CompTIA A+ Core 1 Study Guide: Which Exam Version Applies

The current CompTIA A+ Core 1 exam is 220-1201 (V15); this page retains the older 220-1101 address so readers using previous study materials can find the current preparation guidance. Check your exam code, map your resources to the five official domains, and use the Windows networking exercise below to practise explaining a troubleshooting decision.

The version question: 220-1101 or 220-1201?

CompTIA's current A+ Core 1 exam is version V15, series code 220-1201. The 220-1101 code belongs to the previous version. Confirm which exam you can book before you spend money on materials.

CompTIA launched the V15 exams on March 25, 2025, and states the series code for Core 1 is 220-1201. It also enforces a same-version rule: Core 1 and Core 2 must come from the same version, with no mixing allowed. If you book 220-1201, you must later take the matching V15 Core 2 exam, not an older code.

For current preparation, use the V15 objectives and confirm the exam code when scheduling. This guide does not provide a verified historical retirement date for 220-1101; that date is not needed to identify the current 220-1201 preparation materials.

The practical consequence for your studying: any course, book, or practice set should name the series code you can actually book. If you own older 220-1101 material, treat its fundamentals — DHCP, storage interfaces, troubleshooting logic — as a starting point, then verify every topic against the current V15 objectives rather than assuming the two versions are identical.

• Before buying anything, find the exam series code on CompTIA's official A+ page and confirm your materials match it.
• If you plan to take both exams, confirm you can book both from the same version.
• Retired-version study material can still teach fundamentals, but only the current official objectives define what is tested now.

Official sources: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page: exam details, skills, career path; A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page (core-1-v15): V15 objectives summary by domain

What A+ Core 1 assesses

Core 1 tests foundational support skills: installing and maintaining hardware and mobile devices, configuring small networks, explaining virtualization and cloud concepts, and diagnosing problems. It is the first of two required exams.

CompTIA describes A+ Core 1 as the first of two exams required for the A+ certification, focused on hardware, networking, mobile devices, and troubleshooting. Passing Core 1 and Core 2 together supports roles such as IT support specialist and help desk technician, and builds toward later certifications like Network+ and Security+.

CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support role before attempting the exam. This is a recommendation, not an eligibility gate: the exam page lists it as recommended experience, and you can study and sit the exam without it. The full A+ certification also appears in the US Department of Defense 8140 program for work roles including technical support specialist and system administrator.

• Install, configure, and maintain hardware components and mobile devices.
• Troubleshoot hardware, network, and connectivity issues.
• Understand networking basics and configure SOHO (small office/home office) networks.
• Explain virtualization and cloud computing concepts.
• Use troubleshooting tools to diagnose and resolve technical problems.

Official sources: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page: exam details, skills, career path; A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page (core-1-v15): V15 objectives summary by domain

Exam format and scoring

Each Core 1 exam has a maximum of 90 questions, lasts 90 minutes, and requires 675 on a scale of 900 to pass. Question types include multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based questions.

Performance-based questions, often shortened to PBQs, are simulated tasks where you perform or configure something rather than select an answer — for example, arranging steps in order or completing a settings panel. They appear alongside single- and multiple-response multiple choice and drag-and-drop items. The official pages checked here do not specify a fixed mix of question types; practise both knowledge questions and task-based activities.

The exam is offered in English, German, and Japanese. Scheduling, fees, and session logistics change over time, so take those details from CompTIA's official A+ page rather than from any study guide, including this one.

• Maximum of 90 questions per exam.
• 90 minutes total.
• Passing score: 675 on a scale of 900.
• Formats: single- and multiple-response multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based questions.

Official sources: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page: exam details, skills, career path

The five domains and their weights

The current V15 objectives divide Core 1 into five domains, with hardware and network troubleshooting the heaviest at 28 percent. Plan your study time roughly in proportion to these weights.

The weights below are the current V15 figures from CompTIA's objectives summary. They describe the exam you can book now, not the older 220-1101 version. The troubleshooting domain being the single largest area is the main reason this guide spends its practice sections on symptom-to-cause reasoning rather than fact recall alone.

Use CompTIA's full objectives document to check the sub-objectives beneath each domain. Mark which of your resources covers each one and where you still need practice.

• Mobile devices (13%): hardware setup, accessories such as USB, Bluetooth, NFC, and docking stations, network configuration, and troubleshooting.
• Networking (23%): protocols and ports, wireless technologies, SOHO network setup including IP addressing and VPNs, and tools such as crimpers, cable testers, and Wi-Fi analyzers.
• Hardware (25%): RAM, CPU, and storage installation; HDMI, Ethernet, and USB cables; printers and peripherals; motherboards, power supplies, and cooling.
• Virtualization and cloud computing (11%): virtual machines, hypervisors, desktop virtualization, and the IaaS, SaaS, and PaaS models.
• Hardware and network troubleshooting (28%): diagnosing hardware, network, and connectivity problems, with tools such as multimeters, cable testers, and loopback plugs.

Official sources: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page (core-1-v15): V15 objectives summary by domain

Turn similar terms into a useful comparison

Compare related concepts by purpose, requirements and limitations, using the official objectives to choose which topics belong in your notes.

For example, the Windows command reference distinguishes renewing a DHCP configuration from clearing the DNS resolver cache. Both appear in networking study, but they change different things. The next exercise gives you a complete example to practise that distinction.

For hardware comparisons, use the exact device manufacturer's specifications and service instructions. Record compatibility conditions alongside names; a syllabus term alone does not establish that two components can be used together.

• Choose a pair of concepts from an objective you are reviewing.
• Record each purpose and its relevant conditions from the source.
• Test the distinction with a short scenario, then explain your answer.

Official sources: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page (core-1-v15): V15 objectives summary by domain; ipconfig | Microsoft Learn — Windows command reference: ipconfig parameters and DNS/DHCP behavior

Networking practice: a complete ipconfig exercise

You can practice Core 1 networking reasoning safely on your own Windows PC with ipconfig. The exercise below walks a real troubleshooting path: identify your address, name the function that assigned it, and choose the right command for a name-resolution fault.

Microsoft's documentation states that ipconfig without parameters displays the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, subnet mask, and default gateway for all adapters, and that /renew renews a DHCP-assigned configuration while /flushdns flushes and resets the DNS client resolver cache during name-resolution troubleshooting. Those three behaviors map directly onto Core 1 networking concepts: address assignment, the local path to the gateway, and name resolution.

Treat this as optional hands-on practice that complements multiple-choice revision. Running a command on your own machine does not by itself establish exam competence — the exam tests reasoning from described scenarios, and the exercise is designed to build exactly that narration skill.

ipconfig

• ipconfig (no parameters): shows IPv4/IPv6 address, subnet mask, and default gateway per adapter.
• ipconfig /renew: requests a renewed DHCP lease for adapters set to obtain an address automatically.
• ipconfig /flushdns: clears the DNS client resolver cache, discarding cached entries while troubleshooting name resolution.

Official sources: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page (core-1-v15): V15 objectives summary by domain; ipconfig | Microsoft Learn — Windows command reference: ipconfig parameters and DNS/DHCP behavior

Hardware practice: use the model-specific evidence

For a hardware scenario, separate observed symptoms from a diagnosis before choosing a maintenance step.

The hardware and troubleshooting objectives include components, power, cooling and diagnostic tools. A symptom such as a beep or a shutdown is a starting observation. Its meaning depends on the device and circumstances; use that model's service documentation instead of a universal symptom-to-part shortcut.

An optional practice record can have four fields: observed symptom, device model, relevant manufacturer diagnostic procedure, and the result you would expect. Work from a supplied training case or your course lab instructions; only perform maintenance you are trained and authorized to carry out.

Official sources: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page (core-1-v15): V15 objectives summary by domain

Virtualization and cloud: compare the complete description

Review virtualization and cloud concepts against the V15 objectives, including virtual machines, hypervisors and IaaS, PaaS and SaaS.

Use your current course material to compare the layers managed by a customer and a provider. Record the whole boundary, including applications and configuration, instead of relying on one cue such as who patches an operating system.

To practise, cover the service-model label in a worked course example and explain the management responsibilities described. Then check the explanation. If it does not distinguish two options, add the missing condition to your notes.

Official sources: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page (core-1-v15): V15 objectives summary by domain

Troubleshooting: state the theory before the fix

Practice sequencing every diagnosis: identify the problem, form a specific theory, test it cheaply, plan and apply the fix, verify the user's full task works, then document. Write the theory before touching anything.

This sequence is study advice worth drilling, not an official exam fact — practice it as a habit for scenario-style items. Its value is ordering. Identifying the problem means collecting symptoms, including what changed recently, before forming any opinion. A theory must name a specific candidate, not 'something is wrong', and the cheapest least invasive observation tests it before any part is swapped. Verification means the user's original task works again, not just that your change took effect.

Use the Windows example above as your completed troubleshooting model: record the displayed setting, distinguish the evidence from your theory, and explain what the chosen command changes. Then state what would need checking if the original problem persists. This avoids treating a plausible first action as proof of a diagnosis.

• Identify the problem: collect symptoms, including recent changes.
• Establish a theory of probable cause: name one specific candidate.
• Test the theory with the cheapest, least invasive observation.
• Establish a plan of action and apply the fix.
• Verify full functionality with the user's original task.
• Document findings, actions, and outcomes.

Official sources: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page (core-1-v15): V15 objectives summary by domain

An honest self-check before you book

Measure yourself against observable completion checks, not a score. These are optional study aids — not official requirements and not predictions of any exam outcome.

Use these optional checks to identify what to revisit. If a check exposes a gap, return to the relevant objective and practise another example. Keep timing results as feedback alongside your explanation of each answer.

One administrative reminder: scheduling, fees, and exam-session details change over time, so take them from CompTIA's official A+ page rather than from this or any study guide.

• You can write the 'not' column and distinguishing check for every pair in your notebook without looking.
• You can narrate a request from a laptop to a website, naming the function at each hop.
• You can compare cloud service-model responsibilities using a complete worked example.
• You can apply the full troubleshooting sequence to a described fault, writing the theory before the fix.
• You can complete a timed mixed practice set and explain every incorrect answer from your notes, not guesswork.

Official sources: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA — Official CompTIA A+ Core 1 page (core-1-v15): V15 objectives summary by domain

Official sources

Facts checked: Sep 12, 2026

• A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA
• A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA
• ipconfig | Microsoft Learn

Next steps

• Free Core 1 practice questions
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