Is Network+ worth it? For most people moving from desktop support toward networking or security work, yes. It costs a $399 voucher (U.S. price), and what you get for that is a structured, tested grasp of how networks are built, run, secured and fixed. Almost every later IT role assumes you have that knowledge, and few people learn it in order on the job.
It is not worth it for everyone. If you already configure and troubleshoot networks for a living, or you are certain you will go straight to Security+ and you already have the networking under your belt, the case gets thinner. The rest of this post sets out where Network+ sits in CompTIA's ladder, who gains the most, what it really costs to earn and keep, and one renewal detail that changes the math. New to the exam itself? What the Network+ certification is covers the format and domains first.
How does the A+, Network+, Security+ ladder work?
CompTIA's entry path runs in three steps. A+ comes first and is split into two exams, Core 1 and Core 2, covering the hardware and support side of IT. Network+ is the middle step. Security+ sits on top.
The links between the steps are recommendations, not gates. CompTIA's Network+ page recommends "CompTIA A+ certification, with 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience in a junior network administrator or network support technician role." For Security+ V7 (SY0-701), the recommended background is Network+ plus two years in a security or systems administrator job. Nobody checks either one. You can buy a Network+ voucher today with no certifications at all.
One change is coming at the top of the ladder. CompTIA expects Security+ V8 (SY0-801) to launch on or around November 17, 2026, and SY0-701 retires for English candidates on June 11, 2027, so both versions will be on offer in English for a while. The V8 page words its recommended experience differently: "Security administrator with two years of hands-on experience," with no mention of Network+. That does not make Network+ less useful as preparation. It does mean the formal arrow from Network+ to Security+ is getting fainter, and the decision rests more on what you actually know.
So think of the ladder as a learning order, not a permission order. A+ teaches you the machine. Network+ teaches you how machines talk to each other. Security+ teaches you how to defend that conversation. Skipping a step is allowed. The question is whether you can afford the gap it leaves.
Who should take Network+?
Network+ earns its cost most clearly for four kinds of candidate.
Help desk and desktop support staff who want to move up. If your tickets already include "the printer is offline" and "I cannot reach the shared drive," you are doing network troubleshooting without the vocabulary. Network Troubleshooting is the largest domain on N10-009 at 24%, and it is built around CompTIA's troubleshooting method, cabling faults, service problems and performance issues. That is the work a tier 2 technician does.
People heading for Security+ who have never studied networking. This is the group I would push hardest toward Network+. Security work is mostly network work with an adversary added. If subnets, VLANs, ports and routing are fuzzy, every Security+ topic built on them is harder than it needs to be. Network Security is only 14% of N10-009, the smallest domain, but the other 86% is the ground it stands on.
Anyone in or aiming at a DoD 8140 role. CompTIA's Network+ page lists the DoD 8140 work roles of technical support specialist, network operations specialist and system administrator. If your contract or job description names one of those, the question of whether Network+ is worth it may already be answered for you.
Career changers who want proof of structured study. Without a degree or job history in IT, a certification is one of the few things you can show. Network+ shows a specific, testable body of knowledge, 25 objectives across five domains, rather than general interest.
Who can reasonably skip it?
Some people get little from Network+, and it is better to say so plainly.
Working network engineers. If you configure switches, design addressing schemes and troubleshoot routing every week, Network+ will mostly confirm what you know. Take it only if an employer, contract or DoD role asks for it by name.
Security-bound candidates who already have the networking. If you can subnet in your head, read a packet capture and explain why a DNS failure looks like "the internet is down," you could go straight to Security+. Saving the $399 is reasonable. Test yourself first, ideally on Network+ practice questions rather than on your own sense of what you know.
People who need hands-on time more than paper. CompTIA's 9 to 12 months of recommended experience is there for a reason. If you have never touched a switch or set up a home lab, a few months of practice can teach more than a fast pass on a multiple-choice exam. The two are not exclusive, but if money is tight, the lab often comes first.
Anyone still unsure they want IT work at all. A+ is the cheaper experiment for finding out whether support work suits you. Network+ makes more sense once you know you are staying.
What does Network+ actually cost?
The voucher is the visible cost. It is not the only one.
| Item | U.S. price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Network+ voucher | $399 | One attempt |
| Voucher plus Retake Assurance | $519 | CompTIA's bundle with a second attempt |
| A retake without the bundle | $399 again | No free retakes, no retake discounts |
| CE fee to renew by CEUs | $150 | Total for the three-year cycle, not per year |
| CertMaster CE (Network+) | $199 | One fee-free renewal route |
CompTIA prices vary by country, so check the store for yours. For the full breakdown, including CompTIA's own bundles and the retake waiting rules, see the Network+ exam cost guide.
Two costs do not show up on a price list. The first is study time. N10-009 allows a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, mixing multiple-choice and performance-based items, and you need 720 on a scale of 100 to 900 to pass. That takes real preparation for anyone without daily networking work. How hard the Network+ exam is explains where that effort goes.
The second is upkeep. Network+ is valid for three years from your certification date. To keep it you need 30 CEUs plus the $150 fee in that cycle, or one of the fee-free routes covered below. Let it lapse and you start over on whatever the latest exam version is.
What do you get for the money?
The honest answer is knowledge first and a credential second.
The knowledge is broad. N10-009 runs from the OSI model and IPv4 addressing through switching, wireless, monitoring, disaster recovery and basic network security, and it ends in a heavy block of troubleshooting. Ten of the 25 objectives open with "Given a scenario," which means the exam asks you to apply the concept, not just recognize it. Those habits carry into any role that touches a network. The Network+ domains explained walks through each one.
The credential is specific. It comes from the same body as A+ and Security+, it is accredited under ISO 17024 through ANAB, and it is named in the DoD 8140 roles listed above. Those are facts you can check. What it does for your pay or your odds of an interview depends on your market and your employer, and nobody can promise you a number. I would be wary of anyone who does.
Where I land: the knowledge is worth more than the certificate for most people, and the certificate is worth having because it forces you to learn the knowledge in a complete, ordered way. People who skip Network+ and pick networking up piecemeal tend to have gaps in exactly the places the exam would have made them study, IPv6 services, monitoring, and the formal troubleshooting steps among them.
Does Security+ renew Network+ and A+?
Yes, and this is the detail that changes the cost math for anyone planning the full ladder.
CompTIA's renewal rules let a higher-level certification renew the ones beneath it. Earning Security+ fully renews both Network+ and A+. CySA+, PenTest+, SecurityX and Cloud+ V3 also fully renew Network+. Passing the latest release of Network+ itself renews it too.
In practice, if you pass Network+ and then pass Security+ inside your three-year window, you do not need to log 30 Network+ CEUs or pay a separate $150 fee for it. Your Network+ renewal rides on the higher certification. The renewal routes and the grace period are covered in Network+ requirements and renewal.
That changes how I would frame the decision. If Security+ is your goal within the next couple of years, Network+ upkeep folds into the next step instead of becoming one more set of renewals to maintain. The real cost of taking Network+ on the way is mostly the voucher and the study time.
Is now a good time to take N10-009?
Yes. N10-009 (Network+ V9) launched on June 20, 2024, and it is the only Network+ exam you can sit. CompTIA says retirement is "usually three years after launch (estimated 2027)" and has not announced a successor or a retirement date. Your three-year validity is counted from your own certification date, whichever version you pass.
The timing question that does matter sits one rung up. If you plan to take Security+ after Network+, know that V8 (SY0-801) is expected on or around November 17, 2026, with SY0-701 available in English until June 11, 2027. That affects which Security+ version you prepare for. It does not affect Network+.
Is Network+ worth it for you? Three questions
Answer three questions.
Do you need networking for the work you want next? If yes, you will learn it one way or another, and Network+ is a structured way to do it with proof at the end.
Do you already know it well enough to pass? Test yourself on scenario questions before you spend $399. If you score well without study, consider going straight to the next rung. A practice questions walkthrough makes a quick check.
Is Security+ part of your plan? If yes, the renewal rule makes Network+ cheaper to hold than it looks.
If you decide to go ahead, a plan matters more than the materials. The Network+ study plan maps the five domains to a weekly schedule. For the reading itself, the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 Study Guide 2026 gives each of the 25 objectives its own chapter, so you can see exactly which parts of the exam you already know and which you do not.
FAQ
Is Network+ worth it if I already have A+?
For most A+ holders, yes. A+ covers the support side of IT, and Network+ is the natural next step if you want to move toward network or security work. CompTIA's recommended background for Network+ is A+ plus 9 to 12 months in a junior network role, so you are already on the path it expects.
Can I skip Network+ and go straight to Security+?
You can. CompTIA recommends Network+ before Security+ V7 but does not require it, and the recommended experience for Security+ V8 does not mention Network+. Skip it only if your networking is genuinely solid, because Security+ assumes you understand addressing, ports, protocols and network devices.
Will my employer value Network+?
That depends on the employer. Where a contract or DoD 8140 role names it, it can be a hiring condition. Elsewhere it mostly signals that you have learned networking in a complete, tested way. Check the job postings you are aiming at before you decide.
Is Network+ worth it if I plan to stay in help desk?
It can be, if your help desk handles network tickets, because Network Troubleshooting is the largest domain at 24% and maps closely to that work. If your role is mostly accounts and software, A+ covers more of what you do day to day.
Weighing up Network+? The CompTIA Network+ N10-009 Study Guide 2026 teaches all five domains in plain English with one chapter per objective, worked drills for the scenario objectives, and 164 practice questions in five domain banks, each with the correct answer and every distractor explained.
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