A+ Core 1 or Core 2 First? CompTIA's Rules and How to Choose

CompTIA A+ is one certification earned through two exams, and the first planning question almost everyone asks is which one to take first. CompTIA’s answer is short: either. Its A+ page says you need to pass Core 1 and Core 2, “which you can take in any order.”

That settles the rule but not the decision. There are three constraints CompTIA does enforce, and the two exams differ enough in content and in passing score that the order you choose changes how the second exam feels. This post covers both parts.

All exam facts below were checked against CompTIA’s A+ V15 certification page, its A+ FAQ, and the CompTIA store on September 21, 2026. Vendor details change; confirm before you buy.

Side by side

	Core 1 (220-1201)	Core 2 (220-1202)
Exam version	V15	V15
Launch date	March 25, 2025	March 25, 2025
Questions	Maximum of 90	Maximum of 90
Question types	Multiple-choice (single and multiple response), drag-and-drop, and performance-based	Same
Time limit	90 minutes	90 minutes
Passing score	675 on a 100 to 900 scale	700 on a 100 to 900 scale
Voucher	$274	$274
Voucher with Retake Assurance	$359	$359
Retirement	Usually three years after launch, estimated 2028	Same

The format is identical. The differences are the subject matter and the 25-point gap in passing score, which comes up again below.

CompTIA’s rules

Any order is allowed. No prerequisite check, no required sequence, and no requirement to pass Core 1 before booking Core 2. There are also no formal prerequisites for either exam. CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support role, but it does not verify that at booking.

Both exams must come from the same version. The exam details on CompTIA’s page state it directly: Core 1 and Core 2 “must be taken from the same version, no mixing allowed.” A pass on an older Core 1 does not pair with a V15 Core 2.

A version retirement cancels a half-finished A+. CompTIA’s FAQ covers the case of passing Core 1 and then having the version retire before you pass Core 2: your Core 1 result is no longer valid, and you need to pass both exams of the new version. The same applies in the other direction. V15 is estimated to retire in 2028, so anyone starting now has plenty of room, but leaving the second exam open-ended is the one way the order question can cost you a voucher.

Each voucher is valid for 12 months from purchase. Both the standard voucher and the Retake Assurance voucher carry a 12-month window. Buying both vouchers on the same day and then stalling after the first exam starts the clock on the second one.

The three-year clock

CompTIA’s FAQ states that A+ is valid for three years “from the date you pass your second exam.” Your first pass does not start the renewal cycle.

That means a gap between the two exams does not cost you any certification time. Spacing them a few weeks apart is fine from a renewal standpoint. The reasons to keep the gap short are content overlap and momentum, not the renewal date.

Coverage

The two exams split the A+ material cleanly by subject.

Core 1 (220-1201):

Domain	Weight
Mobile devices	13%
Networking	23%
Hardware	25%
Virtualization and cloud computing	11%
Hardware and network troubleshooting	28%

Core 2 (220-1202):

Domain	Weight
Operating systems	28%
Security	28%
Software troubleshooting	23%
Operational procedures	21%

Core 1 is the physical and network layer: components, cables and connectors, printers, SOHO networks, ports and protocols, and the troubleshooting that goes with them. Core 2 is the software and people layer: Windows, macOS, Linux and mobile operating systems, security controls and malware, software troubleshooting, and the documentation, safety, and communication practices of a support role.

Overlap between the exams

The split is clean at the domain level but not at the topic level. Several Core 2 security topics assume networking knowledge that Core 1 teaches.

A small office router is the clearest example. Core 1 covers setting one up: IP addressing, SSIDs, guest networks, and wireless channels and bands. Core 2 covers locking it down: changing default credentials, disabling WPS, choosing WPA3 over WPA2, and understanding why hiding an SSID and filtering MAC addresses offer less protection than they appear to. You can learn the hardening material without the setup material, but it is harder, because the security questions take the networking vocabulary for granted.

Troubleshooting runs the other way. CompTIA’s troubleshooting methodology appears on both exams, and learning it thoroughly for either one pays off on the other.

The passing score gap

Core 2 requires 700 and Core 1 requires 675, on the same 100 to 900 scale. CompTIA uses scaled scores, so the gap does not translate into a fixed number of extra questions, and it does not mean Core 2 is harder for every candidate. It does mean Core 2 leaves a little less margin.

The practical reading: if you are unsure which exam you are stronger on, taking the one with the lower bar first lets you learn the testing experience, including the performance-based questions and the clock, with slightly more room for error.

Choosing an order

With the rules out of the way, the order comes down to what you already know.

Take Core 1 first if you are new to IT. Hardware and networking are concrete, the vocabulary they teach is assumed by parts of Core 2’s security domain, and the lower passing score gives you more margin on your first CompTIA exam. This is also the order the exam numbers suggest, which is a convenience rather than a requirement.

Take Core 2 first if you already work a help desk or support role that is mostly Windows, accounts, and software. Operating systems and security are both 28% of Core 2, and daily work in those areas covers a large share of it. Starting with the exam that matches your job gets one pass on the board while you study hardware for the other.

Take Core 2 first if security is where you are heading. Core 2 carries the A+ security domain, and it is the closer preparation for Security+. The networking half of Core 1 is the closer preparation for Network+.

Take them close together either way. A few weeks apart keeps the overlapping material fresh, keeps both exams well inside the version window, and keeps the second voucher from running down its 12 months.

Cost

Two exams means two vouchers. At CompTIA’s store prices on September 21, 2026:

• Two standard vouchers: $548
• Two vouchers with Retake Assurance: $718

Retake Assurance adds $85 per exam. Whether it is worth it depends on how confident you are going into each exam, and there is no reason both exams have to be bought the same way. You can buy Retake Assurance for the exam you are less sure of and a standard voucher for the other.

CompTIA’s store also sells CertMaster bundles that include both vouchers with training products. Our comparison of free and paid practice tests covers how to judge what a practice product is worth before paying for one.

After A+

CompTIA’s FAQ names Network+ and Security+ as the next steps after A+. Renewal works in your favor on that path: CompTIA lists earning a higher-level certification as one way to renew A+, so moving on to Network+ or Security+ can carry your A+ forward rather than requiring a separate renewal. Our post on whether to take Security+ or Network+ first covers that decision and the renewal rules in detail.

Study resources

Our free Study Library has a separate library for each exam. Start with the 220-1201 study guide and the 220-1202 study guide, then browse the full Core 1 library and Core 2 library.

For the router overlap described above, read setting up a SOHO router from Core 1 alongside SOHO router hardening and WPA2 vs WPA3 from Core 2. For the shared troubleshooting material, start with CompTIA’s troubleshooting steps.

Summary

CompTIA allows either order. The rules that matter are that both exams must come from the same version, a version retirement cancels a single passed exam, and each voucher lasts 12 months. Core 1 first suits beginners and gives more margin on the passing score. Core 2 first suits people already doing Windows and account support, and people heading toward Security+. Whichever you pick, book the second exam soon after the first.

Our A+ Core 1 practice bank carries 1,302 original questions written to the 220-1201 objectives, and our A+ Core 2 practice bank carries 1,301 written to 220-1202. Every answer is explained, both include performance-based question practice, and each comes with a 500-card spaced-repetition flashcard deck. $59 per exam, once, with lifetime access for the life of the exam version and no subscription.

Not sure which exam you are closer to ready for? Take the free 15-question test for Core 1 and for Core 2, and start with whichever score is higher.