CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) Exam Guide 2026 — Cost, Format, Passing Score

CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) is the vendor-neutral credential that proves you understand how networks are built, secured, and troubleshot — regardless of whether the gear in the rack is Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, or a cloud provider's virtual network. It does not test one vendor's command syntax; it tests the concepts that sit underneath all of them.

This guide covers the exam format itself: cost, time, scoring, question types, retake rules, validity, and what the exam actually tests. For the week-by-week study path, see the 8-week Network+ study plan. For a fast final-review reference, see the Network+ cheat sheet.

What Network+ is (and is not)

Network+ sits in CompTIA's core infrastructure/security pathway: above the entry-level A+ (which covers hardware and OS basics), and a common prerequisite-in-spirit for Security+ and CySA+, since both build directly on networking fundamentals.

What Network+ is:

• A concepts-plus-practical credential. You need to know subnetting math, protocol behavior, and troubleshooting methodology well enough to apply them, not just recite definitions.
• A vendor-neutral exam. It does not test Cisco IOS syntax, Juniper JunOS, or any single vendor's CLI — concepts transfer to whatever gear you end up working with.
• Partly hands-on. Unlike a pure multiple-choice exam, 3 to 6 performance-based questions (PBQs) have you interact with simulated interfaces — labeling a diagram, dragging a cable to the right port, or reading a troubleshooting console.

What Network+ is not:

• Not a vendor certification. If a job posting specifically requires Cisco skills, Network+ complements but does not replace CCNA.
• Not a security-specialist exam. Domain 4 (Network Security) is 20% of the exam, but full depth on threats and defenses is Security+ territory.
• Not an entry-level exam in the same sense as A+. CompTIA expects some baseline IT literacy — it assumes you already know what an operating system and a file system are.

Exam format at a glance

90 minutes for up to 90 questions is roughly a minute per question on average — but that average hides the real time pressure, because PBQs alone can eat 5 to 8 minutes each. Budget your pacing around the multiple-choice questions moving fast, leaving room for PBQs to run long.

Cost and voucher options

N10-009 costs $358 USD at list price, paid at booking through Pearson VUE. CompTIA sells bundles that pair the exam voucher with CertMaster Learn or CertMaster Practice study tools at a higher combined price, and some CompTIA-authorized academic and corporate training programs offer discounted vouchers — but there is no standing discount for an individual booking directly.

Pearson VUE converts pricing to local currency at checkout outside the US; VAT or local sales tax may apply on top depending on your country.

Scoring and the passing score

CompTIA publishes the exact passing score: 720 out of 900, roughly 80 percent. This is a scaled score, not a raw percentage — CompTIA runs your raw correct-answer count through a statistical conversion that accounts for question difficulty, so “720” does not translate cleanly to “80% of 90 questions right.”

CertSharp's recommendation: score consistently above 78 percent on full-length, 90-minute timed mocks before booking. Because the scaling is not published and not linear, a comfortable margin above the raw cut score protects you from a harder-than-average question set.

Question types, including PBQs

N10-009 mixes three formats:

1. Multiple choice. A scenario or definitional stem, four options, one correct answer — the majority of the exam.
2. Multiple response. The stem says “choose two” (occasionally three). No partial credit for a partially correct selection.
3. Performance-based questions (PBQs). Interactive simulations: drag a cable to the correct port, label a network diagram, or troubleshoot a simulated console. Most candidates see 3 to 6 of these, and they are the single biggest reason untimed practice underestimates real exam difficulty — they take far longer than a multiple-choice item and reward hands-on familiarity, not memorization.

The five exam domains

CompTIA publishes five domains with their relative weights:

Domain 1 carries the most weight and is foundational — subnetting, the OSI model, and port numbers taught here get reused throughout Domains 2, 3, and 5. Domain 5 is a close second and is where most PBQs live. For the full domain-by-domain breakdown of what is tested inside each one, see the Network+ study plan.

Test center vs OnVUE online

Both delivery methods produce identical exam content and the same pass/fail outcome.

Pearson VUE test center is in-person: valid ID, belongings in a locker, a proctored workstation on-site.

Pearson OnVUE online proctoring lets you test from home. You install the OnVUE application, complete an ID check and full room scan on camera, and a remote proctor monitors the full 90 minutes. You need a stable connection, a single monitor, and a clear, private desk.

Which to choose: OnVUE saves travel time and runs around the clock in most regions, but connectivity hiccups or a noisy environment can trigger a proctor intervention. If your home setup is not reliably private, book a test center slot — it removes that variable entirely, which matters more on an exam with time-pressured PBQs.

How to register

1. Create or sign in to your CompTIA account.
2. Purchase the N10-009 exam voucher (or apply an existing voucher code).
3. Schedule through Pearson VUE — choose a test center or OnVUE online.
4. Pick an available date and time slot; OnVUE slots run around the clock in most regions.
5. Save the confirmation email with your appointment details and pre-exam requirements.

You can reschedule for free up to 24 hours before your appointment. Inside that window, you typically forfeit the exam fee.

ID and check-in rules

Bring government-issued photo ID matching the name on your CompTIA account exactly. Test centers may require a second form of ID; OnVUE combines one primary ID with on-camera identity verification during check-in.

For OnVUE, check-in opens roughly 30 minutes before your slot and includes a full room scan (walls, desk, ceiling) via webcam. Clear your desk completely and remove watches, headphones, and any second screen. For test centers, arrive at least 15 minutes early — late arrivals beyond the grace period forfeit the appointment.

Retake policy

If you fail N10-009, CompTIA requires a minimum 14-calendar-day wait before your next attempt. There is no cap on total lifetime attempts, but each retake costs the full $358 fee unless you purchased a retake voucher bundle with your original registration. CompTIA provides a section-level score report after a fail — use the wait to drill your weakest domain rather than restudying everything evenly.

How long the cert lasts

Network+ is valid 3 years from the pass date. After that window, an uncertified credential no longer counts toward employer requirements or CompTIA's own certification pathway prerequisites.

Renewing without a cold retake

CompTIA's Continuing Education (CE) program lets you renew Network+ without retaking N10-009 from scratch: earn 20 CEUs through qualifying activities (further CompTIA certifications, relevant training, industry webinars, and similar), complete an eligible CompTIA CertMaster CE course, or pass a higher-level exam that CompTIA recognizes as a renewal trigger — before your 3-year window closes. If none of those apply, retaking the current version of the exam is the fallback path.

Prerequisites and recommended experience

Network+ has no enforced prerequisites — anyone can register and sit the exam. CompTIA recommends (not requires) that candidates hold A+ certification and have 9 to 12 months of hands-on networking experience before attempting N10-009.

In practice, 6 months of help-desk or IT-support experience plus focused study is enough for most candidates. Zero IT background is a harder starting point — budget extra time on Domain 1 fundamentals if that describes you.

Network+ vs other CompTIA certs

For the broader question of a vendor-neutral cert versus Cisco's vendor-specific path, see Network+ vs CCNA.

Recommended study resources

1. CompTIA's official N10-009 exam objectives at comptia.org/certifications/network. Always the source of truth for domains and objectives.
2. CompTIA CertMaster Learn/Practice for structured lessons and adaptive practice, if budget allows.
3. CertSharp's 500-question Network+ bank. Mapped domain-by-domain to the N10-009 objectives, with an explanation on every question. Try 30 free questions.
4. The CertSharp Network+ study plan at /blog/n10-009-study-plan-2026.
5. A free lab environment (Cisco Packet Tracer or GNS3) for hands-on PBQ practice — Network+ rewards muscle memory that pure reading does not build.

Frequently asked questions