How many questions is the A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam and how long is it?

Core 1 has a maximum of 90 questions and a 90-minute time limit. Questions are multiple-choice (single and multiple response), drag-and-drop, and performance-based questions (PBQs).

What is the passing score for A+ Core 1?

675 on a scale of 100 to 900. Core 2 (220-1202) is a separate exam with a passing score of 700.

How long should I study for A+ Core 1?

Most candidates with some hands-on PC experience need about 4–6 weeks of focused study. Our 4-week plan assumes roughly 10 hours per week.

How hard is A+ Core 1?

It is an entry-level hardware and infrastructure exam. The heaviest domains are Hardware and Hardware & Network Troubleshooting, which together are over half the exam and reward hands-on practice over memorization.

CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) Study Guide — Domains, Plan & Cheat Sheet

Q: Do I need both Core 1 and Core 2 to earn the A+?

Yes. CompTIA A+ requires passing two separate exams — Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202). This guide covers Core 1.

Q: Are these practice questions real exam questions?

No. Every question is original, written against the publicly available 220-1201 objectives and checked against primary sources. Real exam content is under CompTIA's NDA; using leaked dumps can void your certification.

Exam at a glance

CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) validates that you can install, configure, and troubleshoot PC hardware, mobile devices, networking, and basic cloud and virtualization. Here are the numbers that shape how you should study.

Questions

90 max

Time limit

90 minutes

Passing score

675 / 100–900

Question types

MCQ + PBQs

A+ is two separate exams — Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202); you need both to certify. This guide covers Core 1. With up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, that's about a minute per item, and the performance-based questions (drag-and-drop and simulations) take longer — so pace yourself. The exam spans five domains, and Hardware (25%) and Hardware & Network Troubleshooting (28%) together make up over half the exam, so they deserve the most study time.

Domains & weighting

Mobile Devices Domain 113% Networking Domain 223% Hardware Domain 325% Virtualization & Cloud Domain 411% Hardware & Network Troubleshooting Domain 528%

Where to spend your hours: a sensible split mirrors the weights — most time on Troubleshooting and Hardware, least on Virtualization & Cloud (the smallest slice at 11%).

The five domains

What each domain covers, plus one explained, sourced sample question so you can see the depth the exam expects. Expand a domain to dig in.

1Mobile DevicesLaptops & portables — components, displays, ports, and connectivity13%

Laptop hardware & componentsDisplay types (LCD/OLED)USB-C & ThunderboltLightning / connectorsBluetooth & NFC pairingMobile synchronizationHotspot & tethering

SAMPLE · DOMAIN 1 → MOBILE CONNECTIVITY Sourced

A user needs a single laptop port that carries data, video to an external display, and power delivery over one reversible cable. Which interface fits?

AUSB-C (with Thunderbolt / DP Alt Mode)A reversible USB-C port can carry data, DisplayPort video, and up to 100W+ USB Power Delivery on one cable.Correct

BUSB-A 3.2Carries data and limited power, but no native video output — and the connector isn't reversible.No video

CRJ-45An Ethernet network port — not a display or power interface.Wrong type

D3.5 mm TRSAn analog audio jack only.Audio only

USB-IF — USB-C / USB Power Delivery & DisplayPort Alt Mode · 220-1201 Obj 1.x.

Drill Mobile Devices

2NetworkingPorts & protocols, TCP/IP, Wi-Fi, and SOHO networks23%

Common ports & protocolsTCP vs UDPIPv4 / IPv6 basicsDHCP & DNS802.11 Wi-Fi standardsSOHO routers & firewallsCables & connectors (RJ-45, fiber)

SAMPLE · DOMAIN 2 → PORTS & PROTOCOLS Verified · 2 sources

Which TCP port does HTTPS use to serve TLS-encrypted web traffic?

A80Port 80 is HTTP — unencrypted web traffic.HTTP

B443HTTPS (HTTP over TLS) is registered to TCP 443 by IANA.Correct

C22Port 22 is SSH/SFTP — encrypted shell and file transfer, not web.SSH

D3389Port 3389 is RDP — Windows remote desktop.RDP

IANA Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry · 220-1201 Obj 2.1.

Drill Networking

3HardwareCables, connectors, RAM, storage, power, and peripherals25%

RAM (DDR4/DDR5)Storage (SSD, NVMe, HDD)RAID 0/1/5/10Motherboards & CPUsPower suppliesExpansion cards (PCIe)Printers & peripherals

SAMPLE · DOMAIN 3 → STORAGE / RAID Sourced

Which RAID level writes an identical copy of all data to two drives, giving redundancy but no capacity gain?

ARAID 0Striping for speed with no redundancy — losing one drive loses the array.No redundancy

BRAID 1Mirroring — the same data is written to both drives, so either can fail without data loss.Correct

CRAID 5Striping with distributed parity across 3+ drives — redundancy, but not a full mirror.Parity

DRAID 10A stripe of mirrors needing 4+ drives — more than a simple two-drive mirror.Stripe+mirror

SNIA — Common RAID Disk Data Format / RAID levels · 220-1201 Obj 3.x.

Drill Hardware

4Virtualization & Cloud ComputingHypervisors, VMs, and cloud service & deployment models11%

Client / Type 1 & 2 hypervisorsVirtual machines & resourcesIaaS · PaaS · SaaSPublic / private / hybridCloud characteristicsRapid elasticity & metering

SAMPLE · DOMAIN 4 → CLOUD MODELS Verified · 2 sources

A company uses a web-based email suite it neither installs nor patches — the provider manages everything. Which cloud service model is this?

ASaaSSoftware as a Service delivers ready-to-use applications over the web; the provider manages everything beneath.Correct

BPaaSPlatform as a Service gives developers a runtime/platform to deploy their own code — not a finished app.Platform

CIaaSInfrastructure as a Service provides VMs, storage, and networking that you must configure yourself.Infrastructure

DOn-premisesSelf-hosted in your own data center — the opposite of a managed cloud service.Not cloud

NIST SP 800-145 — The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing · 220-1201 Obj 4.1.

Drill Virtualization & Cloud

5Hardware & Network TroubleshootingThe biggest domain — methodology, components, and network issues28%

6-step methodologyPOST & boot issuesRAM / storage failuresDisplay & video problemsPrinter troubleshootingConnectivity (no link / slow)Tools: ping, ipconfig, cable tester

SAMPLE · DOMAIN 5 → METHODOLOGY Sourced

Using CompTIA's best-practice methodology, what is the step immediately after establishing a theory of probable cause?

ATest the theory to determine causeStep 3 — confirm (or rule out) your theory before committing to a fix; if it isn't confirmed, form a new theory or escalate.Correct

BEstablish a plan of actionThat's step 4 — it comes only after the theory is tested and confirmed.Too soon

CDocument findingsDocumentation is the final step, after the fix is verified.Last step

DVerify full system functionalityVerification (step 5) happens after the solution is implemented.Later step

CompTIA A+ best-practice methodology to resolve problems · 220-1201 Obj 5.1.

Drill Troubleshooting

A 4-week study plan

A realistic schedule at roughly 10 hours per week. Adjust to your experience — but keep the heaviest weeks on Hardware and Troubleshooting, since they're the biggest slices of the exam.

Week 1

Hardware & Mobile Devices (Domains 3 & 1)

Components, RAM and storage types, RAID levels, connectors and cables, and laptop/mobile hardware. Read every answer explanation — even on questions you get right.

Week 2

Networking (Domain 2)

Common ports and protocols, TCP vs UDP, IPv4/IPv6 basics, Wi-Fi standards, and SOHO router/firewall setup. Memorize the ports table cold.

Week 3

Virtualization & Cloud + Troubleshooting start (Domains 4 & 5)

Hypervisor types, VMs, and the IaaS/PaaS/SaaS models; then begin the 6-step methodology and common hardware symptoms.

Week 4

Full mocks & weak-spot drilling

Take full timed mock exams, use the per-domain breakdown to find weak areas, and re-drill them. Keep the last days light.

Learn the concept, not the letter. A+ rewards applying ideas to scenarios. When you miss a question, read why each wrong option is wrong — that's where the real learning is.

Cheat sheet

The reference tables worth memorizing cold — common ports, RAID levels, cloud models, and the troubleshooting methodology. Bookmark this.

Common ports & protocols

Port	Protocol	Purpose
20 / 21	FTP	File transfer (data / control)
22	SSH / SFTP	Encrypted remote shell & file transfer
23	Telnet	Remote shell — cleartext, insecure
25	SMTP	Sending email
53	DNS	Name resolution (TCP & UDP)
67 / 68	DHCP	Automatic IP configuration
80	HTTP	Web (unencrypted)
110	POP3	Retrieving email (download)
143	IMAP	Retrieving email (server-side)
161 / 162	SNMP	Device monitoring & traps
389	LDAP	Directory services
443	HTTPS	Web (TLS-encrypted)
445	SMB / CIFS	Windows file sharing
3389	RDP	Remote desktop (Windows)

RAID levels

RAID	Technique	Min disks	Redundancy
0	Striping	2	None — speed/capacity only
1	Mirroring	2	Survives one drive failure
5	Striping + distributed parity	3	Survives one drive failure
10	Stripe of mirrors (1+0)	4	Survives one per mirror set

Cloud service & deployment models

Model	You manage	Example
IaaS	OS, apps, data (provider gives VMs/storage/network)	Cloud VMs & block storage
PaaS	Apps & data (provider gives the runtime/platform)	Managed app/runtime platform
SaaS	Just your data & settings (provider runs the app)	Web email / office suite
Deployment: public · private · hybrid · community

Remember the stack: IaaS → PaaS → SaaS hands more responsibility to the provider at each step. With SaaS you manage the least.

CompTIA's 6-step troubleshooting methodology

#	Step
1	Identify the problem
2	Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious)
3	Test the theory to determine cause
4	Establish a plan of action and implement the solution
5	Verify full system functionality and apply preventive measures
6	Document findings, actions, and outcomes

Frequently asked questions

How many questions is the exam, and how long?

Up to 90 questions in 90 minutes — about a minute each. Expect multiple-choice (single and multiple response), drag-and-drop, and performance-based questions (PBQs), which take longer, so manage your pace.

What's the passing score?

675 on a scale of 100–900 for Core 1. (Core 2 is a separate exam and passes at 700.) It's a scaled score, not a simple percentage, so treat ~80% on practice tests as a confident range rather than an exact cut line.

Do I need both Core 1 and Core 2?

Yes — A+ requires passing two separate exams, Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202). This guide covers Core 1; there's a companion Core 2 study guide too.

How long should I study?

With some hands-on PC experience, most candidates need about 4–6 weeks of focused study per core. The 4-week plan above assumes roughly 10 hours per week.

Are these practice questions real exam questions?

No — and that's deliberate. Every question is original, written against the public 220-1201 objectives and checked against primary sources. Real exam content is under CompTIA's NDA; using leaked "dumps" can get your certification revoked.

How this guide is sourced. Domain names and weights, the question count, time limit, passing score, and question formats are taken from CompTIA's publicly published A+ 220-1201 exam objectives and official exam details. Every sample question is checked against primary references (IANA, NIST, SNIA, and USB-IF documentation), with the source shown on each. This is an independent study resource — certpracticelab is not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA.

CompTIA — A+ certification & exam details · comptia.org
NIST SP 800-145 — The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing · csrc.nist.gov
IANA — Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry · iana.org

CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) Study Guide

Exam at a glance

Domains & weighting

The five domains

A 4-week study plan

Readiness checklist

Domain 1 · Mobile Devices

Domain 2 · Networking

Domain 3 · Hardware

Domain 4 · Virtualization & Cloud

Domain 5 · Hardware & Network Troubleshooting

Cheat sheet

Common ports & protocols

RAID levels

Cloud service & deployment models

CompTIA's 6-step troubleshooting methodology

Frequently asked questions

You've reviewed the map — now find your weak spots.