CompTIA A+ vs Network+: Which Should You Get First?

Ask any forum "where do I start in IT?" and the answer is always the same: "get the Trifecta." What nobody tells you is which leg of the Trifecta comes first — and it matters, because A+ and Network+ cost very different amounts of money and point you in very different directions.

So here's the honest breakdown: what each exam actually is, what each one costs, and how to decide which one deserves your study hours first.

What the A+ actually is

The CompTIA A+ is the entry-level exam for IT support. It's two exams, not one: Core 1 (220-1201), covering hardware, mobile devices, networking basics, and troubleshooting, and Core 2 (220-1202), covering operating systems, security basics, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. You have to pass both to be certified.

Each exam runs about $253 in 2026 — verify current vendor pricing before you budget, since CompTIA adjusts prices by region. That's roughly $506 for the pair, which makes the A+ one of the more expensive "entry-level" certifications in the industry. Both exams are scored out of 900 — Core 1 (220-1201) needs 675 to pass, Core 2 (220-1202) needs 700 — and each gives you up to 90 questions including performance-based items.What the A+ proves is straightforward: you can support end users. Installing operating systems, troubleshooting a printer that won't print, diagnosing a dead laptop, handling malware on a workstation — the daily grind of help desk and desktop support. Employers hiring for those roles recognize the A+ instantly. It's been the default IT support credential for decades.

The tradeoff is breadth without much depth. The A+ covers a mile of topics at an inch of depth: you memorize printer types, cable standards, port numbers, troubleshooting methodologies. It's a lot of study time for knowledge that stays at the surface level.

What the Network+ actually is

The CompTIA Network+ is a single exam (N10-009), and it's the vendor-neutral networking certification. One voucher, about $389 in 2026 — verify current vendor pricing, as with any CompTIA exam. Ninety questions, scored out of 900, with a passing score of 720.

Where the A+ teaches you to fix the computer on the desk, the Network+ teaches you how computers talk to each other. Subnetting, routing and switching concepts, TCP/IP, DNS and DHCP, wireless standards, network security fundamentals, troubleshooting connectivity from the command line. It's deeper on one domain rather than shallow across many.

And that depth matters for what comes next. Network+ is the direct foundation for Security+ (which assumes you understand networking) and the natural prep course for the CCNA (which goes hands-on with actual Cisco equipment). In other words, Network+ is the cert that unlocks the rest of the path.

A+ doesn't feed into much of anything. It stands alone at the bottom of the ladder.

The money math

Here's the part that surprises most beginners: the A+ costs more than the Network+. Two vouchers at ~$253 each put the A+ around $506, versus ~$389 for the single Network+ exam. If you fail either A+ exam, a retake is another $253. (Verify current vendor pricing — these numbers move, and regional pricing varies.)

That doesn't make Network+ "cheaper" in effort. The Network+ is arguably the harder single exam — subnetting alone stops more candidates than any A+ topic. But dollar for dollar, you get one exam and a credential that opens doors to the rest of the certification path, instead of two exams for a credential that mostly opens doors to help desk roles.

Study time is comparable either way: 2–4 months of serious prep for the A+, 2–3 months for the Network+, depending on your background. The difference is what that time buys you.

Get the A+ first if…

You want a help desk or desktop support job, specifically. If your target is IT support technician, help desk analyst, or desktop support — and that's genuinely where you want to be — the A+ is the recognized ticket. Hiring managers for those roles look for it by name.

You're starting from absolute zero. If you've never opened a computer case, never installed an OS, and the phrase "command prompt" makes you nervous, the A+ builds the baseline confidence the rest of the industry assumes you already have. There's no shame in that — everyone starts somewhere.

Your employer is paying for it. If a current or prospective employer wants the A+ on your file, the cost-benefit math changes entirely. Take the free cert.

Skip to Network+ if…

You already have basic computer skills. If you can install Windows, troubleshoot your own Wi-Fi, and follow a tech guide without panicking, you likely already know most of what the A+ teaches. Don't pay $506 to prove skills you use every day.

Your target is networking, security, or cloud. This is the big one. If you want to be a network admin, a SOC analyst, or a cloud engineer, the A+ is a detour. Network+ feeds directly into Security+ and the CCNA — the A+ feeds into nothing. Start where the path actually goes.

You want the best dollar-per-door credential. One exam, ~$389, and a cert that hiring managers for NOC and junior network roles actually respect. For career changers on a budget, Network+ is the more efficient first move.

The practical takeaway

The conventional wisdom says A+ then Network+ then Security+, in that order, and it's not wrong — it's just written for the help-desk-to-everything career path. If that's your path, fine. But if you already live on computers and your sights are set past the help desk, going straight to Network+ saves you money and months.

Whichever you pick, study to the exam's actual weight. For the A+, that's heavy on troubleshooting scenarios across both cores — memorizing facts won't save you on performance-based questions. For the Network+, it's subnetting and TCP/IP until the math is boring, because the exam will find your weak spots there.

Good prep follows the official objectives instead of wandering. The CompTIA A+ Study Guide ($5) maps both cores domain by domain, and the CompTIA Network+ Study Guide ($5) does the same for N10-009 — subnetting drills included. If you're planning the full run, the CompTIA Trifecta Complete Bundle ($14) covers A+, Network+, and Security+ in one checkout, which is the cheapest way to buy all three.

The A+ vs Network+ question isn't really about which cert is better. It's about which job you're aiming at. Aim at help desk, start with A+. Aim past it, start with Network+ — and don't pay $506 for a detour you didn't need.

Free download: Still deciding which leg of the Trifecta to climb first? The IT Career Roadmap 2026 (free) lays out the full sequence. https://bytebarhq.com/b/5KQsn