The A+ Core 1 exam cost is US$274 for one exam voucher at CompTIA's U.S. list price. That voucher is good for a single attempt at Core 1 (220-1201). CompTIA prices vary by country, so if you are buying outside the U.S., use the price CompTIA's store shows for your region.
The number most people actually need is larger. Core 1 does not certify you on its own. The CompTIA A+ requires Core 1 and Core 2 (220-1202), so the exam fees for the credential come to $548 at list, before any retake, training or renewal. The rest of this post is about when that money leaves your account and what can push it higher.
Why is the A+ Core 1 exam cost only half the bill?
CompTIA treats A+ as one certification earned through two exams, which you can take in any order. Each is booked, sat and scored separately. Core 1 is passed at 675 on a scale of 100 to 900, and Core 2 has its own passing score. Passing one gives you a result, not a credential.
That changes how you should read the price. If you plan your budget around $274, you have planned for half the job. If you are new to the A+ and still working out what Core 1 covers, what CompTIA A+ Core 1 is sets out the exam itself; this post stays on the money.
One rule has a cost angle. CompTIA says Core 1 and Core 2 must be taken from the same version, with no mixing, and both current exams are V15, estimated to retire in 2028 with no date set. A Core 1 pass left sitting for years risks being money spent on a half that can no longer be completed.
What does one A+ voucher actually buy?
The plain A+ Voucher is the same product for both exams. It is single-use, and it redeems for either Core 1 or Core 2, not both. These are the U.S. list prices on CompTIA's Core 1 page as of October 7, 2026.
| Item | U.S. list price | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| A+ Voucher | $274 | One exam, Core 1 or Core 2 |
| A+ Voucher Plus Retake Assurance | $359 | One exam, Core 1 or Core 2 |
| Two plain vouchers (both cores) | $548 | The full A+ exam requirement |
Three details matter more than the headline price.
First, a voucher is valid for 12 months from purchase. That is your scheduling window. If it lapses unused, you have paid for nothing.
Second, CompTIA says the voucher is emailed within three to four hours of purchase. Do not buy one the night before you intend to book a same-day slot.
Third, because one voucher fits either exam, buying two at once is not a commitment to an order. You can sit Core 2 first and use the same kind of voucher.
Should you buy both vouchers on the same day?
Only if you are confident you will sit both exams inside 12 months of that purchase. Each voucher carries its own 12-month clock from the day you buy it, and a voucher that lapses unused is money spent on nothing.
If you are paying for yourself, buy one voucher at a time. Buy the first when your practice scores tell you that you are close, book a date, and sit it. Buy the second once the first exam is behind you and you have a study plan for the other core. That keeps no more than $274 at risk at any point, and it lets you choose Retake Assurance for one exam and not the other.
The exception is an employer or school paying for both. If someone else is buying, two vouchers in one order is simpler, as long as the 12-month window fits the training schedule. For a sense of how long Core 1 preparation takes, the Core 1 study plan lays out the weeks, and the Core 1 vs Core 2 post deals with which exam to take first.
Retake Assurance: which core should get the extra $85?
A+ Voucher Plus Retake Assurance costs $359, which is $85 more than the plain voucher, with the same 12-month validity. As the name says, it pairs your exam voucher with a retake. The exact terms of that retake, including how soon it has to be used, are on CompTIA's product page, so read them there before paying.
Because A+ is two exams, this is two separate decisions, and they rarely have the same answer. Our rule of thumb: put Retake Assurance on the core furthest from your daily work, and buy the plain voucher for the one closest to it. On Core 1, the extra $85 makes sense if you have never worked with hardware or networks, because performance-based items are where people who know the theory still lose time; how hard Core 1 is explains why. If you already build PCs or run a small network and your timed practice is steady, the plain voucher is the better bet. CompTIA publishes no pass rate, so the judgment is yours.
Which bundles does CompTIA sell for Core 1?
CompTIA's Core 1 page lists three bundles, each including a retake. At U.S. list price they were:
- Practice and Exam Bundle with Retake: $388
- Learn and Exam Bundle with Retake: $561
- Complete Bundle with Retake: $633
These pair the exam with CompTIA's own CertMaster training. We have not itemized what each contains, because the bundle page is the place to check that, and contents decide whether a bundle is good value for you. CompTIA's own time estimates for its Core 1 products give a sense of scale: 25 to 40 hours for CertMaster Learn, 10 to 20 hours for Practice and 15 to 25 hours for Labs.
None of these is required, and CompTIA sets no course or eligibility gate in front of Core 1. If you study from your own material, the relevant prices are $274 or $359.
If you fail Core 1, what does the next attempt cost?
Without Retake Assurance, a retake costs the full exam price again. CompTIA's retake policy says candidates pay the exam price each time and that it does not offer free re-tests or discounts on retakes.
The policy also sets the timing:
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After a first failed attempt, there is no waiting period before the second.
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Before a third attempt, and any after that, you must wait at least 14 calendar days.
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Once you have passed and earned the certification, you cannot take the same exam code again without CompTIA's prior consent.
Being allowed to retest at once is not a reason to. A second attempt booked before you have changed anything costs the same $274 and meets the same gaps. Put a week or two into your weakest areas first. With Troubleshooting at 28% and Hardware at 25% of Core 1, those two domains are where a short, targeted push usually pays back, and the practice questions walkthrough shows the reasoning those items reward.
Does testing at home save money?
The voucher price is the same either way. You schedule through CompTIA Central, which hands you off to Pearson VUE, and you choose between a Pearson VUE test center and an online exam through OnVUE.
The costs that differ are the ones around the exam. A test center can mean travel time, parking or a half day off work. OnVUE saves that, but it depends on your room, computer and connection meeting Pearson VUE's online-testing requirements, which you should read before you choose. If your home setup is shared or unreliable, the test center can be the cheaper choice in practice, even with the drive.
Where are the exam-day rules written down?
The published facts are the exam's shape. Core 1 has a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, including multiple-choice (single and multiple response), drag-and-drop and performance-based questions. CompTIA does not publish how many of each type appear or in what order.
For the rest, including identification requirements, arrival times, what you may bring and the rules for an online check-in, use the official documents rather than a summary. CompTIA's testing policies and Pearson VUE's candidate information for CompTIA exams set those out, and they are the documents that apply if anything goes wrong. Read them a few days before your date, not on the morning.
What does A+ cost after you pass both cores?
Once you have earned A+, which means passing both cores, the certification is valid for three years. To renew through continuing education, you need 20 CEUs in that cycle and a CE fee of $75 for the full three-year period. It is not an annual charge, and there is a 30-day grace period to pay fees or submit CEUs earned inside the cycle.
There are also routes that skip the fee. Passing the latest A+ exams, completing CertMaster CE for A+, or earning a higher CompTIA certification that fully renews A+ all count. Network+ is one of those; what the Network+ certification is covers that next step. The details of renewal sit in the Core 1 requirements and renewal post.
The full A+ bill, in order
Put together, the money moves in this sequence:
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First exam voucher: $274, or $359 with Retake Assurance.
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Any retake not covered by Retake Assurance: the full exam price again.
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Second exam voucher for the other core: $274 or $359.
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Three years after earning A+: $75 in CE fees if you renew with CEUs, or nothing if you renew another way.
The floor for the A+ exams is $548. Study material is the one line you control completely. A single book that maps every Core 1 objective, such as the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) Study Guide 2026, is one way to keep that line small while you save the bigger figures for the vouchers.
FAQ
How much is the A+ Core 1 exam?
At CompTIA's U.S. list price, one A+ voucher is $274, or $359 with Retake Assurance. The voucher is single-use and works for either Core 1 or Core 2. Prices vary by country, so check CompTIA's store for your region.
How much does the whole CompTIA A+ cost?
The A+ needs two exams, Core 1 and Core 2, so the exam fees are $548 at U.S. list price for two plain vouchers. Retakes, training and the later $75 CE fee are extra.
Can one voucher cover both Core 1 and Core 2?
No. One A+ voucher redeems for one exam, either Core 1 or Core 2. You need a second voucher for the other core.
How long is an A+ voucher valid?
Twelve months from purchase, for both the plain voucher and the Retake Assurance version. If you have not used it by then, it expires, so buy it when you are ready to schedule.
Does CompTIA discount A+ Core 1 retakes?
No. CompTIA's retake policy says you pay the exam price each time and that there are no free re-tests or retake discounts. The exception is a retake already bought through Retake Assurance.
Studying for Core 1 on your own? The CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) Study Guide 2026 gives each of the 27 Core 1 objectives its own short chapter in plain English, with worked performance-based drills and 133 practice questions across five domain banks, every answer explained.
Simply Certified is an independent publisher. A+, Network+, CertMaster and CompTIA are trademarks of CompTIA, Inc. Our books are independent study material and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CompTIA.