CompTIA A+ Core 1
Core 1 is the hardware and networking half of CompTIA A+, the usual first certification for help desk and IT support work. Practice laptops and mobile devices, ports and protocols, cables, RAM, storage, printers, virtualization and cloud, then troubleshoot the PCs, networks and printers that land on a support queue. Every question is original and maps to CompTIA's current V15 exam objectives.
What you'll study
Every section follows the official 220-1201 exam outline. Click a domain to see its sections.
Laptop batteries, keyboards, RAM, drives and wireless cards, cameras and biometrics, USB, Lightning, NFC and Bluetooth, docks and accessories, then cellular data, hotspots, SIM and eSIM, MDM and syncing.
Common ports and protocols, TCP vs. UDP, Wi-Fi bands and channels, server roles, IoT and legacy systems, DNS records, DHCP, VLANs and VPNs, networking hardware, SOHO IP addressing, connection types and networking tools.
Display types, copper and fiber cables, connectors and adapters, RAM, storage and RAID, motherboards, CPUs and expansion cards, BIOS/UEFI and TPM, power supplies and cooling, and setting up and maintaining printers.
Why and where to use VMs, application and desktop virtualization, Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors, containers, cloud deployment and service models, multitenancy, metering, elasticity and file sync.
PCs that won't power on or POST, crashes and overheating, failing drives and RAID, display problems, mobile hardware and connectivity issues, slow or dropped networks, VoIP quality and printer problems.
Study, Quiz, Exam
Read the concepts, practice in short rounds, then test yourself on a mock exam with targeted feedback on where you need to focus more. Every question is original and maps to the official 220-1201 outline.
Learn the concept first
Short study cards cover each section before you answer a single question.
Laptops run on lithium-ion or lithium-ion polymer packs, which are light for the energy they hold. Older laptops used nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride, and sealed lead-acid belongs in UPS units. Every lithium-ion pack loses capacity as it ages and racks up charge cycles, so runtime shrinks even when charging works perfectly.
| Battery report field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Design capacity | What the pack held when new |
| Full charge capacity | What it holds today at 100% |
| Cycle count | Full charge-discharge cycles so far |
Ten-question rounds
Every answer explained. Score 80% and the next section unlocks.
A user says their laptop used to run about six hours on battery but now lasts under three. The charger was replaced last month. The technician generates a battery report in Windows.
What is the MOST likely cause of the short runtime?
The battery now holds about 42% of its design capacity after more than 900 charge cycles, which explains runtime dropping by more than half; the fix is a new battery. The pack is reaching 100% charge, so the adapter, the DC jack and the board's battery charging circuit are all doing their job. Those faults would show up as slow charging or failing to charge, not as a full battery that drains quickly.
Know exactly where to focus
Timed practice exams any time, with a study plan built from your mistakes.
What to expect on the 220-1201
Made for anyone getting into IT support, including people with no experience yet. Core 1 is the first of the two exams you need for A+.
Source: A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (New Version) | CompTIA, checked October 16, 2026
Where this cert takes you
Real job titles where A+ Core 1 skills are the day-to-day work.
- Help Desk Technician
- IT Support Specialist
- Desktop Support Technician
- Service Desk Analyst
- Field Service Technician
- Technical Support Specialist
- Desktop Support Engineer
- Systems Administrator
- Network Technician
- Junior Network Administrator
- IT Support Lead
- Field Service Engineer
- Senior Systems Administrator
- Network Administrator
- Systems Engineer
- Infrastructure Engineer
- Endpoint Engineer
- IT Operations Lead
Ranges based on BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2025) for Network and Computer Systems Administrators: 10th percentile $62,640, median $99,130, 90th percentile $155,050. Adjusted by metro. Many help desk titles are counted under Computer User Support Specialists instead, which usually pays less. The first role in each column is the most common entry point.
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