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CertPrep+ · CompTIA

CompTIA Certifications

220-1201 · 220-1202 · N10-009 · SY0-801 · CS0-004 practice

Practice questions, study cards, timed practice exams and games for every CompTIA cert we cover, laid out in the order most people take them.

Start with A+ See the path

Why CompTIA

CompTIA certs are vendor-neutral, so what you learn applies whether a company runs Microsoft, AWS, Cisco or a mix of everything. That's a big part of why they're the usual starting point for IT careers. They also carry weight with the government: the US Department of Defense requires people in its cyber roles to hold an approved qualification, and Security+ is approved for 20 of those roles, more than any other cert on this page. A+ and Network+ count for support and sysadmin roles, and CySA+ for analyst and incident response work.

The CompTIA certification path

Most people start with A+ and work up. None of them require the one before it, so start wherever fits what you already know.

General IT

CompTIA A+

220-1201 · 220-1202

Hardware, operating systems, networking basics and troubleshooting. Two exams, Core 1 and Core 2.

Good for: Help desk, IT support

2,022 questions · 90 sections
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Network

CompTIA Network+

N10-009

How networks work: ports, protocols, the OSI model, subnetting and fixing what breaks.

Good for: Network support, junior sysadmin

999 questions · 50 sections
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Security

CompTIA Security+

SY0-801

Core security: threats, controls, identity, and what to do when something goes wrong.

Good for: Security analyst, government IT

1,502 questions · 50 sections
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Security

CompTIA CySA+

CS0-004

Analyst work: monitoring, threat hunting, vulnerability management and incident response.

Good for: SOC analyst, threat analyst

999 questions · 40 sections
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Compare CompTIA certs

The exams side by side: what each one asks, how long to study, and what the jobs it leads to pay.

CertLevelQuestionsTimePassing scoreStudy timeEntry-level salary
CompTIA A+220-1201 · 220-1202 Core90 each90 min each675 (Core 1)
700 (Core 2)		7 to 13 weeks $62K – $80K
CompTIA Network+N10-009 Core9090 min7204 to 8 weeks $62K – $85K
CompTIA Security+SY0-801 CoreUp to 9090 min7504 to 8 weeks $75K – $100K
CompTIA CySA+CS0-004 Intermediate85165 min7503 to 6 weeks $75K – $100K

How long they last: CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+ and CySA+ are good for three years. You renew with continuing education or by passing a higher CompTIA cert.

Exam details come from each cert's page. Study time assumes one or two sections a day. Salaries are entry-level US ranges; pick a city to adjust them.

CompTIA certs and DoD 8140 (formerly 8570)

The US Department of Defense requires everyone in its cyber workforce roles, civilian staff and service members alike, to be qualified under DoD Manual 8140.03, with a deadline of February 2025. DoD 8140 replaced the older DoD 8570 program in February 2023. An approved certification is one of the accepted ways to qualify, and these are the roles each CompTIA cert on this page is approved for.

A+Approved for 3 roles
Technical Support SpecialistSystem AdministratorCyber Defense Infrastructure Support Specialist
Network+Approved for 3 roles
Technical Support SpecialistNetwork Operations SpecialistSystem Administrator
Security+Approved for 20 roles
System AdministratorCyber Defense AnalystCyber Defense Incident ResponderVulnerability Assessment AnalystSystems Security AnalystInformation Systems Security Manager
Show all 20Technical Support SpecialistKnowledge ManagerNetwork Operations SpecialistSystems Requirements PlannerSystem Testing and Evaluation SpecialistCyber Defense Infrastructure Support SpecialistCyber Policy and Strategy PlannerProgram ManagerIT Project ManagerIT Investment/Portfolio ManagerIT Program AuditorSecurity Control AssessorSecure Software AssessorCOMSEC Manager
CySA+Approved for 10 roles
Cyber Defense AnalystCyber Defense Incident ResponderVulnerability Assessment AnalystSystems Security AnalystCyber Defense Forensics AnalystForensics Analyst
Show all 10Warning AnalystCyber Crime InvestigatorSecurity Control AssessorAll-Source Analyst

Other CompTIA certs count too, including PenTest+, Cloud+ and SecurityX. We don't cover those yet. Source: CompTIA: CompTIA and DoDM 8140

Study games for CompTIA certs

90-second matching rounds for the things you have to memorize.

Cable MatchA+ Core 1 Port MatchNetwork+ Acronym MatchSecurity+

Questions

A+ is the usual first one, especially for help desk and IT support jobs. If you already work in IT, many people go straight to Network+ or Security+.
No. CompTIA recommends experience for each exam but doesn't require you to pass the one before it.
For help desk and IT support jobs, yes. Job posts for those roles often ask for it, and it covers the basics every later cert builds on. If you already work in IT, you may get more from going straight to Network+ or Security+.
A+, Network+ and Security+, the three CompTIA certs most people take first, usually in that order. Together they cover IT support, networking and security basics.
CompTIA A+. It's the cert help desk and IT support job posts most often ask for, and it covers hardware, operating systems, networking basics and troubleshooting.
No. You can take them in either order, but you need to pass both to earn A+. Core 1 covers hardware, networking and mobile devices; Core 2 covers operating systems, security and software troubleshooting.
It's a step up from A+ and Network+: the questions are scenario-based, and some ask you to work through a task instead of picking an answer. Most people find it manageable with steady study and plenty of practice questions.
Yes. CompTIA recommends Network+ and some hands-on IT experience first, but neither is required to sit the exam.
It depends on what you already know. The table above shows an estimate for each cert, based on studying one or two sections a day.
Yes. You can take them at a testing center or online from home with a remote proctor.
A+, Network+, Security+ and CySA+ are good for three years. You renew with continuing education or by passing a higher CompTIA cert.
Many US Department of Defense jobs do. Security+ is approved for more of its cyber roles than any other cert on this page; see the DoD section above for the full list.

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