Practice tests
Choose Core 1 or Core 2, select 10, 20, 30, or 50 questions, and start a randomized practice session.
Certification overview
CompTIA A+ 220-1201 & 220-1202
Understand how Core 1 and Core 2 divide practical IT support skills, then use the current objectives to decide what to learn and practice first.
Useful next steps
A+ study and related resources
Use one A+ practice launcher for either current exam, then use the separate Core 1 and Core 2 study guides, focused Quick Reviews, and core-specific Final Reviews to target the material you need next.
Study guides
Use separate guides for the two current A+ exams so hardware and networking study stays distinct from operating systems, security, and operational procedures.
Current guides
Quick review
Review high-value Core 1 and Core 2 decisions through focused hardware, troubleshooting, operating-system, security, and malware comparisons.
Current guides
Final review
Choose Core 1 or Core 2 for a compact whole-exam refresher built around high-value distinctions, troubleshooting clues, and final recall checks.
Choose a core
Related learning
Use the Explore guides to decide where A+ fits, build practical experience, and connect the certification to your next IT direction.
Explore next steps
Current A+ exams
A+ uses Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202)
CompTIA requires both exams from the current V15 series to earn A+. Core 1 emphasizes devices, networking, hardware, cloud concepts, and hardware or network troubleshooting. Core 2 emphasizes operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures.
At a glance
What A+ covers
A+ covers the broad foundation behind entry-level IT support work: end-user devices, hardware, networking, operating systems, security, software, cloud concepts, troubleshooting, and support procedures.
The certification is split into two separate exams. Core 1 concentrates more heavily on hardware, networking, devices, and troubleshooting. Core 2 shifts toward operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and the procedures used to support technology safely and consistently.
Pass Core 1 and Core 2
220-1201 · up to 90 questions · 90 minutes
675 on a 100–900 scale
220-1202 · up to 90 questions · 90 minutes
700 on a 100–900 scale
Multiple-choice and performance-based
Candidate fit
Who A+ is built for
A+ is built around the practical foundation used in support, desktop, field-service, and similar early IT roles. It can also help when you know some computer basics but want a structured way to find gaps across hardware, operating systems, networking, security, and troubleshooting.
CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist role for both current exams. That is recommended experience, not a separate certification prerequisite. Hands-on practice still matters because many objectives ask you to choose or perform an action in a scenario.
Signals that A+ may fit your starting point
- You are aiming for your first IT support or desktop-support role.
- Hardware, operating systems, networking, and troubleshooting are still uneven parts of your foundation.
- You want a broad IT credential before specializing more deeply in networking or security.
- You learn better when a formal objective list gives your hands-on practice a structure.
Building on a foundation
How A+ differs from Network+
A+ and Network+ overlap around basic connectivity and troubleshooting, but they are built around different scopes. A+ starts with the device and the person using it. Network+ makes the network itself the main subject.
Endpoints and hardware
Network+ direction: Assume more device familiarity and spend much more time on network infrastructure, services, traffic, and operations.
A+ perspective: Work with laptops, mobile devices, storage, memory, motherboards, peripherals, operating systems, and the support problems users experience on those systems.
Networking
Network+ direction: Go deeper into addressing, routing, switching, wireless design, network services, monitoring, security, and enterprise troubleshooting.
A+ perspective: Recognize common protocols, ports, network devices, wireless technologies, addressing concepts, and basic connectivity problems from a support technician's perspective.
Troubleshooting
Network+ direction: Concentrate troubleshooting on network paths, infrastructure, performance, services, wired links, and wireless environments.
A+ perspective: Troubleshoot hardware, mobile devices, operating systems, software, printers, and basic network connectivity as parts of one support role.
Security
Network+ direction: Treat network security, access controls, attacks, segmentation, hardening, and secure operations as a larger part of the exam.
A+ perspective: Apply foundational security to accounts, endpoints, wireless access, malware, physical access, data handling, and routine support work.
Current exam scope
A+ V15 has five Core 1 domains and four Core 2 domains
CompTIA weights each core separately. Core 1 percentages add to 100%, and Core 2 percentages add to 100%.
Mobile Devices
Mobile-device hardware, accessories, connectivity, synchronization, management, and support.
Networking
Ports and protocols, wireless networking, network services, configuration concepts, hardware, internet connection types, and small-office networking.
Hardware
Cables, connectors, memory, storage, motherboards, processors, power, printers, peripherals, and component selection or installation.
Virtualization and Cloud Computing
Cloud concepts, client-side virtualization, virtual machines, containers, and the resources that support them.
Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
Diagnosing common device, storage, display, printer, wired-network, and wireless-network problems from symptoms and evidence.
Operating Systems
Windows, Linux, macOS, Chrome OS, mobile operating systems, installation, configuration, command-line tools, and common administrative tasks.
Security
Endpoint and account security, wireless protection, malware, social engineering, hardening, permissions, data protection, and physical security.
Software Troubleshooting
Diagnosing operating-system, application, security, and mobile-device problems and selecting an appropriate response.
Operational Procedures
Documentation, change management, safety, environmental concerns, professionalism, backups, remote support, scripting basics, and support processes.
Starting point
Experience and certification path
The current Core 1 and Core 2 objective documents each recommend 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist job role. You can still use the objectives to build that experience through labs, personal systems, volunteer work, coursework, or supervised practice.
A+ is earned by passing both 220-1201 and 220-1202. Treat the two cores as separate exams with separate domain weights and passing scores rather than one large test split across two appointments.
A+ does not create a mandatory ladder into Network+ or Security+. After the foundation is usable, the next certification should depend on the work you want to do and the skills you still need to build.
12 months hands-on in an IT support specialist role
Core 1 and Core 2
V15 · 220-1201 and 220-1202
Study approach
A practical way to approach A+
Treat the two cores as separate study plans
Core 1 and Core 2 have different domain weights and different centers of gravity. Plan and measure them separately instead of trying to study all nine domains as one undifferentiated list.
Use the objectives as a checklist
Mark topics you can explain, perform, and troubleshoot. Spend more time where the objective is unfamiliar or where you can recognize a term but cannot use it in a scenario.
Put your hands on the systems
Practice installing software, checking hardware, configuring accounts, using command-line tools, connecting devices, reading network settings, applying updates, and recovering from simple failures.
Troubleshoot from symptoms and evidence
When something fails, identify what changed, collect useful evidence, test a likely cause, verify the fix, and document what happened. That skill transfers well beyond A+.
Choose the next step by the work you want
After A+, go deeper where your goals point. Networking, security, cloud, systems administration, and support can share the same foundation without requiring one universal certification sequence.
Confirm current A+ details with CompTIA
Exam objectives, delivery details, prices, and policies can change. Check CompTIA before buying a voucher or choosing exam-specific study material.
Cert Happens is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA.