CompTIA A+ Study Guide: Core 1 and Core 2 Objectives and Study Plan

CompTIA A+ is earned by passing two exams: Core 1 (220-1201), which covers hardware, networking and mobile devices, and Core 2 (220-1202), which covers operating systems, security, software troubleshooting and operational procedures. Each allows up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, and the passing scores are 675 for Core 1 and 700 for Core 2 on a scale of 900. A realistic plan for a beginner is about eight weeks, four per exam, built around free video courses and hands-on practice.

This guide is for people starting an IT support career, including help desk and desktop support roles, and for anyone choosing between A+ and another first certification (see IT certifications for beginners for that decision). By the end you will know the exam format, how the domains are weighted, which topics deserve the most time, which free resources exist, and how to schedule your weeks. Details come from CompTIA's A+ V15 certification pages and Professor Messer's course outlines, read on October 29, 2026. Exam details change, so confirm them on CompTIA's site before you book.

Exam format at a glance

CompTIA's A+ V15 pages list these details for the current series.

Other facts from the CompTIA pages:

• The V15 exams launched on March 25, 2025. CompTIA says a version is usually retired three years after launch and gives an estimated date of 2028.
• Core 1 and Core 2 must be taken from the same version.
• Language availability varies by exam and testing provider, so check the languages offered when you book.
• CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist role. This is a recommendation, not a requirement, and many first-time candidates pass without it.
• The pages list bundles but do not show a voucher price. Check CompTIA's store for the current price, because it varies by region and changes.

Performance-based questions put you in a simulated scenario, such as configuring a small office router or choosing the right tool to fix a Windows problem. You cannot memorize your way through them, which is why the study plan below includes hands-on work.

Core 1 (220-1201) domains

Professor Messer's free 220-1201 course outline, which follows the objectives, shows what sits inside each domain:

• Mobile devices: laptop hardware, mobile device configuration, mobile connectivity and mobile device management.
• Networking: ports and protocols, wireless networks, network services, network configurations including DNS, DHCP, VLANs and VPNs, network devices, IPv4 and IPv6, internet connection types, network types and network tools.
• Hardware: displays, cables and connectors, memory, storage devices, motherboards, power, multifunction devices and printers.
• Virtualization and cloud computing: virtualization concepts and services, cloud models and characteristics.
• Hardware and network troubleshooting: troubleshooting hardware, storage, displays, mobile devices, networks and printers.

Troubleshooting is the largest slice. The exam asks you to pick the most likely cause or next step from symptoms, so practice a consistent method (identify the problem, form a theory, test it, plan and fix, verify, document) rather than memorizing isolated fixes.

Core 2 (220-1202) domains

The free 220-1202 course outline from Professor Messer breaks the content down as follows:

• Operating systems: installing operating systems, Windows editions and tools, the Windows command line, Windows settings, Windows networking, macOS, Linux, installing applications and cloud productivity.
• Security: security measures, Windows security, wireless security, malware, social engineering, malware removal, security best practices, mobile device security, data destruction, SOHO networks and browser security.
• Software troubleshooting: troubleshooting Windows, mobile devices, mobile device security and general security problems.
• Operational procedures: documentation and support systems, change management, backup and recovery, safety, environmental impacts, privacy and policies, communication and professionalism, scripting, remote access and artificial intelligence.

Note the last item: the course outline for the current version includes an artificial intelligence section under operational procedures, so older study materials written for the previous version will be missing it.

Free and low-cost resources

• CompTIA exam objectives. The official objectives document lists every topic that can appear. CompTIA's site provides it from the certification pages; treat it as the master checklist and tick off each line as you can explain it.
• Professor Messer's video courses. The 220-1201 course has 63 videos (about 10 hours), and the 220-1202 course has 74 videos (about 13 hours 41 minutes). The videos are free to watch online. Course notes, practice exams and downloadable videos are on a separate paid bundle.
• Your own equipment. A spare PC or laptop you can open, a second router or access point, and a free hypervisor give you the hands-on practice the performance-based questions assume.
• Practice exams. Use these to find weak areas rather than to memorize answers. If you see the same questions repeatedly, you are learning the bank, not the objective.

Hands-on labs worth doing

You do not need a lab budget. These activities map directly to the domains:

1. Open a desktop or laptop. Identify the RAM slots, storage connectors, power connectors and cooling. Reseat memory and storage, then boot again.
2. Build a virtual machine. Install Windows and a Linux distribution in a hypervisor. Practice creating users, changing settings and using the command line.
3. Learn the Windows command line. Run ipconfig /all, ping, tracert, nslookup, sfc /scannow and chkdsk and read what each reports.
4. Set up a small network. Change the router's admin password, configure DHCP, set a static address on one device and set up a guest network. The related article on small business Wi-Fi guest network setup shows the idea.
5. Practice security basics. Turn on a screen lock and device encryption on a phone, enable multi-factor authentication on an account, and read the Windows Security settings page.
6. Write a ticket. For every fix you practice, write down the symptom, cause, fix and verification. Documentation and professionalism are in the Core 2 domain.

An eight-week study plan

This plan assumes about 8 to 10 hours per week. Adjust it to your schedule rather than rushing.

The 80 percent practice-test threshold is a rule of thumb for confidence, not a CompTIA figure. Scores on third-party tests do not predict your result exactly.

Exam-day tips

• Handle performance-based questions strategically. They take longer than multiple-choice items, so decide in advance how you will budget time. Keep an eye on the clock: 90 questions in 90 minutes leaves roughly a minute each.
• Read for the best answer. Several options may be technically possible. The exam usually asks for the first step, the most likely cause, or the best solution.
• Know your ports and tools. Common ports, command-line utilities and Windows management tools come up in both exams.
• Check ID and testing rules. Confirm your testing provider's identification requirements and, if testing online, its room and equipment rules ahead of time.

Common mistakes

• Watching videos without practicing. Passive viewing feels productive but does not prepare you for scenario questions.
• Studying the old version. Check that books, videos and practice tests say 220-1201 and 220-1202 (V15), not 220-1101 and 220-1102.
• Skipping the objectives. Anything listed there can be tested; anything not listed is optional.
• Memorizing without understanding. Ask why a port is used or why a symptom points to a cause.
• Booking too early. If practice scores are unstable, move the exam date back instead of hoping.

After A+

A+ is an entry-level credential that supports help desk and desktop support applications. The natural next steps are networking and security. See the guides for Network+ N10-009 and Security+ SY0-701.

Checklist

• Confirm the exam codes 220-1201 and 220-1202 and that both are from the same version.
• Download the current objectives from CompTIA and use them as your checklist.
• Watch the free video courses and do the matching hands-on tasks.
• Take practice tests to find weak areas, not to memorize answers.
• Book Core 1 after week 4 and Core 2 after week 8, or whichever order suits you.
• Check the current voucher price and ID rules on CompTIA's site.

References

• CompTIA A+ certification
• CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) V15
• CompTIA A+ Core 1 and Core 2 V15
• Professor Messer: 220-1201 training course
• Professor Messer: 220-1202 training course