CertQuests
Is the CompTIA A+ worth it in 2026?
Yes — but only if you have zero IT experience. A+ (current version 220-1201 Core 1 and 220-1202 Core 2, released September 2025) is not a salary cert. It is worth it because it is the cheapest, fastest, ATS-recognized proof that you can troubleshoot a Windows box, replace RAM, join a printer to a domain, and reset a phone — the exact stack that gets you the first help-desk seat.
The scenario where it’s not worth it: you already work help-desk, desktop support, or field service and can explain DHCP, DNS, and Group Policy from memory. At that point A+ tells an employer nothing new. Skip it and put the $506 toward Network+ or Security+ — the certs that actually move the offer.
The numbers that matter
Before any opinion: here are the facts as of Q3 2026.
- Exam cost: $253 USD per voucher, and A+ requires two cores — 220-1201 (hardware, networking, mobile, virtualization/cloud, troubleshooting) and 220-1202 (Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile, security, software troubleshooting, operational procedures). Total cash out-of-pocket: $506 USD. Each exam is up to 90 questions including performance-based questions (PBQs) in a 90-minute window. Passing scores are 675/900 (Core 1) and 700/900 (Core 2).
- Current version: 220-1201 / 220-1202, released September 2025. It replaced 220-1101 / 220-1102, which are in end-of-life wind-down — check the CompTIA voucher page before you book, as the older cores are only sittable for a limited transition window. The new objectives added AI-assisted support workflows, expanded cloud-fundamentals coverage, refreshed the Windows 11 / macOS Sequoia and modern mobile MDM material, and pruned the last of the legacy hardware.
- Pass rate: CompTIA does not publish official figures. Community-reported first-attempt pass rates cluster around 75% per core for candidates who drill PBQs and score consistently above 85% on full-length practice exams before booking. Core 2 has the lower repeat rate — operational procedures and security policies are what catch people who over-focused on hardware.
- Validity: 3 years from the date the second core passes, renewable through CompTIA’s Continuing Education (CE) program — 20 CEUs required — or by earning a higher-level CompTIA cert (Network+, Security+, and above all automatically renew A+).
- Salary data: The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the 2024 median wage for computer user-support specialists at $60,810/year and for computer network-support specialists at $72,910/year. Real-world entry-level A+ postings sit lower than the median — typically $42,000–$55,000/year for first-role help-desk technicians — and the cert’s job is to get the candidate onto that ladder in the first place.
The ROI math in plain terms
Total investment to clear A+: $506 for the two vouchers, $0–$120 for prep materials (CertQuests is free), and roughly 130 hours of study time. At a $20/hour opportunity cost, total investment is approximately $3,100.
Typical return: for a candidate transitioning from retail, food service, or an unrelated field into a first help-desk role, A+ is often what moves a resume from “discarded” to “interviewed.” That’s a difference between roughly $32,000/year (median retail) and roughly $46,000/year (starting help-desk) — a $14,000/year lift that pays the cert back in about 11 weeks and compounds every year afterward. Over three years the cumulative salary advantage clears $42,000, a return above 1,300% on the original investment.
The honest caveat: A+ rarely produces that jump on its own, and it produces almost nothing for a candidate who already has a help-desk job. The compounding starts when A+ is followed by Network+ (into NOC / junior sysadmin) or Security+ (into junior SOC / IAM / compliance support). A+ pays the entry ticket; the cert stack after it pays the salary.
When A+ IS worth it
- Career-changer with no IT background at all, especially coming out of retail, hospitality, warehousing, or the military without an IT MOS: this is the highest-ROI scenario. Recruiters filtering for “A+ or equivalent” at the ATS layer see hundreds of blank resumes; the credential is what gets yours pulled onto the shortlist.
- Current help-desk or desktop-support tech without a formal credential, especially at an MSP with a documented cert-progression ladder or in a role where a promotion is gated on holding an industry cert. A+ is the credible “I already do this job” artifact for HR.
- High-school or community-college student aiming at an IT internship, apprenticeship, or first help-desk seat. A+ is inexpensive relative to a degree, faster to earn than a semester of coursework, and it is the credential most junior-IT postings actually reference.
- DoD or government-adjacent roles: A+ CE is on the DoD 8140 (formerly 8570) baseline list and satisfies the IAT Level I requirement — useful if a support contract needs a baseline cert without the cost of Security+.
When A+ is NOT worth it
- You already hold Network+, Security+, CCNA, or any associate-tier cloud cert. Those all supersede A+ for hiring signal and they all automatically renew it under CompTIA’s CE program. Studying A+ afterwards is pure back-tracking.
- You have 2+ years of hands-on help-desk or desktop-support experience already. At that point A+ tells an interviewer nothing your resume doesn’t. Put the $506 toward Network+ or Security+ — the certs employers use to bracket the next salary tier.
- You’re aiming straight at software engineering, data engineering, or ML roles. A+ is a systems / support credential. It is not a signal any dev or data-role hiring manager weights, and the study hours don’t transfer.
- You’re outside the US or UK where A+ has less recognition than local equivalents (ITIL Foundation, Cisco CCST, or a national vocational IT qualification). Check whether the postings you actually apply to name A+ before spending $506 on it.
Is the cert going stale?
No, but it is drifting. The September 2025 refresh (220-1201 / 220-1202) pulled the objectives forward on AI-assisted support tooling, expanded cloud-fundamentals and virtualization coverage, refreshed the Windows 11 / modern-macOS content, and updated the mobile-device management (MDM) sections. It also finally cut most of the legacy hardware trivia (parallel ports, PATA, small-form-factor optical media) that made earlier A+ versions read as dated.
The tension is that a lot of first-line support work is itself being automated by ticket-triage AI, remote-management tools, and self-healing endpoint agents. A+ is still the fastest way onto the ladder in 2026, but it is a floor that is slowly rising: candidates who stop at A+ will feel the squeeze in three to five years. The ones who use it as the ATS ticket and immediately push to Network+, Security+, or an associate-tier cloud cert stay well clear of that squeeze.
Bottom line
For career-changers with no IT background and current help-desk staff without a formal credential, the CompTIA A+ is one of the highest-conversion sub-$600 spends in the industry — not because it commands a large salary, but because it is the ATS-recognized floor that gets the first help-desk interview and satisfies the DoD 8140 IAT Level I baseline. If you already work help-desk, hold Network+ or Security+, or you are aiming at a dev / data role, skip A+ and put those hours into the next cert on the actual career ladder.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the CompTIA A+ worth it in 2026?
Yes, for career-changers with no IT background and current help-desk staff without a formal credential. Two $253 exams plus 100–160 hours of study is the fastest ATS-recognized proof that you can troubleshoot hardware, Windows, mobile, and basic networking. It is not a salary cert on its own — the real return is that it gets the first help-desk interview so Network+ and Security+ have a career to build on.
What is the pass rate for CompTIA A+ 220-1201 and 220-1202?
CompTIA does not publish official pass rates. Community-reported first-attempt pass rates cluster around 75% per core for candidates who complete structured practice and consistently score 85% or higher on full-length practice exams before booking. Performance-based questions (PBQs) and the operational-procedures / security-policy sections of Core 2 are where most retakes happen.
How long does it take to study for CompTIA A+?
Typical range is 100–160 hours across 10–14 weeks for a complete beginner covering both cores back-to-back. Candidates with existing hardware or Windows-support exposure can compress to 60–90 hours total. The two exams do not have to be taken on the same day — you have three years to complete both once you pass Core 1.
How much does A+ increase salary?
On its own, modestly — the credential typically moves a candidate from an unpaid or minimum-wage tech role to a $42,000–$55,000/year help-desk seat, and adds $4,000–$8,000 versus a same-role candidate without any cert. The larger jump comes from A+ plus Network+ (into NOC or junior sysadmin) or A+ plus Security+ (into junior SOC or IAM support).
Should I take A+ or go straight to Network+ or Security+?
If you have zero hands-on IT experience, take A+ first — it is the credential that gets the first help-desk role that everything else builds on. If you already work help-desk or desktop support and can already describe DHCP, DNS, and Group Policy from memory, skip A+ and go straight to Network+ or Security+. Employers rarely need to see A+ once you hold either.
How we wrote this
No CompTIA or training-vendor revenue. Salary figures are drawn from BLS Occupational Outlook data and cross-referenced against entry-level help-desk postings on LinkedIn, Indeed, and Dice as of Q3 2026. Pass-rate figures are community-reported estimates; CompTIA does not publish official pass rates. Investment calculations use a $20/hour opportunity cost, appropriate for the pre-IT candidate profile A+ typically serves. Tell us what you’d update.
Last reviewed: July 4, 2026.