Preparing for your A+ Exam
Note: This is for the 220-1001 & 220-1002 edition of the exams, which will likely retire around June of 2022. Do not use study materials that are for previous versions of the exams, as the material differs greatly from each edition.
Study Materials
1) Book – Mike Meyers: CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Tenth Edition (Exams 220-1001 & 220-1002)
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-1001-220-1002/dp/1260454037/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Mike+Meyers%3A+CompTIA+A%2B+Certification+All-in-One+Exam+Guide%2C+Tenth+Edition+%28Exams+220-1001+%26+220-1002%29&qid=1568177911&s=gateway&sr=8-1
2) Videos –
CompTIA 220-1001 A+ Training Course
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG49S3nxzAnlGHY8ObL8DiyP3AIu9vd3K
CompTIA 220-1002 A+ Training Course
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG49S3nxzAnmwkCAdWUgCFvVK4IxMBTmb
3) Practice tests –
https://www.examcompass.com/comptia/a-plus-certification/free-a-plus-practice-tests
Make sure you are taking the practice tests for the 220-1001 and 220-1002 editions. (they should be towards the bottom of the website).
About the test:
To earn your A+ certification, you have to pass two exams: the 220-1001, which focuses on hardware, and the 220-1002, which focuses on software.
You will have 90 minutes to answer 70-90 questions. Most of the questions will be multiple choice, along with 3-4 “simulation” type questions. Since you want to budget your time wisely, you should flag your simulation questions and come back to them after you’ve worked through the multiple choice questions. In general, flag any questions that are taking you more than a couple of minutes to answer and come back to them later.
The passing score for the 220-1001 exam is 675 out of 900, while the passing score for the 220-1002 exam is 700 out of 900. You do not have to to take the 220-1001 exam before taking the 220-1002 exam, but it is suggested that you study the material for one exam and pass it before starting the material for the other exam in order to avoid any confusion.
How to register for the exam
If you have a .edu email address, discounted vouchers can be purchased from:
https://academic-store.comptia.org
The voucher code gets sent to your email within 2 hours.
To register, go to https://home.pearsonvue.com then select “For test takers” and then “schedule an exam”. Search for and select “CompTIA” from the search bar.
Under the CompTIA logo, select “Create account” or sign in if you have one already. Once signed in, click “View Exams” and select the exam you want to register for (make sure it is the correct test code).
Follow the registration process, and then at the very end they will ask for payment information. If you have a discounted voucher code, you will have the chance to enter it. Otherwise, you will pay the standard exam price and check out.
Read more about the A+ exam here:
https://certification.comptia.org/certifications/a
Professor Messer’s course notes can also be incredibly helpful:
https://www.professormesser.com/220-1001-1002-course-notes/
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