Training course

This is a free, self-paced reading course for CompTIA A+, the vendor-neutral first credential for hands-on IT work, and the one hiring managers look for when filling help desk, desktop support, field service, and technical support roles. A+ is unusual in that it takes two exams: Core 1 (220-1201) covers hardware, networking, mobile devices, and cloud fundamentals, and Core 2 (220-1202) covers operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and professional procedures. This course covers both, in one place, in the order CompTIA publishes them.

The course is organized as one module per official exam domain (five for Core 1, four for Core 2, nine in total) and each module carries the domain’s published weight. That structure matters more on A+ than on most exams, because the weighting is uneven in ways that are easy to misjudge. Hardware and Network Troubleshooting alone is 28% of Core 1, and Hardware another 25%; on Core 2 nothing drops below 21%, so there is no domain you can safely skip. Reading in weight order keeps your study time proportional to what the exams actually ask, and each lesson ends with its key terms and suggested further reading so the course works as a reference on a second pass.

220-1201 & 220-1202 Foundational level 9 modules Domain-weighted Self-paced Free account

What the course covers

Mobile Devices

Module 1 · Core 1 · 13%

Laptops, tablets, and phones as physical machines, swapping batteries, displays, and antennas; configuring Bluetooth, NFC, and docking accessories; and getting cellular, Wi-Fi, and synchronization settings right for the users who live on these devices.

Networking

Module 2 · Core 1 · 23%

The connectivity layer every support ticket eventually touches: TCP versus UDP and the well-known ports, wireless standards, the services running on networked hosts (DHCP, DNS, file and print) common networking hardware, and configuring a small office/home office network end to end.

Hardware

Module 3 · Core 1 · 25%

The physical craft of the job: cables and connectors, RAM types, storage devices from NVMe to RAID, motherboards, CPUs, and power supplies, plus printers and multifunction devices, which remain the great humbler of IT professionals everywhere.

Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Module 4 · Core 1 · 11%

The smallest domain on either exam, but a fast-growing part of the role: cloud models and characteristics, client-side virtualization, and the purposes of virtual machines, the concepts a technician needs when the computer being supported does not physically exist.

Hardware and Network Troubleshooting

Module 5 · Core 1 · 28%

The largest domain in Core 1, because it is the essence of the job: diagnosing failing drives, RAM, and power issues; video, projector, and display problems; mobile device faults; printer misbehavior; and wired and wireless network symptoms, always in scenario form, asking what you would check next.

Operating Systems

Module 6 · Core 2 · 28%

Windows editions, installations, and upgrades headline this domain, through Windows 11, alongside macOS and Linux fundamentals, command-line tools, and the control panels and settings a technician navigates dozens of times a day.

Security

Module 7 · Core 2 · 28%

Security at the endpoint, where users actually get compromised: malware types and removal, social engineering, authentication and permissions, wireless security, workstation and mobile hardening, and the physical and logical controls that protect a small environment.

Software Troubleshooting

Module 8 · Core 2 · 23%

When the hardware is fine but nothing works: diagnosing Windows operating system problems, resolving application crashes, cleaning up malware infections in the proper sequence of steps, and untangling mobile operating system and app issues.

Operational Procedures

Module 9 · Core 2 · 21%

The professional wrapper around the technical work: documentation and ticketing, change management, backup and recovery, safety and environmental practices, privacy and licensing basics, scripting fundamentals, remote access technologies, and communicating with the human attached to the broken machine.

How to use it

Read one Core at a time rather than all nine modules straight through. Because the two exams are scheduled, paid for, and passed separately, the most efficient plan is usually to finish modules 1-5, sit Core 1, then come back for modules 6-9 and sit Core 2, taking them in either order is allowed, but both passes have to come from the same version series. After each module, work the matching questions in the two full-length Core mocks on the A+ certification guide instead of waiting until you have read everything. The course modules themselves open once you are signed in to a free Certifym account.

Both exams lean heavily on performance-based and scenario questions that ask what you would check next, which is a different skill from recalling what a term means, so pair the reading with a machine you are willing to open, a spare drive, and a router you can reconfigure. For exam logistics, including the different cut scores for the two Cores (675 for Core 1, 700 for Core 2 on a 900-point scale), question formats, and version timelines, see the A+ certification guide.

CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202)

One module per exam domain across both Cores, weighted the way CompTIA weights them.

A self-paced reading course for CompTIA A+, the vendor-neutral first credential for hands-on IT work and the one hiring managers look for when filling help desk, desktop support, field service, and technical support roles. A+ is unusual in requiring two exams, and this course covers both: modules 1 through 5 are Core 1 (220-1201) and modules 6 through 9 are Core 2 (220-1202).

The course is organized as one module per official exam domain, in the order CompTIA publishes them, and each module carries its domain's published weight scaled across the two exams, so the time you spend maps to the time the exams spend. Core 1 takes you through mobile devices, networking, hardware, virtualization and cloud computing, and hardware and network troubleshooting. Core 2 covers operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. Every lesson ends with its key terms and further reading, so the course works as a reference on a second pass as well as a syllabus on the first.

There are no formal prerequisites, and the course does not assume prior IT experience — it starts at the hardware and works up. Both exams lean on performance-based and scenario questions that ask what you would check next, so pair the reading with a machine you are willing to open, a spare drive, and a router you can reconfigure. Certifym is an independent study publisher and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CompTIA, Inc.

Module 1: Mobile Devices 6% of exam

Core 1 opens with the machines people carry. This module covers laptops, tablets, and phones as physical objects you take apart and put back together: replacing batteries, keyboards, memory, storage, wireless cards, and display assemblies, and understanding the components layered into a laptop lid.It then moves to how those devices connect and stay in sync — USB-C and Lightning, Bluetooth pairing, NFC, docking stations and port replicators, cellular generations, hotspot and tethering, mobile email configuration, and the mobile device management policies that separate corporate data from personal data on the same handset.

1.1 Laptop hardware and component replacement 5 min Free preview
1.2 Display components and laptop features 5 min 🔒
1.3 Mobile device connectivity and accessories 5 min 🔒
1.4 Mobile network configuration, email, and synchronization 5 min 🔒

Module 2: Networking 12% of exam

Networking is the connectivity layer every support ticket eventually touches, and at 23% it is the second-largest domain on Core 1. The module starts with the protocol and port table the exam expects you to recall on sight, then works outward through the hardware that moves the frames — switches, routers, access points, firewalls, and Power over Ethernet.From there you cover wireless standards and the frequency bands they use, the services running on networked hosts such as DNS and DHCP, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, and finally the end-to-end configuration of a small office or home office network, including internet connection types and the command-line tools you use to prove where a fault lies.

2.1 Ports, protocols, and TCP versus UDP 5 min 🔒
2.2 Networking hardware and Power over Ethernet 5 min 🔒
2.3 Wireless standards, frequencies, and channels 5 min 🔒
2.4 Network services and server roles 5 min 🔒
2.5 IP addressing and host configuration 5 min 🔒
2.6 SOHO networks, internet connection types, and network tools 5 min 🔒

Module 3: Hardware 13% of exam

Hardware is the largest single domain in Core 1 after troubleshooting, and it is the physical craft of the job. The module works through cables and connectors, memory types and form factors, storage devices from spinning disks to NVMe and the RAID levels built from them, motherboards, CPUs, expansion cards, and the firmware settings that control them.It closes with power — supply sizing, connectors, and protection — and with printers and multifunction devices, which carry more objective coverage than most candidates expect. You cover installation and configuration, sharing and security settings, the imaging process of each printer type, and the consumables and maintenance each demands.

3.1 Cables and connectors 5 min 🔒
3.2 System memory: types, form factors, and channels 5 min 🔒
3.3 Storage devices, interfaces, and RAID 5 min 🔒
3.4 Motherboards, CPUs, expansion cards, and firmware 5 min 🔒
3.5 Power supplies and power protection 5 min 🔒
3.6 Installing and configuring printers and multifunction devices 5 min 🔒
3.7 Printer types, imaging processes, and consumables 5 min 🔒

Module 4: Virtualization and Cloud Computing 5% of exam

The smallest domain on either exam, and the one candidates most often under-read because it looks conceptual. It is: the questions ask you to identify a cloud model or characteristic from a description, or to specify what a workstation needs before it can run virtual machines.The module covers the deployment and service models, the defining characteristics of cloud computing including elasticity and metered utilization, virtual desktop infrastructure, client-side virtualization with type 1 and type 2 hypervisors, the resource and security requirements virtualization imposes, and how virtual machines are networked, snapshotted, and distinguished from containers.

4.1 Cloud models and characteristics 5 min 🔒
4.2 Client-side virtualization and hypervisors 5 min 🔒
4.3 Virtual machine networking, snapshots, and containers 5 min 🔒

Module 5: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting 14% of exam

The largest domain in Core 1, and the essence of the job. Every objective here begins with the phrase “given a scenario,” which tells you exactly how the questions are written: a symptom, a context, and a request for what you would check next.The module opens with CompTIA's troubleshooting methodology, which is the framework the rest of the domain assumes, then works through motherboard, processor, memory and power symptoms, storage and RAID failures, display and video problems, mobile device faults, printer misbehavior, and wired and wireless network symptoms. Throughout, the aim is to reason from symptom to probable cause rather than to memorize fault tables.

5.1 The troubleshooting methodology 5 min Free preview
5.2 Motherboard, CPU, memory, and power symptoms 5 min 🔒
5.3 Storage drive and RAID array problems 5 min 🔒
5.4 Video, projector, and display problems 5 min 🔒
5.5 Mobile device troubleshooting 5 min 🔒
5.6 Printer troubleshooting 5 min 🔒
5.7 Wired and wireless network troubleshooting 5 min 🔒

Module 6: Operating Systems 14% of exam

Core 2 opens with the largest of its four domains, tied with Security at 28%. This is the software half of the technician's job: Windows editions and their features, the command line, the Settings app and Control Panel, the administrative tools you reach for when something is wrong, and the networking configuration a workstation needs to join a domain and reach its shares.The module then covers installing and upgrading operating systems — boot methods, partitioning schemes, file systems, and the checks that precede an upgrade — along with application installation requirements, and closes with macOS, Linux, and the other operating systems A+ expects you to work with alongside Windows.

6.1 Windows editions, features, and upgrade paths 5 min 🔒
6.2 The Windows command line 5 min 🔒
6.3 Windows Settings and Control Panel utilities 5 min 🔒
6.4 Windows administrative and management tools 5 min 🔒
6.5 Configuring Windows networking 5 min 🔒
6.6 Installing operating systems and applications 5 min 🔒
6.7 macOS, Linux, and other operating systems 5 min 🔒

Module 7: Security 14% of exam

Security is tied with Operating Systems as the largest domain in Core 2, and it is deliberately endpoint-focused: this is security where users actually get compromised rather than security as an architecture discipline. The module covers physical and logical access controls, Active Directory concepts, wireless security and authentication protocols, malware types and the tools that address them, and the social engineering attacks that bypass every technical control.It continues into workstation hardening and account management, securing small office networks and browsers, and mobile and embedded device protection, and closes with data destruction and disposal — the last security decision a device receives.

7.1 Physical and logical security controls 5 min 🔒
7.2 Wireless security and authentication protocols 5 min 🔒
7.3 Malware types and the tools that stop it 5 min 🔒
7.4 Social engineering, threats, and vulnerabilities 5 min 🔒
7.5 Workstation security and account management 5 min 🔒
7.6 Securing SOHO networks and browsers 5 min 🔒
7.7 Mobile device security and data destruction 5 min 🔒

Module 8: Software Troubleshooting 12% of exam

When the hardware is fine but nothing works. This domain applies the same methodology as Core 1's troubleshooting domain to the software layer, and the questions are written the same way: a symptom, a context, and a request for what you would check next.The module covers Windows boot and startup failures, performance and application problems, the symptoms that indicate a compromised PC and the browser behaviors that accompany them, the seven-step malware removal procedure CompTIA tests as an ordered sequence, and mobile operating system and application problems including the security symptoms particular to phones and tablets.

8.1 Windows boot and startup failures 5 min 🔒
8.2 Windows performance, service, and application problems 5 min 🔒
8.3 PC security symptoms and browser problems 5 min 🔒
8.4 The malware removal procedure 5 min 🔒
8.5 Mobile operating system and application problems 5 min 🔒
8.6 Mobile operating system and application security issues 5 min 🔒

Module 9: Operational Procedures 10% of exam

The professional wrapper around the technical work, and at more than a fifth of Core 2 it is far too large to treat as an afterthought. This is the domain that distinguishes someone who can fix a computer from someone an organization can employ.The module covers documentation, ticketing and asset management; change management and the backup and recovery practices that make change survivable; safety procedures and environmental controls; incident response, licensing, regulated data, and professional communication; and finally scripting fundamentals and the remote access technologies a technician uses to reach a machine they cannot walk to.

9.1 Documentation, ticketing, and asset management 5 min 🔒
9.2 Change management, backup, and recovery 5 min 🔒
9.3 Safety procedures and environmental controls 5 min 🔒
9.4 Incident response, licensing, privacy, and professionalism 5 min 🔒
9.5 Scripting basics and remote access technologies 5 min 🔒

Frequently asked questions about the A+ training course

Is the A+ training course free?

Yes. The course costs nothing to read and opens once you are signed in to a free Certifym account, no payment and no card.

Does the course cover both Core 1 and Core 2?

Yes. There is one module per official exam domain across both exams: modules 1 through 5 are Core 1 (220-1201), modules 6 through 9 are Core 2 (220-1202), each carrying the weight CompTIA publishes for that domain. You do not need a separate course for the second exam.

Does this replace CompTIA’s official training?

No. The complete official exam objectives are published by CompTIA and are the authoritative source for what is testable; download them from comptia.org and study against them. This course is an independent study companion written to be read quickly and to slot alongside practice questions.

Do I need IT experience before starting?

There are no formal prerequisites for A+. CompTIA recommends about 12 months of hands-on IT support experience, but nothing stops you from registering without it, and the course does not assume you already have it. It starts from the hardware and works up.

What should I do after finishing the course?

Work the full-length Core 1 and Core 2 mocks on the A+ certification guide under timed conditions until you are clearing every domain consistently rather than leaning on your strong ones, then schedule the two exams. After A+, the usual next step is Network+, then Security+ or Linux+.

Is the course current with the latest A+ objectives?

The course is built against the V15 series, Core 1 220-1201 and Core 2 220-1202, which launched in March 2025. Retirement is estimated around 2028 on CompTIA’s usual three-year cycle, but that date is not guaranteed. CompTIA can revise the objectives at any time; verify the current version and objectives on CompTIA’s official website before you schedule.

Trademark notice & independence. Certifym.net is operated by Certifym Exam Services, LLC and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CompTIA, Inc. CompTIA® and A+® are registered trademarks of CompTIA, Inc. Use of these marks is solely to identify the certification for which these study materials are intended. The 220-1201 and 220-1202 exam objectives, including the domain titles and weightings referenced above, are the copyrighted property of CompTIA, Inc.; candidates should download the complete, official objectives directly from CompTIA at comptia.org.

All course content, questions, answers, and explanations on Certifym are original content created for study purposes. They are not actual CompTIA training materials or examination questions and are not represented as such. Studying with these materials does not guarantee a passing result on any live certification exam. Exam requirements, format, domain weights, scoring, and version timelines are set by CompTIA and may change; always verify current details on CompTIA’s official website before scheduling your exams.