What Is The A+ Passing Score?
No doubt, A+ is one of the most recognized credentials in the information technology industry. The certification, designed by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), is specifically for young professionals looking to break into the IT space.
One of the many benefits attached to becoming a CompTIA A+ certified professional is that it’ll give you an edge over others when applying for entry-level jobs, such as help desk technician. However, you need to understand that passing this certification isn’t for the faint-hearted.
To become A+ certified, you need to enroll for two exams; Core 1 (220-1001) and Core 2 (220-1002). Your chances of earning the certification depend on how well you get familiar with the various domains of the exams. For Core 1, the passing score is 675; while that of the Core 2 exam is 700 – both on a scale of 100-900.
For you to score a high score in the CompTIA A+ exam, there are certain things that you need to put into consideration. Read on to find out everything you need to know about this certification, including the tips on how to score above the passing score.
What is CompTIA A+ and what does it include?
A+ is an entry-level certification, designed by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), for PC service technicians. However, you need to understand that there’s more to the credential than just repairing PCs.
The A+ certification helps to validate entry-level skills in today’s essential IT domains, such as operating systems, software troubleshooting, mobile devices, troubleshooting of hardware and network, security, operational procedures, and a few others.
Speaking of operating systems, the A+ certification will help to validate how you can install and support Windows OS including command line & client support. It’ll also go as far as testing your understanding of Mac OS, Linux, and mobile OS.
CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam: What Is the Passing Score?
As earlier mentioned, you can only become certified as a CompTIA A+ after passing two different sets of exams designed by professionals in the IT industry. These exams include Core 1 with code (220-1001) and Core 2 with code (220-1002).
For you to become certified as a CompTIA A+ expert, the 220-1001 Core 1 is the first exam that you will need to pass. This exam covers 5 different domains of IT. They include Mobile Devices, Networking, Hardware, Virtualization, and Cloud Computing, and Hardware and Network Troubleshooting.
Mobile devices
The first aspect of the A+ core 1 exam – Mobile Devices – will focus primarily on the installation and configuration of laptops & other components. This part will cover about 14% of the total 220-1001 Core1 exam.
Apart from installation and configuration, the aspect of the mobile devices will also test your knowledge to validate your ability to compare and contrast the characteristics of the various types of other mobile devices. That’s not all; this part will also test your skills on how to connect and configure accessories & ports of mobile devices.
Networking
The second aspect of the Core 1 exam is Networking; this only covers about 20% of the entire exam. For this section, the exam will test your understanding of TCP & UDP ports.
Furthermore, it’ll also test your knowledge of the common networking hardware devices and wireless networking protocols. You might also need to fully understand how to install and configure the basic wired & wireless SOHO network, as this part will most likely test your knowledge in that area.
Other areas of networking that you need to get yourself familiar with include the properties and purposes of services provided by networked hosts, network configuration concepts, and internet connection types.
Hardware
The third aspect of the Core 1 exam is Hardware and it covers about 27% of the entire exam. For this aspect, you’ll need to get yourself familiar with the various types, features, and benefits of the basic cable, connector, and power supply.
Furthermore, this aspect will also test your knowledge of how to choose the suitable components & devices for custom PC configuration.
Virtualization and Cloud Computing
The Virtualization and Cloud Computing aspect only covers 12% of the Core 1 A+ examination. For this stage, you’ll need to study and understand the concepts of cloud computing. That’s not all; you also need to get familiar with how to set up and configure client-side virtualization.
Network and Hardware Troubleshooting
The last part of the Core 1 exam is Network and Hardware Troubleshooting, and this only covers about 27% of the entire paper. For this stage, the A+ exam will test your knowledge of how to resolve network and hardware issues.
You’ll need to study to understand how to troubleshoot hard drives and motherboard issues. But that’s not all; the exam will also test your knowledge of how to diagnose video, projector, and display issues, as well as mobile device problems.
The passing score of the CompTIA A+ Core 1 exam is 675. Of course, this is on a scale of 100 to 900. After passing the exam, you’ll need to enroll for and pass the second exam, Core 2 (220-1002), before you can become a certified A+ professional.
CompTIA A+ Core 2 Exam: What Is the Passing Score?
The CompTIA A+ Core 2 exam focuses on 4 domains; they include Operating Systems,
Security, Software Troubleshooting, and Operational Procedures.
Operating systems
The first aspect of the Core 2 A+ exam, Operating Systems, covers 27% of the entire examination. This aspect will test your knowledge of the different types of operating systems and their purposes. That’s not all; it’ll also cover the different methods of OS installation, how to use Microsoft command-line tools, and how to run the configuration of Microsoft Windows networking on a client/desktop.
Security
The Security aspect of Core 2 covers 24% of the entire examination. For this stage, you need to understand the essence of physical security measures, concepts of logical security, and how to implement the best security measures to address vulnerabilities.
Software Troubleshooting
Like the name, the Software Troubleshooting aspect of Core 2, which covers 26% of the entire exam, will test your knowledge of how to troubleshoot and resolve different issues related to Microsoft Windows OS and PC security. Furthermore, this section will validate your knowledge of how to troubleshoot various issues relating to mobile OS and applications.
Operational Procedures
Lastly, the Operational Procedures aspect of Core 2, which covers 23% of the entire exam, will focus on testing your knowledge of disaster prevention and recovery, management best practices, environmental impact & control, remote access technologies, and all.
The passing score of the CompTIA A+ Core 2 exam is 700 – on a scale of 100 to 900. After passing this exam, you’ll be certified as a CompTIA A+ professional.
