The Dice salary trends report for 2025 states that CompTIA A+ is one of the most popular certifications for IT professionals with between 18 percent and 24 percent of professionals holding A+ certification, with the highest percentage being those with up to three years of experience. That means that if you don’t hold this certification and there are 100 people applying for the same position that you apply for, there are 24 people who will be more likely to make it to the next interview level than you are. Certification clearly gives you an advantage in the hiring process.
Your certification is also important after you are hired. The same Dice Salary Trends report states that on average, employees early in their IT career who hold industry certifications earn $2000 more per year than those who do not, and that the pay gap between certified and uncertified individuals widens over time.
What is CompTIA A+?
CompTIA was started in 1982 by a group of companies that supplied products to the new and growing computer industry. The aim of the non-profit organization was to provide a framework for industry standards and ethical practices, and to ensure that hiring certified individuals would assure an employer that they could expect a certain level of competence from their new hires. The competencies (test objectives) have been updated continually by representatives of the organization’s corporate members who are all important players in the computer industry. This continued development has kept the certification relevant for decades, and that’s why employers still look for this certification and are willing to pay certified individuals more when filling entry-level IT positions.
The A+ certification requires passing two exams, commonly called Core 1 and Core 2. The exams are divided into various domains, and although they are different, there is some crossover between the two because, for example, it’s difficult to talk about troubleshooting network issues without discussing where to look in the operating system to determine the cause. The domains for Core 1 are: mobile devices, networking, hardware, virtualization and cloud computing, and hardware and network troubleshooting. For Core 2 the domains are operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. Each domain is broken down into objectives and subobjectives that provide more granularity; however, the official CompTIA objectives also say that these are representative of what is on the test and other topics may be tested.
Exam Difficulty and Preparation Requirements
You do not need to have hands-on experience to take the exams, but if you already spend time fixing your friends’ computers, that will help you to understand the objectives and the questions you’ll encounter. Even if you already have experience, the exams are difficult, comprehensive, and you will need to study.
While there are questions that require memorization, more of the exam focuses on understanding the information and knowing how to resolve issues faced by computer users. For example, many objectives start with, “Given a scenario…” so you need to know how to apply the knowledge that you have to the situation presented. This is important because a new employer will expect you to be able to do the same. They are paying you for your knowledge and ability to resolve issues.
Recommended Study Resources & Strategies
Now that you know why you need it, the next step is determining how to get it. First, you’ll want to start with authorized and appropriate training materials. Unauthorized training materials are those websites or resources that have questions identical or nearly identical to actual exam questions, commonly called “brain dumps.” Not only do these materials infringe on CompTIA’s copyright, but you can’t be certain that the answers they give are correct. Also, using them violates the CompTIA Candidate Agreement, so CompTIA can pull your certification if you’ve used one. Don’t do it.
A great resource to use in studying for the certification is the CompTIA A+ Complete Practice Tests, Fourth Edition published by Sybex and the corresponding interactive online learning environment. This book has over 1000 practice questions covering the objectives for both the Core 1 and Core 2 exam. The introduction to the book contains the entire objectives, what chapter to find them in, and tips for taking the exam. Each chapter covers a different domain, and there is an index in the back to help you find the exact page for specific topics. The questions are written by someone with years of experience working in IT, and their accuracy is verified by another IT professional. Every objective and sub-objective are covered. Explanations for each correct and incorrect answer can be found in the appendix, and even if you choose the correct answer, take the time to read the entire explanation. Remember that these are not the exact questions you’ll see on the exam, so you need to understand the material rather than memorize the questions. That is why reading the explanations is so important to your success.
One way to prepare is to start by reading the objectives and marking the ones that you know you need to work on. Then find the chapter that addresses those objectives and work through it, checking your answers and reading the explanations as stated above. When you’ve finished with those objectives, answer the questions on the objectives that you’re more confident about.
Next, take a practice test. These are different questions than you’ve seen on the objectives in the same proportion as the objectives so it will closely mimic an actual certification exam. Determining what you answered correctly and what you did not will point you to areas where you need further review and practice. Be sure to take advantage of the book’s online content as well. The actual test is taken on a computer, so the book’s practice tests online will help you prepare for that environment.
Continuing Your Journey After Certification
When you attain your certification, be sure to keep your book handy to refer to while you work to gain experience in your new career!
Good luck, and congratulations on your new adventure!