A+ cost, booking and exam day: two vouchers, the ID rules and the retake wait

Candidates budget for one voucher and forget that A+ needs two. Then a course, practice tests and a retake arrive, and the true cost is double the plan. The ID rules catch people at the door, and checking them costs nothing.

What does A+ cost?

This guide does not print a voucher price. CompTIA sells vouchers through its store and partners, and prices vary by country, currency, bundle and promotion. A figure printed today could mislead you tomorrow. Check the price for your country on the day you buy, and compare single vouchers with a bundle for both cores.

A realistic budget has seven lines.

Which of the three budgets is yours?

• Economy. A self-paced course, a home lab built from old equipment and one practice-test source.
• Standard. Adds official labs and retake cover.
• Intensive. Adds an instructor-led course.

The three differ in training and labs, not in the two exam fees. Karim, in the book, chose the economy budget. He built his lab from a desktop his uncle no longer needed, used one practice-test source, bought both vouchers in a bundle and passed both cores first time.

To cut cost without cutting your chances, ask your employer to sponsor the vouchers, especially if you already help with IT. Ask your school or college whether it offers discounted vouchers to students. Build the lab from old equipment and free virtual machines, and book each exam only when your practice results are stable.

What are the ID rules?

CompTIA's Candidate ID Policy asks for two original, unexpired IDs. The primary ID must be government-issued, with your name and a recent, recognisable photo. The secondary ID needs at least your name and a signature, or your name and a photo.

Three details catch candidates:

1. The first and last name on both IDs must match your registration exactly.
2. IDs must normally be issued by the country in which you are testing.
3. If you have no qualifying primary ID from that country, the policy accepts a passport from your country of citizenship, with a secondary ID.

In the book, Youssef lived in Doha on a residence permit. He checked the policy and used two Qatar-issued documents: his residence card as primary ID and his driving licence as secondary ID, with his name exactly as printed on both.

How do you book?

1. Create a CompTIA account and a Pearson VUE account with the same name as on both IDs.
2. Buy a voucher for each core from CompTIA or an authorised source.
3. In Pearson VUE, choose A+ and the exact exam code, 220-1201 or 220-1202, and the language.
4. Choose a test centre or OnVUE, then a date that fits the end of that core's plan.
5. Save the confirmation and set reminders a week, a day and an hour before.

Online testing needs a private, enclosed room, a clear desk and walls, a webcam, a stable connection and a successful system test. Candidates choose OnVUE to save travel and then fail the room check because of notes on a wall or a second monitor, so run the system test early. Check whether online testing is offered in your country before you plan around it.

What are the retake and reschedule rules?

CompTIA's retake policy sets two rules for each exam. There is no waiting period between your first and second attempt. Before a third or any later attempt, you must wait at least 14 calendar days from your last attempt. You pay the full exam price each time, so a bundle with retake cover is worth comparing.

Rescheduling and cancellation are handled in your Pearson VUE account, under the deadlines it shows for your appointment. Check them the day you book and avoid any change close to exam day.

What happens on exam day?

At a centre, bring your two original IDs and arrive early, because centres check identity and photograph you before the exam. Online, run the system test again on the day, clear your desk and walls, close every other application and keep your IDs ready for the check-in photographs. Check the exam code on your confirmation before you leave the house: candidates do book the wrong code and only notice on the day.

You see your result for each exam at the end of it. Once you have passed both cores in the same version, CompTIA adds A+ to your certification record, and your three-year cycle begins. If your session fails mid-exam, contact Pearson VUE the same day with your appointment number and a photo of the screen. Lama, in the book, did that and received a new appointment at no charge.

Appendix E of CredenTrek For CompTIA A+ is the exam-day checklist, and Appendix D has the message templates for CompTIA and Pearson VUE.