Nearly 1.2 million IT professionals have earned the CompTIA A+ since its introduction in 1993, making it the most widely held entry-level tech credential in the world. That number keeps growing because A+ does something most entry certs don’t: it proves you can actually fix things. The V15 series (220-1201 and 220-1202), launched March 25, 2025, doubled down on cloud, virtualization, and cybersecurity fundamentals (skills every employer hiring tier-one support is asking for right now).

What Is CompTIA A+ Certification?

CompTIA A+ is a vendor-neutral IT certification issued by CompTIA (the Computing Technology Industry Association), a nonprofit trade body founded in 1982. The credential has been running since 1993 and now covers everything from hardware assembly and networking to cloud computing, mobile device management, and cybersecurity fundamentals across two required exams.

What sets A+ apart from alternatives like the Google IT Support Professional Certificate is its industry-wide employer recognition. Nearly 1.2 million professionals hold it globally. Major employers including Dell, HP, Intel, and U.S. Department of Defense contractors either prefer or require it for technical support roles. The V15 update added expanded cloud, virtualization, and remote work content, keeping the curriculum aligned with how IT support actually operates in 2026.

The core value proposition is simple: A+ is the credential that gets you in the door.

Who Should Get CompTIA A+ Certified?

Career changers entering IT for the first time are the primary audience. If you’re coming from retail, customer service, or any field that involves problem-solving and working with technology, A+ is the most direct credentialing path to a help desk or support specialist role.

Recent graduates without a CS degree who want a credential employers recognize should prioritize A+ over degree-adjacent alternatives. It validates hands-on competency, not classroom theory.

U.S. military veterans transitioning to civilian IT will find A+ directly relevant. DoD contractors actively recruit A+-certified candidates, and the cert’s three-year validity aligns well with transition timelines.

IT hobbyists who’ve been self-teaching can use A+ to formalize what they already know and make it legible to hiring managers.

Who shouldn’t bother: experienced IT professionals with several years of field work, anyone targeting advanced cybersecurity or cloud architecture immediately, or candidates with a CS degree and substantial hands-on experience. For those groups, jumping straight to Network+, Security+, or a cloud vendor cert is a better use of time and money.

CompTIA A+ Exam Domains and Weights

Core 1 (220-1201) covers five domains, with Hardware and Network Troubleshooting carrying the heaviest weight at 28% (the single most tested area on the exam). Hardware (25%) and Networking (23%) follow, meaning those three domains alone account for 76% of Core 1. The widget below breaks down every domain, its weight, and the skills tested, so you know exactly where to focus.

CompTIA A+ Exam Cost, Format, and Pass Score

Two exams, each up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, non-adaptive, with multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based questions. Passing scores are 675/900 for Core 1 and 700/900 for Core 2. At $265 per voucher (after CompTIA’s mid-2025 price increase), the minimum cost to earn A+ is $530 (and every failed attempt means buying a new $265 voucher, with no mandatory waiting period). The widget maps out every cost scenario, including retakes and optional prep tools.

CompTIA A+ Salary and Job Outlook 2026

Entry-level A+ roles start around $35,000–$50,000 nationally, with Training Camp reporting a median of $42,000 for first-year professionals. PayScale places the overall median at $77,000, while the Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary Report (5,100 respondents) arrives at $83,798 globally. The widget breaks down salary by role, experience level, and industry.

CompTIA A+ Requirements: Experience and Eligibility

There are no formal prerequisites. You don’t need a degree, a prior certification, or proof of work history to register for either exam. CompTIA recommends approximately 12 months of hands-on IT support experience before sitting, but that’s advisory (nothing blocks you from registering on day one of self-study.

That accessibility is a feature, not a gap. It means career changers can pursue A+ through self-study, online courses, or lab work without waiting for an employer to give them a chance first.

Unofficial estimates place the first-attempt pass rate around 70% for each core exam, though CompTIA does not publish official statistics.

Realistically, candidates with zero IT background should plan for 4–6 months of structured preparation. Those with some hands-on exposure (help desk volunteer work, home lab tinkering, prior tech support) can compress that to 8–12 weeks. The exam isn’t easy. Performance-based questions require genuine applied judgment, and the troubleshooting domains reward candidates who’ve actually broken and fixed systems, not just read about them.

Timeline expectations: light study at 10 hours/week takes about 16 weeks. Intensive preparation at 30 hours/week can get experienced candidates ready in 4 weeks.

How to Study for CompTIA A+: Resources and Plan

Most candidates need 120–160 study hours across both exams. The key decision is self-study versus structured course: free resources like Professor Messer’s YouTube courses and ExamCompass practice tests can carry you to a passing score if you’re disciplined, while CompTIA’s own CertMaster Learn bundle at $499 adds adaptive quizzing and labs for candidates who want a guided path. The resource navigator and study plan builder below handle the details.

What Changed in the CompTIA A+ 2025 Update

V15 (exams 220-1201 and 220-1202) launched on March 25, 2025, replacing the 220-1101/1102 series. The update reflects CompTIA’s roughly three-year refresh cycle and makes several notable shifts.

Cloud computing and virtualization got a dedicated domain on Core 1 at 11%, formalized coverage that was scattered in prior versions. Remote work technologies and remote troubleshooting received expanded treatment across domains, reflecting how IT support actually operates post-pandemic. Cybersecurity content was deepened throughout Core 2 to address the increasingly complex threat environments entry-level technicians encounter on day one.

Mobile device management coverage expanded meaningfully, including eSIM technology and MDM policy enforcement (both now standard in enterprise environments.

The format held steady: two linear (non-adaptive) exams, 90 questions each, 90 minutes each, with performance-based questions retained as a core format element. The passing score for Core 2 increased slightly compared to some prior versions.

For candidates who studied under the 220-1101/1102 series, most concepts carry over, but V15 study materials are necessary. Old practice tests and books keyed to 1101/1102 will miss updated domain weights, new topic areas, and revised question framing.

How AI Is Changing IT Support Careers

AI is automating the most repetitive tier-one tasks: password resets, account unlocks, and guided basic troubleshooting. That’s real, and it’s already happening across enterprise help desk environments.

But demand for help desk support specialists is still projected to add approximately 22,000 positions in the U.S. by 2030, according to CompTIA’s labor market data. The role is shifting, not shrinking. What AI can’t replicate is cross-system diagnostic judgment (the ability to isolate whether a problem lives in hardware, software, network configuration, or user error when the ticket just says “it’s slow”).

CompTIA is adapting directly. Its AI+ and AI Essentials certifications address using AI safely and ethically in workplace contexts, and V15’s expanded cloud and virtualization content positions A+ holders to manage the infrastructure AI tools run on.

The practical implication for A+ candidates: learn the tools AI is automating, then develop the complex troubleshooting and communication skills that sit above them. Entry-level techs who treat AI as an accelerant rather than a threat will have an edge.

Is CompTIA A+ Worth It in 2026?

Yes (if you’re starting an IT career or making a career change). At $530 for both exam vouchers, A+ is a low-cost credential that opens doors to real roles with real salaries, typically paying for itself within the first few months of employment. Its main competitor, the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, costs less and is more accessible, but A+ is more widely recognized by employers for non-entry advancement. The widget below runs the full comparison.

How to Get CompTIA A+ Certified: Step by Step

1. Assess your baseline (if you have minimal IT experience, start with Professor Messer’s free videos to gauge where you stand.
2. Choose your study path (self-study with free/low-cost resources, or a structured course like CertMaster Learn.
3. Practice performance-based questions (don’t skip this; PBQs account for a significant portion of both exams.
4. Schedule both exams through Pearson VUE (in-person or online proctoring available.
5. Pass Core 1 (220-1201) first, then Core 2 (220-1202).
6. Maintain with 20 CEUs over each three-year renewal cycle and a $25 annual CE fee ($75 total per cycle) to keep the credential active. (A+ earned before January 2011 is good for life and does not require renewal.)

If you’re ready to move, start at CompTIA’s official A+ page and schedule through Pearson VUE. For more cert comparisons, job market data, and career path tools, explore the TechJacks certification hub.

Reference Resource List

1. CompTIA A+ Core 1 V15 Official Certification Page
2. CompTIA CertMaster Learn Training
3. CompTIA Tech Jobs Report
4. CompTIA Explore IT Careers
5. CompTIA PR Newswire: A+ Reaches One Million Certified (2014)
6. PayScale: CompTIA A+ Certification Salary
7. Skillsoft: The 11 Most Popular CompTIA Certifications and What They Pay
8. Training Camp: CompTIA A+ Salary Guide 2025
9. Professor Messer’s Free CompTIA A+ Video Course
10. ExamCompass Free CompTIA A+ Practice Tests
11. Dion Training CompTIA A+ Practice Exams
12. Pearson VUE Testing
13. CompTIA CertMaster Labs A+ Core 2 V15
14. Google IT Support Professional Certificate
15. Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900
16. Cisco Certified Technician
17. CompTIA ITF+ Certification

Continue Reading

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