ pages, so we quote none; what employers tend to look for alongside the certificate is evidence that you have actually supported users, which is why CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience.

Source: CompTIA — A+ Core 1 V15. Checked 9 October 2026.

The total cost of A Plus certification

CompTIA does not print a voucher price on its A+ pages, so the cost of A Plus certification is best planned as a list rather than a single figure: two exam vouchers (Core 1 and Core 2, or a bundle for both), a possible retake — CompTIA states a failed exam needs a new voucher unless your bundle includes a retake — and, three years later, renewal.

Renewal can carry its own fee: CompTIA requires CE fees for renewal through the continuing education programme. Earning a higher-level CompTIA certification is one of the listed renewal routes, so if you plan to take Network+ within three years, that step can renew A+ as well.

Source: CompTIA — How much does the A+ certification cost?. Checked 8 October 2026.

The CompTIA A Plus exam objectives

The CompTIA A Plus objectives are published per exam and per version. On the V15 pages CompTIA lists the domains and their weightings — for Core 1: mobile devices 13%, networking 23%, hardware 25%, virtualization and cloud computing 11%, and hardware and network troubleshooting 28%. That list is the authority whenever a study guide and the objectives disagree.

Each CompTIA A Plus exam — Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202) — has its own objectives and its own passing score, and both must come from the same version.

Source: CompTIA — A+ Core 1 V15. Checked 9 October 2026.

Choosing a CompTIA A Plus study guide

Any CompTIA A Plus study guide is only as good as its match with the current exams. Search engines drop the plus sign, so many people look for a “CompTIA A 220-1201 study guide PDF”. Whatever the format, check that it names V15 and the exam codes 220-1201 and 220-1202 on the cover or in the introduction.

Be wary of files built around other exam codes. A “CompTIA A 220-1101 questions and answers PDF”, for example, is not written for the current V15 exams — and question-and-answer files of unknown origin give you no way to check whether the answers are right.

CompTIA’s own study products are CertMaster Learn, CertMaster Practice and CertMaster Labs, sold individually or in bundles with an exam voucher.

Source: CompTIA — A+ Core 1 V15. Checked 9 October 2026.

A Plus certification course or classes?

CompTIA does not require a course: A+ has no formal prerequisite. Whether you choose an A Plus certification course online or in-person A Plus certification classes, check that it teaches V15 (220-1201 and 220-1202), covers both Core 1 and Core 2, includes hands-on practice for the performance-based questions, and states whether exam vouchers are included.

Classes help most with the practical domains — hardware, troubleshooting and operational procedures — where doing the task once beats reading about it twice.

Source: CompTIA — A+ certification. Checked 9 October 2026.

CompTIA A Plus practice test: what a good one looks like

A useful CompTIA A Plus practice test copies the real conditions: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes per exam, with multiple-choice, drag-and-drop and performance-based items. CompTIA’s own CertMaster Practice offers timed practice exams, objective quizzes and exam objective mastery scores.

Run each CompTIA A Plus practice exam separately for Core 1 and Core 2 — the passing scores differ (675 and 700 on a scale of 900), and one strong result says little about the other exam. A search for a “CompTIA A 220-1201 practice test” should lead to material written for Core 1 V15 specifically.

Certsqill’s A+ question bank offers expert-developed A Plus certification practice test sets, with an explanation for every option and a readiness score per domain.

Source: CompTIA — A+ Core 1 V15. Checked 9 October 2026.

More A+ questions

What is A Plus certification?

CompTIA A+ is the entry-level IT support certification, earned by passing two exams: Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202). Source: CompTIA, checked 9 October 2026.

Is there a separate network A Plus certification?

No. Networking is a 23% domain of A+ Core 1. The dedicated networking certification is CompTIA Network+, for which CompTIA recommends A+ as prior experience.

What jobs can I get with A Plus certification?

CompTIA names IT support specialist and help desk technician, and lists technical support specialist, system administrator and cyber defense infrastructure support specialist as DoD 8140 work roles. Checked 9 October 2026.

Where can I find A Plus certification test practice?

CompTIA sells CertMaster Practice with timed practice exams. Certsqill’s A+ practice questions explain every answer option and score your readiness per domain.

Is a 220-1101 questions and answers PDF still useful?

It is not written for the current V15 exams, 220-1201 and 220-1202, and files of unknown origin cannot be checked for correct answers.