CompTIA A+ (220-1201 & 220-1202) Study Guide

Preparing for CompTIA A+? This is the complete study guide for both exams — Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202) — six chapters covering all nine official exam domains, written in plain language for working and aspiring IT support technicians who want the material to make sense, not just to memorize.

The real exams: A+ takes two exams, and both must be passed. Each is a maximum of 90 questions — multiple-choice and performance-based — in 90 minutes. Passing scores are 675 (Core 1) and 700 (Core 2) on a scale of 100–900. CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience as an IT support specialist; there is no mandatory prerequisite. The certification is valid for 3 years and renews through CompTIA's Continuing Education program.

What's inside:

- Chapter 1 — Mobile Devices and Networking (Core 1): laptop hardware and display servicing, mobile accessories and connectivity (NFC, Bluetooth, hotspots, device synchronisation), the complete ports-and-protocols table, wireless standards and SOHO network setup, cable and connector types, internet connection types, and IPv4 addressing with a fully worked subnetting example

- Chapter 2 — Hardware (Core 1): display technology (LCD, LED, OLED, IPS vs TN vs VA), cables and connectors (T568A/B, fiber, HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, Thunderbolt), RAM (DDR3/4/5, ECC, dual-channel population), storage (NVMe, SATA, RAID 0/1/5/6/10 with worked capacity math), motherboards, CPUs and cooling, power-supply sizing with a worked wattage example, and printers — including the laser imaging process step by step

- Chapter 3 — Virtualization, Cloud and Troubleshooting (Core 1): CompTIA's six-step troubleshooting methodology, taught first and used throughout; Type 1 vs Type 2 hypervisors, containers vs virtual machines, VDI, cloud service and deployment models and the shared-responsibility split; then symptom-to-cause troubleshooting for motherboards, RAM, CPUs and power, storage and RAID, displays and projectors, mobile devices, networks (including the APIPA/DNS/DHCP differential), and printers

- Chapter 4 — Operating Systems (Core 2): Windows editions and the Home vs Pro gates (domain join, BitLocker, Remote Desktop), the Windows tool kit (Task Manager, Disk Management, Device Manager, services.msc and more), installation types and methods, file systems, the Windows command line, macOS and Linux essentials, and NTFS vs share permissions with the classic worked trap

- Chapter 5 — Security (Core 2): physical and logical security (access control, MFA factors, least privilege), Windows security settings, wireless security from WEP to WPA3 with 802.1X and RADIUS, the malware families and how each behaves, social engineering, CompTIA's seven-step SOHO malware removal sequence in exact order, workstation hardening, secure data destruction, and SOHO router hardening

- Chapter 6 — Software Troubleshooting and Operational Procedures (Core 2): PC and mobile symptom-to-cause diagnosis (BSOD, boot failure, crashing apps, browser redirects and fake warnings), documentation and ticketing, change management with backout plans, backup types and the 3-2-1 rule, workplace safety (ESD, electrical, fire classes), licensing and EULA, scripting basics, and remote access tools compared

Files included (1):

- comptia-a-plus-study-guide.pdf — the complete 6-chapter guide (100 pages)

Want practice questions too? The Deluxe tier adds the full 500-question practice bank and the cheat sheets, plus license-key access to the online practice hub.

Independent study material. Not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA.