People searching for an A Plus practice test, written A+ on the exam itself, usually want a realistic way to find weak spots before paying for two exam vouchers. This guide covers how the two A+ exams differ, the official format, eight original sample questions with full explanations and the habits that turn practice into a pass. This page is specific to A+. To compare A+ with Network+ and Tech+ and decide which exam to take, use CertSharp's free CompTIA practice test hub.
What is the difference between A+ Core 1 and Core 2?
A+ Core 1 (220-1201) tests hardware and the network around it, while A+ Core 2 (220-1202) tests software, security and how a support professional works. Core 1 has five domains: Mobile devices (13 percent), Networking (23), Hardware (25), Virtualization and cloud computing (11) and Hardware and network troubleshooting (28). Core 2 has four: Operating systems (28 percent), Security (28), Software troubleshooting (23) and Operational procedures (21). Both exams allow a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, and A+ is awarded only after you pass both. The weights below come from CompTIA's exam pages, and they show where scenario questions concentrate: troubleshooting leads Core 1, and operating systems plus security lead Core 2.
| Core 1 (220-1201) | Weight | Core 2 (220-1202) | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile devices | 13% | Operating systems | 28% |
| Networking | 23% | Security | 28% |
| Hardware | 25% | Software troubleshooting | 23% |
| Virtualization and cloud computing | 11% | Operational procedures | 21% |
| Hardware and network troubleshooting | 28% | — | — |
Operating systems and security together make up over half of Core 2. Practice the way the exam is weighted: more scenarios, fewer isolated definitions.
What is the A+ exam format?
Each CompTIA A+ exam allows a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, mixing multiple-choice and performance-based questions (PBQs), and is scored on a scale of 100 to 900. A PBQ is a simulation or hands-on task, such as ordering steps or configuring a setting, rather than a pick-one question. Core 1 (220-1201) passes at 675 and Core 2 (220-1202) at 700. Because the scores are scaled, the share of questions you must answer correctly is not published. You can take the two exams in either order.
- Questions: maximum of 90 per exam, a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based questions.
- Time: 90 minutes per exam.
- Passing score: 675 for Core 1 and 700 for Core 2, on a scale of 100 to 900.
- Order: either core can be taken first. A+ is awarded after both are passed.
Verify current details on CompTIA's official pages for Core 1 and Core 2 before booking.
A+ Core 1 (220-1201) practice questions with explanations
These cover hardware, mobile devices, networking and troubleshooting. Think about your answer before opening each one.
1. A technician finds that a laptop's lid will not close fully and the bottom case is bulging. The laptop uses a lithium-ion battery. What should the technician do?
- Press the case flat and keep using the laptop on AC power
- Stop using the device, disconnect it from power and have the battery removed and recycled according to local regulations
- Charge the battery fully to see whether the swelling goes down
- Puncture the battery to release the pressure and then dispose of it in regular trash
Answer: B. A swollen lithium-ion battery is a fire and chemical hazard. The safe response is to stop using the laptop, unplug it, handle the battery carefully and use approved recycling or hazardous waste disposal. Charging, pressing or puncturing a swollen cell increases the risk, and lithium-ion batteries do not belong in ordinary trash.
2. A user wants to share a smartphone's cellular data connection with a laptop that has no Wi-Fi access in a hotel room. Which feature should the user enable?
- Airplane mode
- Mobile hotspot (tethering)
- Screen mirroring
- Developer options
Answer: B. Mobile hotspot or tethering lets a phone share its cellular connection with other devices over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB. Airplane mode disables radios, screen mirroring shares the display, and developer options do not share connectivity.
3. A network printer keeps receiving a different IP address, and users lose their printer mappings. The network uses DHCP. What is the best fix?
- Create a DHCP reservation for the printer's MAC address
- Disable DHCP for the whole network
- Give the printer an address outside the subnet
- Replace the printer's network cable
Answer: A. A DHCP reservation always gives the printer the same address while keeping central management. Turning off DHCP for everyone is excessive, and an address outside the subnet would break communication. The symptom is changing addresses, which a cable cannot cause.
4. A four-year-old desktop shuts down without warning when the user runs demanding applications. The fans spin, the BIOS shows a CPU temperature of 95 C and the case is full of dust. Following a structured troubleshooting approach, what is the most likely fix?
- Replace the keyboard
- Clean the dust from the heat sink and fans and replace the dried thermal paste if needed
- Reinstall the operating system
- Lower the monitor resolution
Answer: B. Shutdowns under load with a very high CPU temperature point to poor cooling. Dust and old thermal paste are the classic causes. The keyboard, operating system and screen resolution do not control CPU temperature. Always power down and disconnect the system before opening the case, and use ESD precautions.
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A+ Core 2 (220-1202) practice questions with explanations
These cover operating systems, security, software troubleshooting and operational procedures.
5. A company wants to protect data on laptops in case a laptop is stolen, using a feature built into Windows Pro and Enterprise. Which should the technician enable?
- Windows Defender Firewall
- BitLocker drive encryption
- System Restore
- Disk Defragmenter
Answer: B. BitLocker encrypts the drive so data cannot be read if the disk is removed or the device is stolen. A firewall filters network traffic, System Restore returns system settings to a previous state, and defragmentation reorganizes files for performance.
6. A technician verifies that a Windows PC has malware symptoms. Using the CompTIA malware removal process, what is the next step?
- Educate the end user
- Quarantine the infected system
- Schedule scans and run updates
- Enable System Restore and create a restore point
Answer: B. The CompTIA sequence begins with investigating and verifying malware symptoms, then quarantining the infected system so it cannot spread, then disabling System Restore, remediating, scheduling scans and updates, re-enabling System Restore and finally educating the end user. Quarantine comes immediately after verification.
7. An office wants a backup plan that follows the 3-2-1 rule. Which setup meets it?
- Three copies of the data, on two different media types, with one copy offsite
- Three backups on the same external drive, kept in one drawer
- Two copies of the data in one location, tested once a year
- One copy on the server and two on the same workstation
Answer: A. 3-2-1 means three copies of the data, on two different kinds of media, with one copy stored offsite. Keeping everything on one drive or in one location fails the media and offsite requirements, so a single event could destroy every copy.
8. A support technician needs to map a shared network folder to drive Z: from a Windows command prompt. Which command can do this?
- net use Z: \\server\share
- ipconfig /renew
- nslookup server
- gpresult /r
Answer: A. The net use command connects a drive letter to a shared resource. ipconfig /renew refreshes a DHCP lease, nslookup tests DNS name resolution, and gpresult /r shows applied Group Policy.
How should I practice for the A+ exams?
Practice for A+ by studying one core at a time, using a cold baseline session to find weak domains, then reviewing every miss and finishing with timed full-length runs. The numbered habits below turn practice questions into retained skill, and hands-on work matters because A+ certifies the ability to support real devices. The troubleshooting methodology afterwards is the one CompTIA uses, and scenario questions often ask which step comes next.
- Pick one core at a time. Studying both together splits attention and slows recall.
- Take a cold baseline session to see which domains are weak, then study those first.
- Do hands-on work. Open a PC, install an OS in a virtual machine, use Task Manager, Device Manager and the command line.
- Review every miss. Write the reason the correct answer wins and why your choice lost.
- Finish with timed runs. A guideline: when unseen full-length practice exams land consistently near 80 percent or higher, book the real exam. This is a rule of thumb, not a CompTIA figure.
Because A+ certifies troubleshooting ability, memorize the structured approach CompTIA uses: identify the problem, establish a theory, test the theory, establish a plan of action, implement the solution or escalate, verify full system functionality and implement preventive measures, then document. Scenario questions often hinge on which step comes next.
How do I handle performance-based questions?
Handle A+ performance-based questions (PBQs) by reading the whole task first, flagging long ones to return to, and practicing the underlying procedures beforehand. A PBQ is a simulation or hands-on task mixed in with the multiple-choice questions, and CompTIA does not publish a fixed number of them. They are commonly presented at the start of the exam, though CompTIA does not guarantee placement. Practical tips:
- Read the whole task before touching anything, and note exactly what is being asked.
- If one looks long, flag it and return after the multiple-choice questions so you bank easy points first. Keep an eye on the clock.
- Practice the actual procedures: ordering steps, matching ports and connectors, configuring a setting, choosing the correct tool.
- CompTIA does not publish its PBQ scoring, so attempt every PBQ rather than leaving one blank.
What are common A+ exam traps?
The most common A+ traps are answering “best” questions as if they asked “first,” skipping safety, and picking a valid technique that does not fit the scenario. A+ scenarios usually hide the answer in one detail: a symptom, a user role or a safety hazard. Read the question stem twice, name the step in the troubleshooting methodology you are at, and eliminate options that are real but wrong for that moment. The list below covers the six patterns we see most.
- “Best” versus “first.” The first step is usually to identify or gather information, not to fix.
- Safety before speed. Questions on batteries, ESD, power supplies and chemicals reward the safe answer.
- Least privilege. If a user needs one task, do not hand them administrator rights.
- Similar tools. sfc checks system files, chkdsk checks the disk, and gpupdate refreshes policy. Know what each does.
- Documentation matters. Change management, ticketing and documenting findings appear in operational procedures.
- Distractors that are real but wrong for the scenario. Several options may be valid techniques, only one fits the described situation.
Which networking topics matter most for A+ Core 1?
Core 1 networking (23 percent of 220-1201) is practical: common ports, Wi-Fi standards, SOHO router configuration, cable types, IP addressing, and DHCP and DNS basics. Expect questions that ask you to match a port to a protocol, pick the right cable or wireless standard, or fix an addressing problem with a reservation. If the layered model is fuzzy, read the OSI model guide and TCP vs UDP guide. For addressing, see private IP address ranges and IPv4 vs IPv6. When you are ready to go deeper into networking, the CompTIA practice test hub shows how Network+ builds on A+. If you are weighing A+ against a networking path, see Network+ vs CCNA and how to pass Network+ first try.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free A+ practice test?
Yes. CertSharp provides free 30-question practice sessions in practice mode for both A+ Core 1 (220-1201) and A+ Core 2 (220-1202), with every answer explained and no credit card. The free tier is a sample; the full bank is 500 questions per core exam, with exam mode, on the paid plans.
How many questions are on the A+ exam?
CompTIA lists a maximum of 90 questions and 90 minutes for each of Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202). Each exam is a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based questions. You must pass both exams to earn A+, and they can be taken in either order.
What is the passing score for A+ Core 1 and Core 2?
According to CompTIA, Core 1 (220-1201) requires 675 and Core 2 (220-1202) requires 700, both on a scale of 100 to 900. Scores are scaled, so the percentage of questions you need correct is not fixed or published.
Should I take A+ Core 1 or Core 2 first?
CompTIA allows either order. Core 1 (hardware, mobile, networking, troubleshooting) suits people who like physical devices, and Core 2 (operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, procedures) suits people with more software experience. Many candidates take Core 1 first because it builds hardware vocabulary, but the choice should follow your strengths and your study momentum.
What score on a practice test means I am ready for A+?
There is no official threshold. A practical guideline is to score consistently around 80 percent or higher on unseen, timed, full-length practice exams, with no recurring misses in any single domain. Because real scores are scaled and banks vary in difficulty, treat that number as a guide rather than a guarantee.
How many performance-based questions are on the A+ exam?
CompTIA does not publish a fixed number, and the count varies by exam form. Performance-based questions are simulations or hands-on tasks. They are commonly presented at the start of the exam, though CompTIA does not guarantee placement, so prepare by practicing procedures such as configuring a setting, ordering steps or matching components, not only by memorizing facts.
Is the A+ exam harder than Network+?
They test different things. A+ is broad across hardware, operating systems, security and support procedures, while Network+ goes deeper on networking only. Many candidates find A+ wider and Network+ more technical, but difficulty depends on your background. A+ knowledge makes Network+ easier.
How we wrote and checked this
CertSharp is a practice-exam provider, and we sell the A+ question banks mentioned on this page. We wrote this guide from CompTIA's A+ certification and exam-details pages, linked in Sources, and compared the question counts, time limits, passing scores and domain weights against those pages in October 2026. The eight sample questions are original CertSharp questions, not CompTIA exam content, and the 80 percent readiness habit is our own guideline. CompTIA can change exam formats, so confirm on the official page before booking. Last reviewed October 2026.
Sources
- CompTIA A+ certification page
- CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam details
- CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) exam details
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