CompTIA A+ (220-1201/220-1202): Cost, Exam Format, and Renewal Math

Nearly every IT support job posting names the same credential before it names a degree, and that credential is CompTIA A+. This page lays out what the two required exams actually cost combined, what each one tests, what nine years of upkeep runs, and the point at which you have outgrown it.

Who this cert is actually for

A+ is aimed at people with little or no paid IT experience who want the fastest recognized path into a help desk, desktop support, or field technician role. If you can already troubleshoot a Windows laptop, wipe and reimage a machine, and talk a frustrated user through a password reset, you have the raw skill; A+ is what turns that skill into a line an applicant tracking system will actually match against a job requisition. It is also the credential most other CompTIA paths assume you already hold, since Network+ lists it as recommended background. A+ vs Network+ walks through exactly when to make that jump.

Skip it if you already have a year or more of paid, verifiable IT support work on your resume. At that point the credential adds less than your actual job history does, and your money is better spent moving straight to Network+ or Security+ depending on which direction you want your career to go. Skip it too if you are a computer science graduate targeting software or infrastructure roles that never touch a help desk; A+ signals frontline support competence specifically, not general technical aptitude.

What it costs all-in

A+ requires two separate exams, Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202), and both are mandatory; passing only one does not earn the certification. Each exam voucher is $274 at CompTIA’s own store after CompTIA’s 2026 price increase, and one voucher covers one exam, so the full credential runs $548 before any prep spending. That combined figure, not a per-exam number, is the one that belongs on any cost comparison, including the ROI Index on this site. There is no free retake for either exam, and a failed attempt costs the same $274 again. CompTIA lets you retake immediately after a first fail but makes you wait 14 days before a third attempt, and it sells a voucher with Retake Assurance for $359 per exam if you want the second attempt prepaid.

Study costs stay low if you use CompTIA’s free exam objectives PDFs for Core 1 and Core 2 as your syllabus. Professor Messer publishes a full free video course for both exams, and a Udemy course from an instructor like Mike Meyers runs $15 to $20 on sale. A practice-question bank in the $15 to $30 range is worth the money, since PBQs punish people who have only read about a task and never clicked through it. A realistic self-study budget is therefore close to $548 for both vouchers plus $30 to $60 in prep, and academic or authorized-partner pricing can shave 10 to 15 percent off the voucher cost for students who qualify.

The exam itself

Core 1 covers hardware and networking fundamentals across five domains: Mobile Devices (13 percent), Networking (23 percent), Hardware (25 percent), Virtualization and Cloud Computing (11 percent), and Hardware and Network Troubleshooting (28 percent), with a passing score of 675 on the 100-to-900 scale. Core 2 shifts to software and process, split across four domains: Operating Systems (28 percent), Security (28 percent), Software Troubleshooting (23 percent), and Operational Procedures (21 percent), passing at a slightly higher 700. Both exams cap at 90 questions in 90 minutes and mix multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based questions that simulate real troubleshooting tasks rather than just asking you to recall a definition.

Take the exams in either order; CompTIA does not require Core 1 before Core 2. Many candidates sit them a few weeks apart so the study load stays manageable, since the objectives barely overlap. CompTIA does not publish a pass rate for either exam, so treat any specific percentage you see quoted online as someone’s guess, not a verified figure.

Renewal math over 9 years

A+ is valid for three years, so nine years of holding it means two renewals, at years three and six (a renewal at year nine buys years nine to twelve, outside the horizon). This is the cheapest CompTIA credential to keep current: A+ sits in the lower CE fee tier at $75 per three-year cycle, versus $150 for Network+, Security+, and the certifications above them. Each cycle you either log 20 CEUs from approved training, webinars, conference sessions, or relevant work experience and pay that $75, or you retake the current exam version at full voucher price.

CertMaster CE, CompTIA’s self-paced renewal course, is available for A+ and fulfills the whole renewal while waiving the CE fee, but at $139 per cycle on CompTIA’s store it costs more than the $75 fee it replaces; you are paying $64 extra to skip the CEU paperwork. Over those two renewals, the honest range is $150 in CE fees for the do-it-yourself path, $278 if you buy CertMaster CE each time, or close to $0 in dedicated renewal spend if you go on to earn a higher CompTIA certification: CompTIA lists Network+, Security+, Linux+, CySA+, PenTest+, and SecurityX as fully renewing A+. Among CompTIA certifications, only SecAI+ shares this lowest $75 fee tier.

Nine-year cost of ownership: about $698 if A+ stays your ceiling, the $548 for both exams plus $150 in continuing-education fees across two renewals. Earn a higher CompTIA credential and the renewal share falls toward $0, leaving just the $548 you paid at the door. That renewal figure sits against every other credential’s in certification renewal costs explained.

What it does for the occupation you are entering

A+ maps to the computer user support specialist occupation (BLS code 15-1232). The panel on this page shows the current national median wage and headcount for that occupation, and it describes the field, not a raise this certificate hands you. What A+ concretely buys is a resume that clears keyword filters built around it and a signal to a hiring manager that you know the difference between a driver conflict and a hardware failure before your first day. Turning that into an actual offer, and eventually a higher title, comes from the work you do once you are in the seat.

Common mistakes

Assuming one exam is the whole certification. Core 1 alone or Core 2 alone earns nothing; CompTIA only issues the A+ credential once both are passed. Budget and schedule for both from the start.

Treating it as optional with a degree in hand. A computer science degree does not cover the practical, hands-on troubleshooting skills A+ tests, and support-role hiring pipelines are frequently built around this exact credential regardless of your transcript.

Ignoring the cheap renewal path. At $75 per cycle in the worst case, letting A+ lapse and re-sitting both exams at $548 combined is an expensive way to fix a problem a calendar reminder would have prevented. Start logging CEUs, or budget for CertMaster CE, well before your three-year window closes.