Is CompTIA A+ Worth It? What the Two-Exam Credential Buys You

Is CompTIA A+ worth it? If the work you want involves fixing other people's computers, accounts and phones, usually yes. For US$548 in U.S. list-price vouchers you get an accredited, vendor-neutral credential that CompTIA maps to three DoD 8140 work roles, and it renews itself if you later pass Network+ or Security+. If your target role never touches end-user support, it is a weaker buy.

The catch is that A+ takes two exams, Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202), and you hold nothing until both are passed. So the honest question is whether the whole package is worth it: two vouchers, two study blocks, and a three-year upkeep cycle. That is what this post weighs.

What are you actually paying for?

Start with the bill, because it is shorter than people expect. These are CompTIA's U.S. list prices. CompTIA prices vary by country.

The baseline is two vouchers at US$274, so US$548 to earn the credential at list. A single A+ voucher redeems for either core, and each is valid for 12 months from purchase. If you renew by logging continuing education rather than by passing a higher exam, add $75 for the three-year cycle, which brings three years of holding A+ to roughly US$623 before any study materials or the cost of your CE activities.

Two things are not on that bill. CompTIA does not offer free retakes or retake discounts, so a failed attempt means paying again unless you bought the Retake Assurance version. And study time is the real cost for most people. The fee breakdown for the second exam, booking and retakes is in the A+ Core 2 exam cost guide.

Where is A+ formally recognized?

Plenty of certifications are recognized by reputation only. A+ has two forms of recognition you can point to on paper.

The first is accreditation. CompTIA's objectives document states that A+ is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) as compliant with ISO 17024, the international standard for organizations that certify people. In practical terms, an outside body checks how the exam is built, scored and maintained. That matters to employers and agencies who need a credential they can defend in an audit.

The second is the U.S. Department of Defense. CompTIA's A+ exam pages list these DoD 8140 approved work roles:

• Technical support specialist
• System administrator
• Cyber defense infrastructure support specialist

If you are aiming at defense contracting or a government support desk, that list is the most concrete reason A+ can be worth it, because the certification may be tied to the role itself rather than to a hiring manager's preference. Check how the specific position you want is coded before you assume it applies.

Outside those settings, recognition is softer and varies by employer. I am not going to quote job-market figures here. The useful test is cheaper: open ten postings for the job you actually want and count how many name A+.

Is A+ worth it if you already work in support?

This is where opinions split, and mine is: often yes, but for a different reason than the career-changer's.

CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist role before the exams. That is a recommendation, not a gate, but it tells you who the exams are written for. Someone with a year on a help desk already does much of what Core 2 tests: Windows tools and settings, malware cleanup, account security, ticket handling and change management.

What that person usually lacks is breadth. A typical desk sees the same few dozen problems. Core 2 spreads 36 objectives across four domains, and it will ask about the parts of the job your desk outsources or never sees: macOS and Linux basics, mobile device security, scripting, backup schemes, and since V15, a full objective on AI basics (4.10). Studying for A+ fills those gaps, and the credential turns "has done support for a while" into something a new employer can verify without calling your old manager.

If you have several years of support work and a strong reference, the case weakens. You might be better served going straight to the next certification your target role names.

Is A+ worth it if you are switching careers into IT?

For a career-changer, A+ does a job no résumé can: it proves you studied the whole entry-level syllabus and passed a scored exam on it. There is no eligibility requirement, so you can sit both cores with no IT job history at all.

The two exams also give you a structured curriculum when you have no idea what to learn first. Here is how the A+ syllabus divides between the two:

Core 1 is the hardware and network half. Core 2 is the half that looks most like a support ticket queue: what is wrong with this operating system, is this machine infected, why does this app crash, and what is the correct procedure for handling it. For someone new, Core 2 is the exam that most resembles the first job. If you want the full picture of what that exam covers, start with what CompTIA A+ Core 2 is.

The cost of entry for a career-changer is mostly time. Both exams allow a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, mixing multiple-choice, drag-and-drop and performance-based items, and the pass marks are 675 (Core 1) and 700 (Core 2) on a 100-900 scale. Neither is a formality. The A+ Core 2 study plan lays out what a realistic preparation schedule looks like.

The half-certified trap

The worst outcome with A+ is not failing. It is passing one core and stopping.

One core earns you no credential. You cannot list "half of A+" in any meaningful way, and the passed exam has a shelf life. CompTIA's rule is that Core 1 and Core 2 must be taken from the same version, with no mixing. The current V15 series launched March 25, 2025, and CompTIA estimates its retirement in 2028, usually three years after launch, without a set date. If you pass one V15 core and let the other drift until V15 retires, your first pass stops counting toward anything.

So when you ask whether A+ is worth it, price in both exams from the start. Budget both vouchers, block out two study periods, and book the second exam while the first is fresh. Which core to take first is a separate question, answered in A+ Core 1 vs Core 2.

Does the upkeep change the answer?

A little, and mostly in A+'s favor. A+ is valid for three years from the date you earn it, once both cores are passed. The continuing education route means 20 CEUs and a $75 fee per three-year cycle, but Network+ and Security+ each fully renew A+. Pass either one inside your window and A+ renews with it, with no A+ CEUs to log and no separate A+ fee.

So A+ is most worth it as the first rung rather than the last one. If you plan to keep going, the upkeep folds into the next certification. If A+ is the only certification you will ever hold, plan on the CEUs and the $75. Every renewal route, including why you cannot renew by passing the same exam twice, is in A+ Core 2 requirements and renewal, and the case for the next rung is in is Network+ worth it.

When is A+ probably not worth it?

A few situations where I would not spend the US$548 yet:

• Your target role has no end-user support. If the jobs you are applying for are pure networking or security and never mention A+, put the money toward the certification they do name.
• You already know the material cold. Read the published objectives for both cores and mark each one you could explain to a coworker. If you can mark almost all of them, A+ is proof of something you already have, and that is only worth paying for if an employer or contract asks for it.
• You cannot commit to both exams within the version. If your next year is uncertain, wait until you can study for both in sequence rather than passing one and losing it.

In each case the value depends on where you are going next.

Is CompTIA A+ worth it for you? A verdict by situation

If you land in one of the first two rows, the next step is preparation for whichever core you take second, usually the harder of the two for you. For Core 2, the CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) Study Guide 2026 gives each of the 36 objectives its own short chapter, so you can see quickly which parts of the exam you already handle at work and which you have never touched. For a frank read on the pass mark, see how hard A+ Core 2 is.

FAQ

Is CompTIA A+ worth it with no IT experience?

Yes, for most people aiming at a first support job. CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience but does not require it, so you can sit both exams with no work history. Expect to put in more study time than someone already on a help desk.

Is A+ worth it for a government or defense support job?

It can be the deciding factor. CompTIA lists three DoD 8140 approved work roles for A+: technical support specialist, system administrator, and cyber defense infrastructure support specialist. Check how the specific position is coded before you assume the requirement applies.

Is A+ still worth it if I plan to take Network+ next?

Often, yes. Network+ is one of the certifications that fully renews A+, so passing it inside your three-year A+ cycle keeps A+ active without the CE fee. Check first whether the roles you want name A+ at all.

How much does it cost to get and keep A+?

At U.S. list price, two vouchers cost US$274 each, US$548 in total, and CompTIA prices vary by country. Keeping A+ by continuing education means 20 CEUs and a $75 fee per three-year cycle. Passing Network+ or Security+ inside the cycle renews A+ instead.

Decided A+ is worth it for you? The CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) Study Guide 2026 gives each of the 36 Core 2 objectives a short chapter with Exam Tips, Common Pitfalls and Key Takeaways, plus worked performance-based drills and 152 practice questions with every answer and distractor explained. Its companion, the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) Study Guide 2026, covers the other half of the credential.

Simply Certified is an independent publisher. A+, Network+, Security+ and CompTIA are trademarks of CompTIA, Inc. Our books are independent study material and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CompTIA.