A+ Core 1 or Core 2 first: pick the order that suits you, then finish both from one version

The order of the cores matters less than people think. The gap between them matters more. A candidate who passes one core and pauses for a year has to plan the second against a version that may have retired.

What are the rules?

A+ is two exams, and CompTIA does not require a fixed order. It does require that both cores come from the same version. Today that means V15: Core 1 is 220-1201 and Core 2 is 220-1202. Material labelled 220-1101 or 220-1102 is for the retired version and will not combine with V15.

You see your result at the end of each exam. Once you have passed both cores in the same version, CompTIA adds A+ to your certification record and your three-year cycle begins.

The decision rule

Find the row that describes you. If two rows fit, the course row wins, because switching order mid-course costs more than it saves.

Two small points. Core 1 has more to memorise, such as ports, cables and connectors. Core 2 has more to do, such as Windows tools, command lines and security procedure. If you learn by memorising, Core 1 is a comfortable opener. If you learn by doing, start with Core 2 and your home lab.

Why keep the gap short?

CompTIA usually retires a version about three years after launch, and V15 was launched on 25 March 2025. The previous version, V14, retired on 25 September 2025. Nothing in V15 is leaving soon, but the pattern tells you why a long pause is a bad idea: the second core may be taken against a changed list, with new objectives and different weights.

A practical rule: plan both exams inside one study period of a few months. That is a CredenTrek planning habit, not a CompTIA deadline.

Hassan, in the book, supported his family's small shop and its Windows computers. He chose Core 2 first, passed it in February and Core 1 in April. His friend Salma, who loved building gaming PCs, took Core 1 first. Rana, a receptionist, planned 140 hours at 10 hours a week, which gave her 14 weeks plus two buffer weeks. She sat Core 2 in week 8 and Core 1 in week 16, each after two strong practice exams.

A dated example

Suppose you start on Monday 12 October 2026 with 140 study hours at 10 hours a week. That is 14 weeks plus two buffer weeks, or 16 weeks in all, which ends on 1 February 2027.

Place your first exam at the end of the first core's hours, not at the end of the whole plan. At 5 hours a week, the same 140 hours take 28 weeks plus 4 buffer weeks, so the two exams sit about three months apart and the gap deserves a calendar reminder.

How do you record the order?

Write it into your decision record with the exact exam codes, and book each exam only when your practice results for that core are stable. Do not buy vouchers for both cores before you have booked the first date, unless a bundle saves enough to justify holding the second.

The study hours guide splits each core's hours by domain, and the cost guide explains vouchers and retakes. Chapter 3 of CredenTrek For CompTIA A+ holds the decision record, and Appendix B has a planning template with a row for each core.