What this level does
Before you study any hardware or networking, you need to know what you are preparing for. This level sets out the facts of the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam: its size, its scoring, its five domains and its question types. It also states what this course is and is not.
Two statements up front:
- This course is independent of CompTIA. It is not written, endorsed or authorized by CompTIA.
- This course cannot promise that you will pass. It teaches what CompTIA's published exam objectives list; the result depends on your preparation and on the exam you sit.
Task 1: Memorize the test details
CompTIA publishes these details in the 220-1201 exam objectives document. Learn them exactly.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Required exam | A+ Core 1 (220-1201) |
| Number of questions | Maximum of 90 |
| Types of questions | Multiple-choice and performance-based |
| Length of test | 90 minutes |
| Recommended experience | 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist job role |
| Passing score | 675 (on a scale of 100–900) |
Read three of these lines carefully:
- "Maximum of 90" is a ceiling, not a fixed count. Your exam may have fewer questions.
- 675 on a scale of 100–900 is a scaled score. It is not a percentage and it is not a count of correct answers. The lowest possible score is 100, not 0. Do not convert 675 into "75%"; CompTIA does not publish a conversion.
- Recommended experience is a recommendation, not an entry requirement. If you have no experience, plan more hands-on practice to compensate.
Do this now: work out your time budget. 90 minutes for up to 90 questions is an average of about one minute per question. Some question types take much longer (see Task 4), so the others must take less.
Task 2: Understand that Core 1 is half of A+
In CompTIA's words, to receive the CompTIA A+ certification "you must pass two exams: Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202)."
- Passing 220-1201 alone does not make you A+ certified.
- This course prepares you for Core 1 only.
- CompTIA also requires both exams to come from the same version series. A 220-1201 pass pairs with 220-1202, not with an exam from an older series.
Do this now: write "Core 1 + Core 2 = A+" at the top of your study notes, and plan for the second exam.
Task 3: Use the five domains to plan study time
A domain is a major subject area of the exam. Each domain has a weighting: the percentage of the examination that it represents.
| Domain | Percentage of examination |
|---|---|
| 1.0 Mobile Devices | 13% |
| 2.0 Networking | 23% |
| 3.0 Hardware | 25% |
| 4.0 Virtualization and Cloud Computing | 11% |
| 5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting | 28% |
| Total | 100% |
Treat the weightings like a budget. If you have a fixed amount of study time, spend it in proportion.
Worked example: 100 hours of study
- Hardware and Network Troubleshooting: 28 hours.
- Hardware: 25 hours.
- Networking: 23 hours.
- Mobile Devices: 13 hours.
- Virtualization and Cloud Computing: 11 hours.
Points to note:
- The largest domain is troubleshooting (28%). It asks you to apply knowledge from the other domains to symptoms, so weak hardware or networking knowledge costs you twice.
- Hardware, Networking and Troubleshooting together make up 76% of the exam.
- No domain is safe to skip. The smallest, at 11%, is still about one question in nine.
- The bulleted examples in CompTIA's objectives are "not exhaustive lists." Other examples related to each objective may appear on the exam.
Do this now: take your total available hours, multiply by each percentage, and record the result per domain. Adjust upward for areas where you have no experience.
Task 4: Recognize the question types
The objectives list two types: multiple-choice and performance-based.
Multiple-choice questions
- Single response: you select one answer.
- Multiple response: you select more than one answer. The question tells you how many to choose (for example, "Select two").
- CompTIA's exam page also lists drag-and-drop items among the question formats.
Performance-based questions (PBQs)
CompTIA defines PBQs as exam items designed to test a candidate's ability to solve problems in real-world settings. A multiple-choice question asks what you know; a PBQ asks you to carry out a task.
- PBQs are delivered as simulations or within virtual environments.
- A simulation is an approximation of an environment or tool, such as a network diagram, a terminal window or an operating system.
- A virtual environment is a virtual machine running real operating systems and software.
- CompTIA states that simulation PBQs can be skipped and returned to later, but a virtual PBQ must be completed when you reach it.
- CompTIA states that some PBQs may offer partial credit and others may not.
How to approach each type:
- Read the last sentence of the question first. It states what is being asked.
- For multiple response, count how many answers are required before you select any.
- For a PBQ, read the full task and every instruction before you click anything.
- Watch the clock. A PBQ takes longer than the one-minute average.
Task 5: Know how this course practises
CompTIA's Authorized Materials Use Policy states that candidates who use unauthorized materials containing actual exam content ("brain dumps") will have their certifications revoked and be suspended from future testing.
For that reason:
- Every practice item in this course is original. None is a real exam question, and none is presented as one.
- Practice items follow the exam's style: scenario-based multiple choice (single and multiple response), with each wrong option explained.
- PBQ practice in this course trains the reasoning a PBQ requires. It does not reproduce exam simulations.
Do this now: if a study source claims to contain real exam questions, stop using it. If you are unsure whether a source is authorized, CompTIA directs candidates to ask at examsecurity@comptia.org.
What the exam asks about this
The exam does not test its own test details; nothing in the objectives asks for the passing score or the domain weightings. These facts matter because they control your preparation: how you divide study time, how you pace 90 minutes, and how you handle PBQs. Every later level maps to one of the five domains.
Key takeaways
- 220-1201: maximum of 90 questions, 90 minutes, passing score 675 on a scale of 100–900.
- Question types: multiple-choice (single and multiple response) and performance-based.
- A+ certification requires passing both Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202).
- Domains: Mobile Devices 13%, Networking 23%, Hardware 25%, Virtualization and Cloud Computing 11%, Hardware and Network Troubleshooting 28%.
- Recommended experience: 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist job role.
- This course is independent of CompTIA, uses only original practice items, and promises no pass.