Is the A+ Worth It (2026)? Cost, Salary & Verdict

The CompTIA A+ is the certification people mean when they say "get certified and get into IT." CompTIA describes it as an entry-level IT certification and the industry standard for launching an IT support career. But "industry standard" is not the same as "worth it for you" — the answer depends on what you're paying, in money and hours, and what you can realistically expect back. Here is the honest version.

What the A+ actually demands

First, understand that the A+ is not one exam. Certification requires passing two separate exams — Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202) — which you may take in any order. Each exam contains a maximum of 90 questions and allows 90 minutes. That doubles everything: two exam fees, two study pushes, and two chances to fail and pay a retake fee.

The two halves also test genuinely different material, so you can't cram once and coast. Core 1 focuses on hardware and networking across 5 content domains: hardware and network troubleshooting is the heavyweight at 28%, followed by hardware at 25%, networking at 23%, mobile devices at 13%, and virtualization and cloud computing at 11%. Core 2 focuses on operating systems and security across 4 domains: operating systems and security are each weighted 28%, software troubleshooting 23%, and operational procedures 21%.

The passing bars differ too. Core 1 requires 675 on a scale of 900, while Core 2 requires 700 on a scale of 900. These are scaled scores, not percentages of questions answered correctly, so don't try to convert them into "I can miss X questions" — that math doesn't work on a scaled exam. The practical takeaway is simply that Core 2's bar sits higher on the same scale, so treat it with at least as much respect as Core 1.

The cost side: what you're actually risking

CompTIA's exam fees change over time and vary by region and bundle, so we won't quote a number here — check current pricing before you budget. But the structural costs are fixed regardless of price:

• Double exposure. Two exams means your total outlay roughly doubles compared to a single-exam certification, and a failed attempt on either half means paying again for that half.
• Study time across nine domains. Between Core 1's five domains and Core 2's four, you're covering everything from cable types to Windows administration to security fundamentals. If you've never touched this material, that is a substantial time investment; there is no grounded "average study hours" figure, and anyone quoting one precisely is guessing.
• A renewal clock. The certification is valid for three years from the certification date. CompTIA's Continuing Education renewal cycle runs three years from the date the certification is earned, and you can renew by earning Continuing Education Units (CEUs) without retaking the exam — but renewal is still ongoing effort and, depending on how you earn CEUs, ongoing cost.

The return side: what the wage data says

The A+ feeds primarily into IT support work. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for the support-specialist occupation most associated with A+-level roles shows a median annual wage of $61,860 and a mean of $67,330. The spread matters more than the midpoint: the 10th percentile sits at $40,980 — a realistic picture of true entry-level help desk pay — while the 90th percentile reaches $100,540, which is where experienced support professionals in high-paying markets and specialties land. BLS counts 717,190 people employed in this occupation, so this is a large, real job market, not a niche.

Two honest caveats. First, these are wages for the occupation, not for A+ holders specifically — no grounded data here isolates a certification pay premium, and you should be skeptical of anyone who quotes one confidently. Second, the certification does not place you in a job; it gets your resume past filters for roles where the hiring manager wants baseline proof of competence. The A+ is a door-opener, not a salary guarantee.

The verdict, by situation

Career changers with no IT background: usually yes

If you're coming from retail, food service, or an unrelated field, the A+ is the clearest signal you can buy that you're serious about IT and know the fundamentals. The occupation it targets employs over 700,000 people, and even the 10th-percentile wage of $40,980 represents a stable rung with a visible ladder above it — the gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles is nearly $60,000 of headroom. The two-exam structure is a feature here, not a bug: passing both demonstrates breadth across hardware, networking, operating systems, and security that a résumé with no IT experience can't otherwise show.

Students in IT or CS programs: situational

If your degree program already covers this material, the certification adds a credential employers recognize for internships and first jobs, and the three-year validity window lines up reasonably with a degree timeline. But if you're headed for software engineering rather than IT operations, the A+ tests the wrong skills for your target interviews — put the money and hours into projects and internships instead.

Current IT professionals: usually no

This is the clearest "not worth it" case. If you already have a year or more of hands-on support, sysadmin, or networking experience, the A+ certifies things your work history already proves, and you'd be paying two exam fees plus a recurring three-year renewal obligation for a credential aimed below your level. A more advanced certification is a better use of the same money. For example, CompTIA's own Network+ (exam code N10-009) is also a single 90-question, 90-minute exam — one fee instead of two — with a passing score of 720 on a scale of 100-900, and it signals a specialization rather than entry-level breadth.

Anyone who won't use it within three years: no

Because the credential is valid for three years and renewal requires ongoing CEU effort, earning the A+ "just to have it" while you pursue something unrelated means the clock runs out before the certification does anything for you. Certify when you're ready to job-hunt, not years in advance.

How to reduce the retake risk

Since the biggest controllable cost is paying twice for a failed attempt, measure yourself before you book. Take a free A+ practice exam under the real constraint — 90 questions, 90 minutes — and weight your review toward the heavy domains: troubleshooting at 28% of Core 1, and operating systems and security at 28% each of Core 2. If your practice performance is shaky in those areas specifically, delaying your exam date is cheaper than a retake.

Bottom line

The A+ is worth it when it's doing a job only a credential can do: proving baseline competence you can't yet prove with experience. For career changers and early students, that's a real and reasonably priced signal into a 717,190-person occupation with genuine wage headroom. For anyone whose résumé already tells that story, the two fees, the nine domains of study, and the three-year renewal cycle buy you almost nothing — spend them one rung higher.