A Plus Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify

Are There Official Prerequisites?

If you're wondering whether you need a degree, a specific job title, or a prior certification before you can sit for CompTIA A+ (Core 1 220-1201 / Core 2 220-1202, V15), the answer is straightforward: there are no formal prerequisites. CompTIA does not gatekeep registration behind coursework, employer sponsorship, or another credential. Anyone can purchase a voucher and schedule an exam through Pearson VUE.

That openness is part of why this certification is so frequently recommended as an entry point into IT support roles. But "no prerequisite" does not mean "no preparation needed." The exams are demanding enough that most candidates who skip preparation struggle, which is covered in detail in our A Plus exam difficulty guide.

Eligibility Basics: Who Can Sit for A Plus

Eligibility for CompTIA A+ (Core 1 220-1201 / Core 2 220-1202, V15) comes down to logistics rather than qualifications:

• Payment: You need a voucher or direct payment method to register for each exam.
• Identification: Valid government-issued ID is required at the test center or during OnVUE online proctoring setup.
• Testing environment: Exams are delivered in English, either at a Pearson VUE test center or remotely via OnVUE proctoring, provided you have a compliant environment (quiet room, working webcam, stable internet) for online delivery.
• Age and residency: There is no CompTIA-specific age floor tied to this certification beyond standard Pearson VUE testing policies.

In short, eligibility is administrative, not academic. The real qualifying work happens in how well you know the material - something our A Plus study guide breaks down exam by exam.

Exam Structure You Must Qualify Against

Because there's no prerequisite exam or checkpoint, the two core exams themselves function as the qualifying bar. Understanding their format is part of understanding what "qualifying" actually means for this certification.

• Each core exam has a maximum of 90 questions delivered in 90 minutes.
• Question types include single-response multiple choice, multiple-response multiple choice, drag-and-drop items, and performance-based questions (PBQs) that simulate real troubleshooting tasks.
• Scoring uses a 100-900 scale.
• Core 1 requires a score of 675 to pass; Core 2 requires 700.
• Results are delivered immediately at the test center.

Passing both exams - not just one - is what earns the credential. For a full breakdown of what those scaled numbers mean and how they're calculated, see our dedicated A Plus passing score guide.

Domain-by-Domain Knowledge Requirements

Since there's no prerequisite course, the domain weightings themselves function as your real syllabus. Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202) each break down into distinct content areas, and knowing where the weight sits tells you where to concentrate.

For the complete breakdown of every objective within these nine domains, read our A Plus exam domains guide, which maps each domain to specific study priorities.

Registration and Fee Mechanics

Qualifying to sit for the exam is simple in practice, but the fee structure has specific mechanics worth understanding before you commit:

• A single voucher has a list price of $274 USD and covers one core exam only.
• Because full certification requires passing both Core 1 and Core 2, you need two vouchers total.
• Academic and partner pricing can bring the cost below list price, depending on eligibility.
• Vouchers are redeemed through Pearson VUE when scheduling at a physical test center or via OnVUE online proctoring.

A full cost breakdown, including how to find discounted pricing paths, is available in our A Plus certification cost guide. If you're also mapping out testing windows and scheduling logistics, our A Plus exam dates guide covers how OnVUE and test-center scheduling actually works.

The 12-Month Experience Recommendation

While there's no enforced prerequisite, CompTIA does recommend roughly 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist job role before attempting the exams. This isn't a gate you have to pass through - it's guidance based on the depth of practical knowledge the exams test.

In practice, this recommendation matters most for candidates coming in with zero hands-on exposure to hardware, networking, or OS administration. If you've spent time troubleshooting real devices, configuring networks, or supporting end users, you likely already have context for much of what the domains cover. If you haven't, that gap needs to be closed through study and lab practice rather than job experience alone.

This certification also maps to DoD 8140 approved work roles, including technical support specialist, system administrator, and cyber defense infrastructure support specialist - which is part of why organizations use it as a baseline qualifier for entry and mid-level IT roles. For a look at where this credential leads professionally, see our A Plus jobs guide and A Plus salary guide.

Version Matching Rules (V15 Only)

One qualification rule candidates frequently overlook: exam version consistency. The current V15 series - Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202) - launched March 25, 2025, replacing the retired 220-1101/220-1102 series. CompTIA does not allow mixing versions; you cannot pass 220-1101 and then complete your certification with 220-1202. Both exams must come from the same version series.

This matters for anyone who started studying with older material or purchased a voucher before the version transition. Always confirm which exam codes your study resources and vouchers reference. V15 is expected to remain active with a retirement estimate around 2028, giving candidates a multi-year window to plan around, but it's still worth double-checking exam codes at registration time.

Requirements to Stay Certified

Qualifying isn't just about the initial exams - staying certified has its own requirements. CompTIA A+ (Core 1 220-1201 / Core 2 220-1202, V15) is valid for three years from the date you complete certification. To maintain it, you have a few paths:

• Earn 20 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and pay a $25 annual CE fee ($75 across the full three-year cycle).
• Complete CertMaster CE as a structured renewal pathway.
• Earn a qualifying higher-level CompTIA certification, which renews A Plus automatically and waives the CE fees.

This renewal structure is also relevant to how the credential is perceived by employers - a certification that requires active maintenance signals ongoing competency rather than a one-time achievement. For more on how that maintenance factors into long-term value, see our ROI analysis of A Plus certification.

A Realistic Qualification Timeline

Because eligibility has no formal barriers, your actual "qualification timeline" is really a study timeline built around the nine domains. Here's one way to sequence it, weighting time toward the heaviest domains first.

This is a template, not a rulebook - adjust the pacing based on prior experience. For a more detailed week-by-week study methodology tied specifically to these domain weights, our A Plus study guide goes deeper into pacing and resource selection. And once you're ready to test your readiness against realistic questions, practice exams on our platform are built around the same domain weighting used above.

Frequently Asked Questions