A Plus Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

How A Plus Scheduling Actually Works

Unlike certification programs that publish quarterly or annual "testing windows," CompTIA A+ (Core 1 220-1201 / Core 2 220-1202, V15) is available on demand year-round through Pearson VUE. There's no application deadline, no cohort start date, and no waiting for a specific quarter to open registration. You pick a date, pay for a voucher, and sit the exam - often within a day or two of deciding you're ready.

This matters for how you plan your 2026 study calendar. Instead of racing to hit a fixed exam date announced by a certifying body, your personal deadline is entirely self-imposed. That flexibility is valuable, but it also means procrastination is the real enemy - not a locked-out registration window. If you want a structured sense of how long preparation typically takes before scheduling, the A Plus Study Guide 2026 walks through a full first-attempt preparation plan.

Are There "Testing Windows" in 2026?

Some certification programs - often ones that share the "A Plus" name in other industries - do use fixed testing windows or academic-term scheduling. That is not how this credential works. CompTIA A+ (Core 1 220-1201 / Core 2 220-1202, V15) is a continuously available, on-demand exam. Throughout 2026, you can schedule either core exam for essentially any date a local Pearson VUE center or online proctoring slot is open.

The closest thing to a "deadline" candidates face in 2026 is the V15 retirement horizon (estimated for 2028), not any calendar-quarter cutoff. In other words, plan your study timeline around your own readiness and around domain weighting, not around an artificial registration window that doesn't exist for this exam.

Registering for Core 1 and Core 2

Registration happens through Pearson VUE, either at a physical test center or via OnVUE online proctoring from home. The mechanics are the same for both core exams:

• Purchase a voucher (list price $274 USD per exam; academic and partner pricing may be lower).
• Create or log into your Pearson VUE account and select CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) or Core 2 (220-1202).
• Choose a test center location or OnVUE online proctoring.
• Select an available date and time - no application review, no waiting period.
• Arrive with acceptable ID (or complete the online check-in process for OnVUE).

Each exam allows up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, delivered in English, combining single-response multiple choice, multiple-response multiple choice, drag-and-drop items, and performance-based questions (PBQs) that simulate real troubleshooting tasks. Results are delivered immediately at the test center, so you'll know your pass/fail status - and score - before you leave. For a full breakdown of exactly what number you need to hit, see A Plus Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

Voucher Costs and Timing Between Exams

Certification requires passing both core exams, which means budgeting for two separate vouchers. At list price, that's $274 per exam, and academic or partner pricing may reduce the total for eligible candidates. There's no requirement to take Core 1 and Core 2 back-to-back or within any specific number of days of each other - you control the gap entirely.

A common 2026 scheduling pattern is to book Core 1 first, use the immediate score report to confirm readiness or identify weak areas, and then schedule Core 2 for several weeks later once Operating Systems and Security content is solid. For a complete cost breakdown including voucher pricing scenarios, see A Plus Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

The V15 Series Timeline and Retirement

The current V15 series - 220-1201 and 220-1202 - launched March 25, 2025, replacing the retired 220-1101/220-1102 exams. Retirement of V15 is estimated for 2028, which gives candidates scheduling throughout 2026 a comfortable multi-year runway before any version transition concerns arise.

Once earned, the certification is valid for three years and renews through the Continuing Education program: 20 CEUs plus a $25 annual CE fee ($75 per full cycle), completion of CertMaster CE, or automatically by earning a qualifying higher-level CompTIA certification (which also waives the CE fees). None of that renewal clock affects your initial 2026 exam scheduling - it only starts once you pass both cores.

Building a Domain-Aware Scheduling Plan

Because there's no external testing window forcing your hand, the smartest scheduling strategy is to let domain weighting dictate your own internal deadlines. Core 1's heaviest domain is Hardware and Network Troubleshooting at 28%, followed by Hardware at 25% and Networking at 23%; Mobile Devices sits at 13% and Virtualization and Cloud Computing at 11%. Core 2 splits its heaviest weight evenly between Operating Systems and Security, each at 28%, with Software Troubleshooting at 23% and Operational Procedures at 21%. A detailed walkthrough of each domain lives in the A Plus Exam Domains 2026 guide.

Notice this timeline is only a scheduling scaffold, not a generic productivity system - it's built directly around the nine domain weights above. If you're still deciding how difficult this preparation curve will feel relative to other certifications, How Hard Is the A Plus Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks that down further, and the A Plus Pass Rate 2026 article discusses what the available data shows about outcomes.

Rescheduling, No-Shows, and Retakes

Because A Plus is on-demand rather than window-based, rescheduling is generally a matter of logging into your Pearson VUE account and selecting a new date, subject to the center's standard rescheduling notice period. There's no annual deadline you risk missing by rescheduling - the only cost is your own time and, in some cases, a rescheduling fee if you change too close to the appointment.

If you don't pass on your first attempt, you'll need to purchase another voucher to retake that specific core exam; there is no built-in free retake. This is another reason to treat your practice-test readiness signal seriously before booking - walking in prepared avoids paying for the exam twice. Running full-length timed simulations on a-plus-exam-com's practice test platform before you schedule is one of the most direct ways to confirm you're ready for the real 90-question, 90-minute format.

Test Center vs. OnVUE Online Proctoring

Both delivery options run the identical 220-1201 and 220-1202 exam content, question mix, and time limits - the only difference is environment. A physical Pearson VUE test center provides a proctored room with on-site staff, while OnVUE online proctoring lets you test from a private space with a compatible computer, webcam, and stable internet connection, monitored remotely.

For scheduling purposes in 2026, OnVUE often opens up more available time slots since it isn't limited by a single center's physical capacity. If your local test center is booked out for weeks, checking OnVUE availability can shorten your wait considerably. Whichever option you choose, the passing scores (675 for Core 1, 700 for Core 2) and immediate results delivery at the end of the session remain the same.

Beyond scheduling logistics, it's worth understanding who actually values this credential once you've earned it and how it fits into a broader IT career path. The DoD 8140 approved work roles tied to this certification - including technical support specialist, system administrator, and cyber defense infrastructure support specialist - give a sense of the hiring landscape. For a deeper look at outcomes and demand, see A Plus Jobs, A Plus Salary Guide 2026, and Is the A Plus Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026. If you're not yet sure you're eligible or want to confirm there's no gatekeeping requirement, A Plus Requirements 2026 confirms there are no formal prerequisites, only CompTIA's recommendation of roughly 12 months of hands-on IT support experience.

Once you've mapped your domain-by-domain timeline and confirmed voucher budget, the last step before locking in a date is a realistic self-assessment. Running timed drills on our A Plus practice test platform against each of the nine domains - Mobile Devices, Networking, Hardware, Virtualization and Cloud Computing, Hardware and Network Troubleshooting, Operating Systems, Security, Software Troubleshooting, and Operational Procedures - gives you the clearest signal for when to actually book Core 1 and Core 2 rather than guessing from a syllabus alone.

Frequently Asked Questions