CompTIA A+ Study Guide: Both Cores and Free Practice Questions

Intro

CompTIA A+ is a starting certification for IT support work, covering the devices, software and troubleshooting skills involved in helping people use technology. Earning it requires both Core 1 and Core 2, and CertMonk can support your review alongside practical learning. This guide covers both current V15 exams, following CompTIA’s A+ overview.

Exam at a glance

Both exams launched March 25, 2025. CompTIA requires the two cores to come from the same version; you may take them in either order. Sources: Core 1 details, Core 2 details and the A+ overview, reviewed September 28, 2026.

Exam domains and weights

Core 1: 220-1201

Core 2: 220-1202

Use the Core 1 official exam objectives summary and Core 2 official exam objectives summary as separate coverage checklists. The weights belong to each exam individually, not to a combined test.

What each domain really tests

Core 1: Mobile devices

Study a portable device as a working system: its components, accessories and connections all affect the user's experience. Build a short vocabulary list, but attach a function to every item.

For review, describe a setup process from beginning to end. Include what you would inspect before changing anything and how you would confirm the device works afterward.

Core 1: Networking

Draw a small home or office network and label the role of each device. Use that drawing to connect your reading about addressing, wireless connectivity and network services.

When learning a protocol or tool, record its purpose before its abbreviation. Explain what information the tool would give you and how that information would guide the next step.

Core 1: Hardware

Connect components to requirements. A useful hardware note records what the part does, what it connects to and what compatibility details you would check before installation.

Include printers and other peripherals in your schedule. Study maintenance and installation as processes, with preparation and verification, rather than collecting pictures of connectors alone.

Core 1: Virtualization and cloud computing

Keep the physical machine, a virtual machine and a cloud service distinct in your notes. Compare the responsibilities involved rather than assuming that everything hosted elsewhere works the same way.

Create a compact comparison of service models using your own words. Read it later without the model names visible and check whether the descriptions still make sense.

Core 1: Hardware and network troubleshooting

Practice a disciplined sequence: describe the symptom, gather evidence, identify a plausible cause, make a considered change and check the result. Record why each action belongs in that sequence.

Avoid learning fixes as isolated pairs of symptoms and replacements. Your study notes should explain what evidence supports the proposed action and what you would investigate if it failed.

Core 2: Operating systems

Organize learning around tasks: installation, configuration, maintenance and recovery. Keep notes on the tools used for each task and the information you need before beginning.

Include unfamiliar systems in your reading. Being comfortable with your own computer does not mean you have covered the operating-system range in the published outline.

Core 2: Security

Study protection as a set of choices about access, configuration and handling information. Describe the purpose of a measure before memorizing where its setting appears.

For malware-related study, include prevention and follow-up alongside removal. Write a brief checklist that helps you avoid declaring a problem solved merely because a symptom disappears.

Core 2: Software troubleshooting

Learn to separate what a user reports from what you can observe. Build notes around the affected application, operating system, recent changes and available evidence.

After following a learning exercise, explain the investigation without copying its steps. Include what would make you stop, preserve information or seek help before proceeding.

Core 2: Operational procedures

Treat documentation and communication as part of technical work. Practice writing a short service record that another technician could understand without speaking to you.

Include safety, change management and recovery in your review. A useful record should make the intended action and its outcome clear, including any remaining issue.

These learning prompts follow the scope of the two CompTIA summaries linked above; they are suggested study activities, not exam items.

A realistic 30-day study plan

Use the following 30-day cycle for one core at a time if you are new to IT. Repeat it for the second core, changing the topics as shown. This gives both exams meaningful attention without assuming that a beginner can learn the whole certification in one month.

Days 1–7: build the first layer

Choose the core you will study first and save its objectives. Mark unfamiliar topics and collect your resources in one place. For Core 1, begin with hardware and mobile devices. For Core 2, begin with operating systems.

Alternate reading with observation or a safe learning exercise. End each session with a few sentences explaining what you learned without looking at your notes. Use the final day to revisit confusing points instead of adding new material.

Days 8–14: connect related topics

For Core 1, focus on networking, then compare virtualization and cloud models. For Core 2, study security and connect it to the operating-system tasks already covered. Keep a list of terms that sound similar and explain their differences.

Add untimed practice and review every uncertain choice. Record the missing idea, not just the score. If you cannot explain why a choice fits, return to the learning material before repeating the session.

Days 15–21: practice investigation

Core 1 learners should concentrate on hardware and network troubleshooting. Core 2 learners should work through software troubleshooting and operational procedures. Use a learning log to record observations, actions and verification.

Give the end of the week to mixed review. Revisit earlier topics so that your preparation does not become a series of isolated chapters you never see again.

Days 22–28: repair gaps and add timing

Use your weakest areas to choose the next sessions. Add timed practice once your explanations become more confident, then review errors caused by rushed reading separately from missing knowledge.

For both cores, include an applied activity and a written summary. Being able to describe a process without prompts is a useful check that you learned more than a sequence of clicks.

Days 29–30: review and plan the next step

Review your selected core's checklist and decide whether you need more time. When moving to the other core, start a fresh log rather than treating a result from one exam as evidence of readiness for the other. Keep both version codes visible throughout planning.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

1. Treating the two cores as one exam. Maintain separate objectives and readiness notes.
2. Mixing resource versions. Check for 220-1201 and 220-1202 before investing study time.
3. Knowing component names without their uses. Add a function and compatibility note to each entry.
4. Skipping less familiar operating systems. Follow the outline rather than your everyday habits.
5. Changing several things during troubleshooting. Keep a clear record of each action and its effect.
6. Ignoring communication and documentation. Practice explaining the issue and outcome in ordinary language.

How to use practice questions well

Begin with the core and domain you are currently studying. Work untimed and read explanations for the incorrect choices as carefully as the correct one. Those distinctions help expose misunderstandings that a score alone can hide.

CertMonk includes explanations for every answer choice, randomized practice tests, timed and untimed modes, flip-card flashcards, study games and progress by exam domain. Use recall tools for terminology and explanations for understanding; neither replaces practical learning.

Keep Core 1 and Core 2 results separate. After each session, pick a specific gap to repair through reading or a learning exercise, then revisit it later. When adding timed practice, check whether your mistakes come from missing knowledge, misreading the task or moving too quickly.

Free practice questions

Explore the free samples below from both Core 1 and Core 2, with no purchase needed.

More free questions →

FAQ

Do I need both exams to earn A+?

Yes. CompTIA’s A+ overview says both Core 1 and Core 2 are required.

Can I take Core 2 first?

Yes. CompTIA states that the exams can be taken in either order on its A+ overview.

Can I combine exams from different versions?

No. The Core 1 exam details require both cores from the same version.

How long should I study for A+?

Use your experience and the coverage checklist to decide. For a beginner, the 30-day cycle here is intended for each core separately, with extra time wherever needed.

Which core is harder?

Your background matters more than a blanket ranking. Familiarity with hardware may help your Core 1 preparation, while operating-system support experience may make parts of Core 2 feel more familiar.

Should I book both exams together?

Base that decision on separate readiness reviews. If one core still contains substantial gaps, keep studying it rather than letting the other exam's progress dictate your schedule.

Next step

Try free practice questions → https://app.certmonk.app/samples