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Question 1

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A technician is replacing the screen on a laptop and notices a thin cable routed around the perimeter of the display bezel. What is this cable most likely used for?

Powering the keyboard backlight

Connecting the Wi-Fi antenna

Providing signal to the trackpad

Supplying power to the optical drive

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: CompTIA A+ Exam

~70-80%

Estimated Pass Rate

Industry estimate

675-700

Passing Scores

out of 900

80-100 hrs

Study Time

Recommended

$57,910

Median IT Support Salary

BLS 2024

$530

Total Exam Cost

CompTIA ($265×2)

3 years

Certification Valid

CompTIA

CompTIA A+ is the most widely recognized entry-level IT certification, requiring two exams: Core 1 (220-1201) covering hardware, networking, and troubleshooting, and Core 2 (220-1202) covering operating systems, security, and operational procedures. Updated in March 2025 (V15), it now includes AI fundamentals, Zero Trust security, EDR/MDR/XDR, and container technology. The estimated pass rate is 70-80%. It is DoD 8140 approved and recommended for roles paying a median of $57,910 (BLS 2024 for computer support specialists).

Sample CompTIA A+ Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your CompTIA A+ exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 200+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A technician is replacing the screen on a laptop and notices a thin cable routed around the perimeter of the display bezel. What is this cable most likely used for?

A.Powering the keyboard backlight

B.Connecting the Wi-Fi antenna

C.Providing signal to the trackpad

D.Supplying power to the optical drive

Explanation: Laptop Wi-Fi antennas are almost always routed around the display bezel because the elevated, unobstructed position provides the best wireless signal reception. The thin cables you see during a screen replacement are the antenna leads that connect back to the wireless card on the motherboard via the display hinge. Keyboard backlights, trackpads, and optical drives each have their own dedicated connectors elsewhere in the chassis. Exam tip: Whenever you see a question about a thin cable around the display bezel, think wireless antenna.

2A user reports that their laptop display shows a very faint image that is only visible when a flashlight is shone on the screen. Which component is most likely faulty?

A.LCD panel

B.Inverter or LED backlight driver

C.Video cable

D.GPU

Explanation: When the display produces a visible but very dim image, the LCD panel itself is functioning — it is generating the picture. The issue is that the backlight is not illuminating it. On older CCFL displays this is the inverter; on modern LED displays it is the LED backlight driver board. A failed LCD panel would show dead pixels, lines, or no image at all. A bad video cable typically causes flickering, artifacts, or a completely blank screen. A GPU failure usually produces distorted output on both internal and external displays.

3A technician needs to add more RAM to a laptop. Which form factor should the technician use?

A.DIMM

B.SO-DIMM

C.SIMM

D.RIMM

Explanation: Laptops use SO-DIMM (Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module) because of their compact size — roughly half the length of full-size DIMMs used in desktops. SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module) and RIMM (Rambus Inline Memory Module) are legacy form factors that are no longer in common use. Always verify the DDR generation (DDR4, DDR5) and speed supported by the laptop before purchasing. Exam tip: SO-DIMM = laptop, DIMM = desktop.

4A user wants to connect their smartphone to a car stereo that only supports wired audio input. Which smartphone feature should the technician verify is available?

A.NFC

B.3.5 mm headphone jack or USB-C audio output

C.Wireless charging

D.GPS antenna

Explanation: For a wired audio connection to a car stereo, the smartphone needs either a 3.5 mm headphone jack (becoming less common) or USB-C audio output capability. Many modern phones that lack a headphone jack ship with USB-C to 3.5 mm adapters. NFC is for short-range data exchange and mobile payments. Wireless charging and GPS are unrelated to audio output. When configuring mobile devices for audio, always check which ports and adapters are available.

5An employee's company-owned tablet must be configured so the IT department can remotely wipe it, enforce password policies, and push approved applications. Which technology should be used?

A.VPN client

B.Mobile Device Management (MDM)

C.Full-disk encryption

D.Remote desktop application

Explanation: Mobile Device Management (MDM) is specifically designed to let IT administrators remotely manage, secure, and configure mobile devices. MDM platforms can enforce password complexity, remotely wipe lost or stolen devices, push and revoke applications, and apply security policies. A VPN secures network traffic but does not manage the device itself. Full-disk encryption protects data at rest but offers no remote management. Remote desktop provides access to another computer but does not manage mobile device policies.

6A technician is replacing the battery in a laptop that uses an internal non-removable battery. Before opening the case, which steps should the technician take FIRST?

A.Remove the hard drive and disconnect the display

B.Power off the laptop, unplug AC power, and disconnect the internal battery ribbon cable before proceeding

C.Boot into BIOS and disable the battery charging circuit

D.Ground the laptop chassis to the AC outlet using the power cord

Explanation: Safety is the priority when working with internal batteries. The correct first steps are to power off the device completely, unplug the AC adapter, and then carefully disconnect the internal battery ribbon cable as soon as you have access to it — before touching any other components. This eliminates the risk of short circuits and electrical shock. Some manufacturers also recommend holding the power button for 10–15 seconds after unplugging to discharge residual capacitance. Removing the hard drive or display first is unnecessary and risky if the battery is still connected. Grounding to an AC outlet is not a safe practice.

7A laptop with a touchscreen is experiencing "ghost touches" — random input detected without the user touching the screen. After confirming there is no physical damage, which action is most likely to resolve the issue?

A.Replace the laptop keyboard

B.Update or reinstall the touchscreen digitizer driver

C.Increase the screen brightness

D.Disable Bluetooth

Explanation: Ghost touches on a touchscreen are commonly caused by a malfunctioning or outdated digitizer driver. The digitizer is the component that senses touch input, and if its driver is buggy or corrupt, it may register false inputs. Updating or reinstalling the driver often resolves the issue. If the problem persists, the digitizer hardware itself may need replacement. The keyboard, screen brightness, and Bluetooth are unrelated to touch input detection. Exam tip: Digitizer issues = touch problems; LCD issues = display/visual problems.

8A technician needs to securely transfer files to a remote server. Which protocol should be used instead of FTP?

A.TFTP

B.SFTP

C.SMTP

D.SNMP

Explanation: SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) provides encrypted file transfer over SSH (port 22), making it the secure alternative to FTP, which transmits credentials and data in plaintext. TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) is even less secure than FTP and is used for simple, unauthenticated transfers like firmware updates. SMTP is for sending email. SNMP is for network device management. Exam tip: Whenever you see "secure file transfer," think SFTP (port 22) or FTPS (FTP over TLS, port 990).

9Which port does HTTPS use by default?

A.80

B.443

C.8080

D.8443

Explanation: HTTPS (HTTP Secure) uses port 443 by default. It encrypts web traffic using TLS (Transport Layer Security). Port 80 is standard HTTP (unencrypted). Port 8080 is a common alternative HTTP port often used by proxy servers and development environments. Port 8443 is a common alternative HTTPS port. Knowing default ports is critical for the A+ exam — you should memorize HTTP (80), HTTPS (443), FTP (20/21), SSH/SFTP (22), Telnet (23), SMTP (25), DNS (53), DHCP (67/68), POP3 (110), IMAP (143), and RDP (3389).

10A workstation is configured to obtain its IP address automatically but is receiving a 169.254.x.x address. What does this indicate?

A.The workstation is configured with a static IP that conflicts with another device

B.The DHCP server is unreachable and the workstation has assigned itself an APIPA address

C.DNS resolution has failed on the workstation

D.The default gateway is incorrectly configured

Explanation: An address in the 169.254.0.0/16 range is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address. Windows and other operating systems assign an APIPA address when the machine is configured for DHCP but cannot contact a DHCP server. This allows limited local communication but no internet access. To troubleshoot, verify the DHCP server is running and reachable, check physical connectivity (cables, switch ports), and try "ipconfig /release" followed by "ipconfig /renew." A DNS failure would not change the IP address, and a static IP conflict would produce a different error.

About the CompTIA A+ Exam

The most popular entry-level IT certification in the world. CompTIA A+ validates foundational IT skills across hardware, networking, operating systems, security, and troubleshooting. The certification requires passing two exams: Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202), updated in March 2025 with new topics including AI fundamentals, Zero Trust security, and containers.

Questions

90 scored questions

Time Limit

90 minutes per exam

Passing Score

675/900 (Core 1), 700/900 (Core 2)

Exam Fee

$265 per exam ($530 total) (CompTIA / Pearson VUE)

CompTIA A+ Exam Content Outline

13%

Mobile Devices (Core 1)

Laptop hardware, smartphone features, MDM, and mobile connectivity

23%

Networking (Core 1)

TCP/IP, network hardware, wireless standards, SDN, and IP addressing

25%

Hardware (Core 1)

CPUs, RAM (DDR5), storage (NVMe), motherboards, displays, and printers

11%

Virtualization & Cloud (Core 1)

VMs, hypervisors, cloud models, and containers

28%

HW & Network Troubleshooting (Core 1)

Systematic troubleshooting for hardware, network, and mobile devices

28%

Operating Systems (Core 2)

Windows 11, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, file systems (ReFS, XFS)

28%

Security (Core 2)

Zero Trust, malware, social engineering, EDR/MDR/XDR, authentication

23%

Software Troubleshooting (Core 2)

OS, browser, application, and mobile troubleshooting

21%

Operational Procedures (Core 2)

Change management, documentation, safety, and AI integration

How to Pass the CompTIA A+ Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 675/900 (Core 1), 700/900 (Core 2)
Exam length: 90 questions
Time limit: 90 minutes per exam
Exam fee: $265 per exam ($530 total)

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CompTIA A+ Study Tips from Top Performers

1Focus on troubleshooting domains (28% of Core 1, 23% of Core 2) — they're the highest-weighted sections

2Master security concepts for Core 2 (28%) — know Zero Trust, EDR/MDR/XDR, and modern threats like smishing

3Learn networking fundamentals thoroughly — TCP/IP, subnetting, and common ports appear across both exams

4Get hands-on experience: build a PC, set up a home network, practice with VMs and containers

5Study the new V15 topics: AI fundamentals, Windows 11 requirements, ReFS/XFS, and change management

6Complete 200+ practice questions per exam and score 85%+ before scheduling

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CompTIA A+ pass rate?

CompTIA does not officially publish pass rates. Industry estimates suggest approximately 70-80% of well-prepared candidates pass on their first attempt. The exam uses scaled scoring: Core 1 requires 675/900 and Core 2 requires 700/900. With 200+ practice questions and 80-100 hours of study, most candidates are well-prepared.

How many exams do I need to pass for CompTIA A+?

CompTIA A+ requires passing two separate exams: Core 1 (220-1201) covering hardware, networking, and troubleshooting, and Core 2 (220-1202) covering operating systems, security, and operational procedures. Each exam has up to 90 questions and a 90-minute time limit. Total cost is $530 ($265 per exam).

What changed in the 2025 CompTIA A+ update?

The V15 update (220-1201/1202) launched March 2025 with significant additions: AI fundamentals (bias, hallucination, ethics), Zero Trust security model, EDR/MDR/XDR threat detection, Windows 11 focus with ReFS/XFS file systems, DDR5 RAM, containers alongside VMs, smishing and QR code phishing, and expanded change management topics. Security weight increased from 25% to 28%.

How long should I study for CompTIA A+?

Plan for 80-100 hours of study over 6-10 weeks (12+ months of hands-on experience recommended). Study Core 1 first, then Core 2. Focus on troubleshooting (28% of Core 1) and security (28% of Core 2) as the highest-weighted domains. Complete 200+ practice questions per exam and score 85%+ consistently before scheduling.

Is CompTIA A+ worth it in 2026?

Yes — CompTIA A+ remains the most recognized entry-level IT certification. It's DoD 8140 approved, required by many employers for help desk and support roles, and provides a foundation for advanced certifications (Network+, Security+, CySA+). Computer support specialists earn a median of $57,910 (BLS 2024), with the certification often leading to higher-paying roles.

What jobs can I get with CompTIA A+?

CompTIA A+ qualifies you for: Help Desk Technician ($40-55K), IT Support Specialist ($45-65K), Desktop Support Analyst ($50-70K), Field Service Technician ($45-65K), and Junior System Administrator ($55-75K). It's the standard entry requirement for most IT support positions and a stepping stone to Network+, Security+, and cloud certifications.