CompTIA A+ 220-1201 and 220-1202 Complete Exam Guide 2026

The CompTIA A+ 220-1201 and 220-1202 exams are the only A+ exams you can take in 2026. CompTIA released both exams on March 25, 2025 as version V15, and they permanently replaced the older 220-1101 and 220-1102 exams, which retired for English-language candidates on September 25, 2025. To earn the credential you must pass Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202), and both passes must come from the same version — you cannot combine a Core 1 result from one version with a Core 2 result from another. This guide breaks down what each exam covers, how the domains are weighted, what the exams cost, how retakes work, and how to prepare so you pass on the first attempt.

What Each A+ Exam Covers

The current CompTIA A+ is delivered as two separate ninety-minute exams, each with a maximum of ninety questions that combine multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based items. Core 1 concentrates on the physical and network side of support: mobile devices, networking, hardware, virtualization and cloud computing, and hands-on troubleshooting. Core 2 concentrates on the software side: operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. Because performance-based questions simulate real support tasks inside virtual environments, reading alone is rarely enough, and you need to have actually performed the steps the scenario asks about. CompTIA recommends twelve months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist role before either attempt, though no formal prerequisite blocks a motivated beginner. Both exams are offered in English, German, and Japanese, and CompTIA lists the estimated retirement of the 1200 series as 2028, which gives candidates a stable multi-year study window. The exams are approved under DoD 8140, a detail that matters for anyone targeting United States government or defense-contractor positions. The exam codes matter because CompTIA retires old versions on a predictable cycle, and studying retired objectives wastes both time and voucher money.

Core 1 Domain Breakdown

Core 1, coded 220-1201, weights its five domains as follows: mobile devices at thirteen percent, networking at twenty-three percent, hardware at twenty-five percent, virtualization and cloud computing at eleven percent, and hardware and network troubleshooting at twenty-eight percent. The passing score is 675 on a 900-point scale, which works out to roughly seventy-five percent of the available scaled points. Troubleshooting is the single heaviest domain, so the exam rewards people who can methodically diagnose a failing laptop, a dead network port, or a misconfigured small-office router. Networking gained three percentage points compared with the previous version, a shift that reflects how much entry-level support now touches cloud-connected systems and software-defined infrastructure rather than isolated local networks. Hardware held steady at twenty-five percent, but the topics inside it moved toward USB-C and Thunderbolt connectors, high-refresh-rate displays, and modern storage and memory standards.

Exam	Domain weights	Pass score
Core 1 (220-1201)	Mobile devices 13%, Networking 23%, Hardware 25%, Virtualization and cloud 11%, Troubleshooting 28%	675 / 900
Core 2 (220-1202)	Operating systems 28%, Security 28%, Software troubleshooting 23%, Operational procedures 21%	700 / 900

New Topics in the 1200 Series

Industry analysis places the content overlap between the retired 1100 series and the current 1200 series at roughly eighty-seven percent, meaning about thirteen percent of Core 1 is genuinely new material. The additions track the technologies a support technician now meets daily, including Wi-Fi 6E and the 6 GHz band, software-defined networking concepts, zero trust architecture, and AI-assisted support tooling. Core 2 adds its own modern layer, with zero trust and passwordless authentication, endpoint and extended detection and response families such as EDR and XDR, and a dedicated objective on managing AI in support workflows. Some legacy items dropped out to make room — older Bluetooth variants, the ext3 file system, optical media handling, and the yum package manager — so the blueprint stays roughly the same size rather than growing. If you already studied the older objectives, the transition is manageable, but the new objectives are fully testable and skipping them is a reliable way to lose points you could have earned.

Core 2 Domain Breakdown

Core 2, coded 220-1202, requires a passing score of 700 on a 900-point scale. Its four domains are operating systems at twenty-eight percent, security at twenty-eight percent, software troubleshooting at twenty-three percent, and operational procedures at twenty-one percent. Because operating systems and security tie for the heaviest weight, expect dense coverage of Windows 11, macOS, and Linux alongside access controls, malware prevention, and wireless security configuration. The software-troubleshooting domain tests structured diagnosis of boot failures, application crashes, and update problems, rewarding candidates who work a problem step by step instead of keyword-matching an answer. Operational procedures is the lightest domain at twenty-one percent, but it still generates performance-based questions on documentation, change management, backups, and professional communication — the procedural skills that employers evaluate on the job even though they feel less technical.

Exam Cost and Retakes

Each A+ exam needs its own paid voucher, and the standard United States retail price is $274 per exam, so the two required exams cost $548 before study materials or taxes. CompTIA raised its retail price for A+ in 2026, moving the per-exam cost up from the previous $265 to the current $274. Several legitimate paths cut that number: authorized training partners typically pass along a ten to fifteen percent discount, and verified students can buy a single A+ voucher for around $97 through the CompTIA Academic Store. Military service members, veterans, and eligible spouses can often get vouchers fully covered through programs such as ArmyIgnitED and MyCAA, because A+ satisfies DoD 8140 workforce requirements that those programs are designed to fund. Retakes are never discounted — a failed attempt means buying another full-price voucher — and CompTIA imposes a fourteen-day waiting period before a third or later attempt at the same exam. For a deeper breakdown of voucher discounts, retake math, and total budgeting, see our guide to CompTIA exam costs in 2026. Regional pricing outside the United States is set in local currency and can differ, and because a single voucher normally covers one attempt, plan both purchases together rather than buying months ahead.

How to Prepare and Pass

The single most important study resource is the official exam objectives document, which CompTIA publishes for free and which lists every testable topic — treat it as a checklist rather than a summary. Pair Professor Messer’s free video course with one paid question bank, and build a small virtual-machine lab so you can rehearse the exact tasks that performance-based questions simulate, such as configuring user accounts, fixing update failures, and resetting file permissions. Because performance-based questions are delivered as simulations or within virtual environments, the repetition of hands-on tasks is what turns reading into exam-ready skill. CompTIA itself recommends going into the exam well-prepared to minimize the chance of not passing and having to purchase an additional voucher, so preparation quality is a direct cost-control measure. When you weigh whether to pay for structured training, remember that disciplined self-study with a quality question bank costs a fraction of a bootcamp while still producing strong first-attempt outcomes — our bootcamp versus self-study comparison lays out the full trade-off.

Roles and Next Certifications

The A+ is built for entry-level positions such as IT support specialist, help desk technician, service desk analyst, and desktop support administrator, all of which appear consistently in current job postings. It is approved under DoD 8140 for technical support specialist, system administrator, and cyber defense infrastructure support specialist work roles, which keeps demand steady across government and contractor employers. Once earned, the credential stays valid for three years and renews through CompTIA’s continuing education program, whether by accumulating credits, passing a higher-level exam, or completing CertMaster CE training. The natural next steps are CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) or CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701), both of which extend the A+ foundation into specialized, higher-paying territory. For a broader view of where A+ fits in a long-term career plan, our guide to entry-level IT certifications maps the full landscape. Salaries for A+ holders cluster in the entry-level IT support band, and many employers reimburse the voucher cost after a pass, which makes the real out-of-pocket investment lower than the sticker price first suggests.