You’re considering entering the IT industry, and getting the CompTIA A+ certification can help you get your foot in the door. The question is, how much does the CompTIA A+ certification cost? How might you spend your time and money wisely for this popular entry-level certification?
Look no further—we’ve got you covered. This article will address the price of getting your A+, renewals, time commitment, costs of training materials, and the rewards as an IT professional after you’ve earned your A+. Moreover, we discuss possible next steps for you if you have eyes on other IT or cyber security certifications beyond A+.
When you’re ready, let’s dive into how much is CompTIA A+ exam.
About CompTIA A+
CompTIA is short for “Computing Technology Industry Association,” and it conducts certification exams so that you can gain IT expertise to meet various industry standards.
A+ is a pair of entry-level IT certification exams CompTIA offers. To obtain the CompTIA A+ certification, an individual must pass two exams:
- Core 1 focuses on the technical fundamentals of IT support and infrastructure, including hardware, networking, and troubleshooting.
- Core 2 builds on operational and security skills, covering software, system administration, and cyber security best practices.
To obtain the CompTIA A+ certification, you’ll need a passing score of at least 675/900 for Core 1 and 700/900 for Core 2.
Here’s the detailed breakdown of the latest Core 1 and Core 2 domains:
For details, refer to our introductory article “What is CompTIA A+?” and "Best CompTIA A+ Practice Questions to Prepare for the Exam."
Certification Cost
You can take the A+ exams at separate times. Each CompTIA A+ exam costs $265 USD and includes up to 90 multiple-choice and performance-based questions. You’ll have 90 minutes to complete each exam, which tests your knowledge across hardware, software, networking, security, and troubleshooting concepts.
The format combines traditional multiple-choice questions with hands-on scenarios to simulate real-world IT tasks. CompTIA doesn’t offer discounts on retakes, nor is it lenient on dishonesty.
The total cost of earning the CompTIA A+ certification is $530 USD for first-time test takers.
Certification Renewals
Once you’ve earned it, your A+ certification is good for three years. For each of these three years, you pay $25 USD to renew your A+ certification, totaling $75 USD.
As a newly minted A+ holder, you also conduct activities that earn you Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to stay relevant to tech trends. Your activities must meet the following requirements to qualify for CEUs:
- Timing: You must complete your activities during your three-year renewal cycle.
- Relevance: At least 50 percent of the activity content must relate to one or more exam objectives for the certification you’re renewing.
- Documentation: You’ll need to provide documentation for the following activities to receive CEUs:
- Earn Non-CompTIA IT industry certifications (this may incur additional costs);
- Complete training and higher education;
- Participate in IT industry activities;
- Publish a relevant article, white paper, blog post, or book;
- Gain related work experience.
- Higher CompTIA certifications, such as Network+ ($369 USD), automatically renew A+.
The total cost of getting and maintaining your A+ over the next three years is a minimum of $75 USD plus the cost of your renewal activities, or $369 USD if you go for Network+ during your three-year cycle (which lets you forgo the $75 fee entirely).
Study Time Investment
The time needed to prepare for the CompTIA A+ exams varies depending on your prior IT experience. Here’s a quick guide to help you estimate how many hours you might need to dedicate to study and practice for both exams:
- Beginners: 60-80 hours per exam (120-160 hours total) to cover all topics, practice, and review.
- Some Experience: 50-70 hours per exam (100-140 hours total) to reinforce knowledge and focus on weaker areas.
- Ample Experience: 10-20 hours per exam (20-40 hours total) to fill gaps, review the exam format, and practice.
These are just estimates - your actual time may be more or less depending on factors like experience, learning resources, and study habits.
For more detailed guidance, check out How Long Does CompTIA A+ Take.
Although A+ has no hard-and-fast prerequisites, CompTIA recommends that A+ candidates have nine to 12 months of hands-on experience in technical roles in academia or industry, which helps reduce study time. Still, a solid preparation course can compensate for the recommended experience; see our suggestions in Training Costs.
From A+ study materials, you’ll gain technical knowledge of how hardware and software work. If you’re new to IT, you can get hands-on experience with various hardware components by joining a local hackerspace. Such participation will help you gain a practical understanding of how the nitty-gritty of the hardware works and aid you in questions on technical troubleshooting.
Training Costs
Training costs encompass study materials and practice tests. We list A+ instructors who update their materials whenever CompTIA rolls out a revised version of their exams.
The latest exam codes are 220-1201 for Core 1 and 220-1202 for Core 2, and you must pass both to obtain the CompTIA A+ certification.
We recommend the following book titles for preparing for the 220-1201 and 220-1202 exams:
- CompTIA A+ 220-1201 and 220-1202 Study Guide: The All-in-One Manual to Pass Core 1 & 2 with Confidence, by Shawn Walker ($29.97 USD)
- CompTIA A+ CERTIFICATION EXAM PREP 2025-2027: Complete Guide to Mastering with Confidence CORE 1 (220-1201) and CORE 2 (220-1202) V15, by Fermin O. Goetz ($33.77 USD)
- CompTIA A+ Exam Prep 2025–2026, 220-1201 & 220-1202 Certification Guide, by Drayden Voss ($32.99 USD)
- CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202) Exam Cram, by David Bayne, Mark Smith, and John Pickard ($59.99 USD)
See our article "The Best CompTIA A+ Books (Updated for Latest Exam)"
Some people may opt for in-person classroom training in A+ at local training centers, but since we generally lead busy lives and it isn’t easy to make time for extra commitments, a well-structured online self-paced training course has the following benefits:
- You can view and review your course materials whenever you have Internet access
- You’re not bound to traffic conditions
- While books cater primarily to visual learners, video courses also cater to auditory and kinaesthetic learners
- Online courses are much cheaper and sometimes only require a one-time payment
Check out our Complete CompTIA A+ Training Bundle - a comprehensive package featuring 6 courses, practice tests, and flashcards designed to closely simulate the real certification experience and help you master every exam objective.
Our Master’s Program includes all the courses above. Recall that without IT expertise, it’ll take up to a year to prepare for both A+ exams, so getting our VIP membership now gives you an edge in your A+ studies.
Return on Investment
Immediately after getting your A+, your next step can be applying for an entry-level IT job or challenging yourself to a further certification in networking, which is a valuable stepping stone for those of you who want to enter cyber security. These two options aren’t mutually exclusive.
CompTIA A+ qualifies you for entry-level IT positions (average annual USD salary in parentheses), such as:
- Help Desk Technician ($48K – $57K)
- IT Support Specialist ($56K – $65K)
- Desktop Support Specialist ($60K – $61K)
- Field Service Technician ($55K – $62K)
- Computer Repair Technician ($43K – $61K)
For details, refer to our article on CompTIA A+ Jobs.
Nailing A+ has given you essential foundational hardware, software, and networking knowledge. You can now prepare for networking certifications such as Network+ and CCNA.
Conclusion
Let’s break down the total cost of A+:
- Taking both exams costs $530 USD (assuming you pass on your first attempt);
- Maintaining A+ over three years costs $75 USD;
- Renewal activities may incur additional costs: Network+ costs $369 USD but renews A+ completely;
- Study materials that you’ll use within a year typically cost $30-$500 USD.
You might end up spending around $1,000 to attain your A+ and a total of $1,300 USD over a three-year period (including both exam and renewal costs), but the salaries of jobs you subsequently land are far greater. It’s all worth it in the end.
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A+ Exams (both) | $530 | Assumes passing both exams on the first attempt |
| A+ Maintenance (3 years) | $75 | Covers renewal fees |
| Renewal Activities | $369 | Example: Network+ exam can renew A+ completely |
| Study Materials | $30 – $500 | Books, courses, practice tests, flashcards for one year |
| Estimated Total (Initial Certification) | ~$1,000 | Includes exams and study materials |
| Estimated Total (3-Year Period) | ~$1,300 | Includes exams, study materials, and renewal costs |
We hope this article on how much is CompTIA A+ exam prepares you financially for this important entry-level certification. For more information on CompTIA A+, check out our CompTIA A+ cheat sheet and other A+ articles.
As always, the StationX Master’s Program provides access to 30,000+ courses and labs, comprehensive certification exam prep, 1:1 mentorship, and a vibrant community of peers. You’ll gain hands-on, real-world training and exclusive networking opportunities designed to accelerate your career growth.
Don't forget: as an Authorized CompTIA Partner, you can purchase CompTIA A+ Core 1 and Core 2 exam vouchers through us at StationX at an incredible discount.
You can also purchase our Complete CompTIA A+ Training Bundle (Version 15), granting lifetime access to A+ Core 1 and Core 2 courses, practice tests, and flashcards.
Finally, if you’re planning to take the CompTIA A+ exam, we wish you every success on your journey!
The Complete CompTIA A+ Training Bundle (Version 15) contains:
- CompTIA A+ Course: CompTIA A+ Core 1 Objectives (220-1201)
- CompTIA A+ Course: CompTIA A+ Core 2 Objectives (220-1202)
- CompTIA A+ Core 1 Practice Test Online (220-1201)
- CompTIA A+ Core 2 Practice Test Online (220-1202)
- CompTIA A+ Study Material: Core 1 Exam Domain Flashcards (v15)
- CompTIA A+ Study Material: Core 2 Exam Domain Flashcards (v15)
Frequently Asked Questions
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i want to renew my comptia+ from my compita account but not longer active because it expired 2023 march. so what do i do to renew it pls