How much does CompTIA A+ Core 1 cost?
A+ is the certification whose sticker price surprises people, because it is two exams. Core 1 is $253 and Core 2 is another $253, and you need both to hold A+. The realistic all-in figure for the full certification is $506 at minimum, and $700 to $800 if you want a course.
Realistic total
$253 to $800
The low figure is Core 1 alone with free study material. The high figure is both exams, a paid course, and headroom for one retake.
Voucher price from CompTIA, exam voucher pricing ↗. Prices are the published US list price and change; the link is there so you can check.
Cost breakdown
| Item | Cost | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Exam voucher | $253 | The published US list price for one attempt at 220-1201. |
| Retake | $253 | A second attempt costs the same as the first. |
| CertMaster or other official training | Varies | Optional. CompTIA bundles vouchers with training at higher prices; buying the voucher alone is cheapest. |
| Continuing education (CEUs) | Varies | Free if you earn CEUs through work activities and other certs. A CompTIA CE subscription fee applies per cycle. |
| The second exam (Core 2, 220-1202) | $253 | You do not hold A+ until both are passed. Budget for both from the start, because pricing either one alone understates the cost by half. |
| Study material, free route | $0 | CompTIA's objectives PDF plus Professor Messer's free A+ course covers the whole blueprint for both cores. |
| Hardware for hands-on practice | $0 to $150 | Optional. An old desktop from a recycling pile teaches more about Core 1 than any video. Many people already have one. |
Exam pricing from CompTIA, exam voucher pricing ↗.
Ways to bring the cost down
A+ has the best free study material of any certification on this site, and using it changes the total by hundreds of dollars. The objectives PDF and a free video course genuinely cover the blueprint.
A+ is also the certification community colleges and workforce programmes fund most often. Academic pricing through the CompTIA Academic Store is a real discount, and many local programmes hand out vouchers outright. It is worth an hour of searching before you pay list price.
If you are buying both cores, look at whether a two-voucher bundle is cheaper than two separate purchases at the time you buy. It sometimes is, and the vouchers are valid for a year, which is long enough for most people to sit both.
Academic pricing
CompTIA sells discounted academic vouchers to students and staff at participating institutions. You buy through the CompTIA Academic store and verify enrollment.
Military and veteran funding
CompTIA exams are covered under the DoD COOL programs and are eligible for GI Bill reimbursement, which pays the exam fee back rather than discounting it up front.
Employer training budget
Most IT employers reimburse certification exams that map to your role. Ask before you book: some will only pay for a pass, others pay for the attempt either way.
What a retake costs
A retake is another $253, and because A+ is two exams there are two places to fail. Failing one core does not affect the other: you keep the pass you already have and rebook only the exam you missed.
There is no waiting period before a second attempt, and 14 days between attempts from the third onward.
Core 1 fails most often on the troubleshooting domain, which is 28% of the exam and the hardest to learn from reading. If your score report points there, spend the time between attempts with actual hardware rather than more video.
Retake pricing from CompTIA, exam voucher pricing ↗.
What renewal costs across the full cycle
A+ is valid for three years. Renewal takes 20 continuing education units plus CompTIA's continuing education fee, which is the lowest CEU requirement of the CompTIA line.
The cheapest renewal of all is passing a higher CompTIA certification. Network+ or Security+ renews A+ automatically for another three years from the date you pass, so if you are working up the ladder anyway, your A+ renewal is already handled.
That is worth planning around. Someone who passes Security+ in year two of their A+ cycle never pays an A+ renewal cost at all.
Typical preparation budget
Preparation for A+ Core 1 can genuinely cost nothing. The realistic range people spend is $0 to $300, and the top of that range buys convenience rather than a better chance of passing.
Our questions, explanations, and cheat sheets are free, and the explanation is never paywalled. That is the part of a paid practice set you are actually buying, so it is the part we do not charge for.
The cheapest way to avoid the $253 line on this page is to be ready before you book. Free A+ Core 1 practice questions with a full explanation on every answer.
Keep reading
A+ Core 1 practice questions
Free sample questions with the full explanation on every answer.
A+ Core 1 guide
Who it is for, study plans by experience level, and whether it is worth it.
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Original questions written from the published objectives, with the concept, the reasoning, and a note on every wrong option. No account needed to start.
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