CompTIA A+ Core Series (1201 & 1202): What’s New?

Whether you’re a student, a young professional, or someone who’s been working odd jobs for 20 years and suddenly wants to work in IT, landing your first job in IT can be rough. Fortunately, there’s the A+ certification from CompTIA. Everyone calls it your foot in the door—but maybe you heard there’s a new A+. Again.

In March 2025, CompTIA introduced the latest exams (220-1201 and 220-1202) to replace the 220-1101 and 220-1102 versions, which retired on September 25, 2025.  

So, is the new A+ still worth earning? What’s on the new A+ exams that weren’t on the old ones? Worry not: CompTIA is just keeping its certification current with the times, and you can learn all about the changes here.

What is CompTIA A+?

The A+ is an early-career, vendor-agnostic IT certification. It is one of the IT industry’s most recognized certifications for getting your first foot on the career ladder. The certification and its exams are maintained by CompTIA, a non-profit organization that aims to lead and advocate for the IT industry worldwide. From system administrators to field service technicians to cybersecurity associates, the A+ is the first step that many IT employees take in their careers.

In order to earn the A+, you have to pass two exams, which cover all the bases of IT fundamentals. Passing the two exams, 220-1201 and 220-1202, is like getting your driver's license and memorizing a map of a city. When you have the A+, an employer knows you understand a little bit about every section of IT (the map) and how to perform basic tasks in maintenance and troubleshooting (driving the car).

Should You Earn the A+?

There are very few entry-level IT certifications that are more respected than the A+. It’s great for new IT employees, but it’s especially good if you’re trying to get started in an IT career field. Getting your first job in IT can feel like a paradox: you can’t get an IT job without experience, but you can’t get IT experience without a job. 

The new CompTIA A+ is vendor-agnostic, so it represents a basic level of familiarity and experience with nearly any hardware or software combination - a proficiency that many employers look for. That’s why if you’re trying (or especially if you’re struggling!) to get a job in IT, yes, you should probably earn the A+.

Related: 5 SaaS Jobs the New CompTIA A+ Can Prepare You For

What’s Different About the New A+?

In March 2025, CompTIA updated the two exams for the A+. CompTIA released 220-1201 and 220-1202 to replace the 220-1101 and 220-1102 completely. As mentioned, the older exams retired in September 2025.

Since it's vendor-agnostic, the A+ has always been focused first on practical skills and a general understanding of the landscape of technology. That means an emphasis on creative problem solving with an understanding of what a piece of technology adds to the network or device, not memorization of a checklist. The latest A+ doubles down on that skill set but emphasizes that management and troubleshooting are increasingly happening in virtualized, remote locations.

According to CompTIA, the 2025 A+ updates focus more on supporting modern hybrid workforces and emerging technologies than previous versions. The latest A+ emphasizes software as a service (SaaS) models, cloud-native applications, and troubleshooting network and hardware issues remotely rather than assuming everyone will always be in the office.

According to the official objectives, the A+ exams look at nine core domains: 

• Core 1 (220-1201): Covers hardware, networking, mobile devices, virtualization, and cloud computing, and hardware/network troubleshooting. 

• Core 2 (220-1202): Focuses on operating systems (including Windows, macOS, and Linux), security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures like documentation, safety, and backup/recovery. 

This gives certified pros foundational knowledge to manage and secure modern devices and networks.

Are the New CompTIA A+ Exams Harder?

The new CompTIA A+ exams 220-1201 and 220-1202 aren’t significantly more difficult than their earlier versions, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy. Taken together, the two new CompTIA A+ exams cover nine fundamental IT domains: mobile devices, networking, virtualization and cloud, hardware, hardware and network troubleshooting, operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures.

The new A+ exams are also still vendor-agnostic. That means you’re learning broad, general skills that apply in most settings, and not learning just one piece of hardware or software. That’s great for employers, but it can be a lot harder for students. Becoming a vendor-agnostic IT professional means learning all the ins and outs of managing and troubleshooting lots of different technologies. Trying to prepare for the new CompTIA A+ without a good online course that covers the 220-1201 and 220-1202 exam objectives will be difficult, and long. 

How Long Will it Take to Earn the New A+?

CBT Nuggets recently surveyed hundreds of IT professionals with their A+ to find out how long it takes to earn the A+, along with nearly a dozen other popular certifications—you can read about it here. 

Now, we don’t have enough data from people who’ve earned the new A+ yet to confirm that the timeframe is identical, but experiences with the new cert shouldn’t be radically different. About half of everyone who earned the A+ took less than 6 weeks to prepare for the first of the two exams, but about a quarter took more than 5 months. 

Since you have to pass two exams to earn the A+, it could take as long as eight months to fully prepare. With the right resources and training, you could probably knock that down to four months. If you have prior training and education in IT and you took a good CompTIA A+ online course, you could probably prepare for both exams of the A+ in under 3 months. 

Before starting your certification journey, consider using CBT Nuggets' Certification Matrix to map out how the A+ fits into your broader career development strategy and identify which certifications complement your professional goals.

CompTIA’s A+ has always been a great idea for new IT employees, and the new version of the A+ is better than ever. CompTIA’s new A+ is simply a necessary evolution that keeps people who earn the A+ relevant and ready to work in any field of IT. Get started with CBT Nuggets today and learn everything CompTIA!

CompTIA A+ Frequently Asked Questions

Should I take the retiring exams (220-1101/1102) or the new ones (220-1201/1202)?

If you're just starting your A+ studies, focus on the latest 220-1201/1202 exams. They'll be available until approximately 2028, which will give you plenty of time to study and retake the exams if needed.

How long does it take to earn the A+ certification?

Study time is different for everyone, but your experience level plays a big part. Complete beginners need about three to six months of study time, but if you have some IT background, it could be as little as six to twelve weeks. You must pass both Core 1 and Core 2 exams to earn the certification.

Is the A+ certification worth it in 2025?

Absolutely. The A+ is still the gold standard of entry-level IT certifications. It opens doors to help desk, technical support, and field service roles, and most employers specifically ask for the A+ certification for these positions.

What's the salary range for A+ certified professionals?

A+ holders can earn $45,000-$65,000 annually in entry-level roles like help desk technician or IT support specialist. (Depending on experience and location.) The real value of this cert is that it helps you get started in IT. Then, getting experience will help with advancing to higher-paying positions in networking, security, or systems administration.

Build a Strong Foundation with CompTIA Training

If you’re new to IT or need to diversify your existing skillset, CompTIA is a great starting point. Because CompTIA certifications are vendor-neutral, you can broadly apply the knowledge and skills they validate regardless of what products or services your organization uses. 

CBT Nuggets online CompTIA training can help you learn the fundamentals of areas such as networking, security, and the cloud. Once you’ve got the basics down, you can branch out to more specific vendors or specialized career paths. Our CompTIA training will help you build the foundation for a successful IT career.

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