A+ before you pay for two exams: read the adverts, then answer four questions

Two exams are two bills, so make sure the adverts justify both.

What you are signing up for

A+ shows that you can set up, maintain and troubleshoot the devices, operating systems and small networks people use at work. It also covers security basics and the habits of a support role: documentation, safety and communication.

You earn it only when you pass both Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202) from the same version. Passing one gives you a result, not the credential. That is why the fit check comes before the first purchase.

Read five adverts

Search for entry-level support roles in your city and note five. Typical titles are IT support specialist, help desk technician, desktop support, field service technician and junior system administrator.

If most adverts say "required", the credential is a gate. If most say "preferred", it helps, but other evidence, such as a customer-service record or a home lab, may carry weight too. If none mention it, check what your market asks for before you spend.

What the official pay data shows

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports these figures for May 2025:

It also projects that employment in these roles will fall slightly from 2025 to 2035, with about 48,700 openings a year from turnover. So the field has openings, but it is not growing. These numbers describe everyone in the occupation, not A+ holders, and pay in your country follows local rates.

Four questions for two exams

1. Computers. Are you already confident with computers: installing software, replacing parts, fixing everyday faults?
2. Time. Can you give about six hours a week for four to six months?
3. Value. Will your target employers value A+ within a year? Your five adverts answer this.
4. Budget. Can you afford the full budget for two exams, including a retake?

Four yes answers: go. Three yes: fix the weak point, then go. Two or fewer mean you need to build a base first, or change the plan.

Experience is a measure, not a gate

A+ has no required prerequisites, so anyone can book either exam. CompTIA recommends about 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support role. Treat that as a measure of difficulty. A home lab and steady practice can stand in for much of it.

A page for the record

Record your goal, your four answers, the five adverts and the exam months you aim for. Add a date to review it. If the adverts name something other than A+, a vendor certificate or a specific tool, record that too, because it changes which exam you book first.