Is the CompTIA A+ Exam Hard? (220-1201 and 220-1202, 2026 Guide)

Short answer: CompTIA A+ is moderately hard, especially for candidates with no IT background, and it is harder than most people expect because you have to pass two separate exams (220-1201 Core 1 and 220-1202 Core 2) to earn the certification. Each exam is its own beast, and the performance-based questions at the start of each test trip up candidates who only studied multiple choice.

If you can put in two to four months of focused study, run through 1,000+ practice questions, and get hands-on with at least one PC build or VM lab, A+ is a realistic first-attempt pass on both cores. Here is what makes it tricky and three sample questions in the real format so you can see where you stand.

What A+ actually tests in 2026#

The current version (v15, the 220-1201 and 220-1202 pair) launched in 2025 and replaced the older 220-1101/1102 set. It is what every new candidate should target now.

Each exam is up to 90 questions, 90 minutes, scored 100 to 900 with a passing score of:

675 for 220-1201 (Core 1) covering hardware, networking, mobile, virtualization/cloud, and hardware/network troubleshooting
700 for 220-1202 (Core 2) covering operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures

CompTIA does not publish official pass rates, but third-party data and our own user data put first-attempt pass rates around 70 to 75 percent on each core for candidates who studied seriously, and closer to 40 percent for candidates who only watched a single video course.

The harder part is structural: you need to pass both. Many candidates pass one and stall before the second, especially Core 2, because by then they are tired and Security is a denser domain than they expect.

What is on each core#

Core 1 (220-1201) domains#

Hardware (25%). Cables and connectors, RAM types, storage devices, motherboard layout, CPUs, power supplies, printers and consumables. The largest single domain on Core 1. Hands-on familiarity matters.
Networking (23%). TCP and UDP ports, common protocols, networking hardware, wireless protocols, DNS, DHCP, SOHO networking, internet connection types.
Hardware and Network Troubleshooting (28%). The CompTIA troubleshooting methodology (identify, theorize, test, plan, implement, verify, document) plus specific symptoms for hardware, mobile, printers, and networks.
Mobile Devices (13%). Laptop hardware, mobile device types, accessories, mobile networking.
Virtualization and Cloud Computing (11%). Cloud service models, hypervisors, client-side virtualization. Light coverage compared to a true cloud cert.

Core 2 (220-1202) domains#

Operating Systems (28%). Windows tools, command-line, control panel, settings, networking on Windows, application install/configuration, plus macOS, Linux, and mobile OS basics.
Security (28%). Security measures, wireless security protocols, malware detection and removal, social engineering, workstation security, mobile and embedded security, data destruction, browser security.
Software Troubleshooting (23%). Windows OS problems, PC security issues, malware removal procedures, mobile OS and app issues.
Operational Procedures (21%). Documentation, change management, backup and recovery, safety, incident response, basic scripting, remote access.

The combined exam scope is wider than any vendor cert at this level, which is the real reason A+ feels hard. There is no single domain that is brutal. There are 9 domains across two exams, all of which need at least light coverage.

How long real candidates study#

People who pass both cores on the first try put in:

6 to 8 weeks per core (so 12 to 16 weeks total) if they have no IT background
3 to 5 weeks per core if they have built a PC, used Linux, or worked a help desk informally
2 to 3 weeks per core if they have years of unofficial IT experience and only need to map vocabulary to CompTIA's wording

The pattern that works on A+ is roughly 50 percent practice questions, 30 percent reading or video (Professor Messer, Mike Meyers, or the official CompTIA self-paced bundle), and 20 percent hands-on time. Hands-on can be a real PC build, an old laptop you take apart, a VirtualBox lab, or even just clicking through Windows settings while reading. A+ rewards muscle memory; pure book learning is a known way to fail Core 1.

The three traps that make people fail#

Underestimating Core 2 security. Candidates pass Core 1 and assume Core 2 is "the easy one because it is software." Core 2 has a 28 percent Security domain that includes specific attack types, specific malware behaviors, and specific defensive tools. It is the densest single domain across both cores.
Skipping the troubleshooting methodology. CompTIA's six-step methodology shows up in performance-based questions and in regular multiple choice. If you cannot list the steps in order, you will lose 5 to 10 percent of the test on what should be free points.
Skipping performance-based questions in practice. Each core opens with up to a handful of performance-based questions (PBQs): drag-and-drop, simulated terminals, simulated GUIs. They are weighted heavily, they are time-consuming, and they are unfamiliar. Candidates who only practiced multiple choice run out of time and panic.

Three sample questions to test yourself#

Click any answer to reveal the correct one and an explanation.

Sample question

Pick an answer

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop that intermittently shuts down under load but runs fine at idle. The CPU and GPU temperatures are within normal limits during idle and rise quickly under load before the shutdown. Which component should the technician investigate first?

Sample question

Pick an answer

A user reports that their Windows laptop is showing pop-up ads inside the browser even when no website is open. Which steps best describe CompTIA's recommended malware removal procedure?

Sample question

Pick an answer

A small office network is being set up with a wireless router for staff and a separate guest network for visitors. The technician must pick the strongest practical wireless security setting available on a modern router. Which option should be chosen?

If you got 3 out of 3, your fundamentals are solid. If you got 1 or 2, you have the surface knowledge but need more reps on CompTIA's specific procedural answers and security vocabulary.

So is CompTIA A+ hard?#

It is moderately hard, mostly because it is wide rather than deep, and because you have to pass two exams in a row. Each individual question is rarely brutal. The challenge is breadth (9 domains, hundreds of vocabulary terms) and stamina (two 90-minute exams with PBQs that drain time). The candidates who fail are almost always the ones who studied passively, skipped PBQ practice, or treated Core 2 as "the easy one."

If you can put in two to four months total across both cores, run 1,000+ practice questions, and get even a few hours of hands-on time, A+ is a confident first-try pass and a clean entry point to a help-desk or junior-IT job.

Practice the kind of questions that show up on the exam#

ExamCoachAI generates 220-1201 and 220-1202 questions in the scenario style CompTIA uses, with explanations for every wrong answer (which is where the real learning happens). The free tier gives you 10 questions a day on any of our 50+ certifications, no credit card needed.

Ready to put this into practice? Start a free practice test on ExamCoachAI.