CompTIA Network+

CompTIA

Complete guide to passing the CompTIA Network+ exam on your first attempt.

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Key Information at a Glance

Cost

$358

Pass Rate

~70%

Validity

3 years

Region

Global

Provider

CompTIA

Salary Impact

$55k-$80k

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Complete Overview

CompTIA Network+ is a single-exam, vendor-neutral networking certification aimed at technical support, network operations and system administration roles, and the current version is V9 under exam code N10-009. CompTIA sells the exam voucher through its own store rather than publishing a fixed global list price on a static page, and the price differs by region, so the store is the only reliable place to check what you will pay before booking. The exam launched on 20 June 2024 and CompTIA estimates retirement in 2027, following its usual pattern of retiring a version about three years after launch.

The exam runs 90 minutes and carries a maximum of 90 questions, mixing multiple choice with performance-based questions delivered in a simulated interface. The passing score is 720 on a scale of 100 to 900. CompTIA recommends holding A+ first, plus 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience in a junior network administrator or network support technician role, though no prerequisite is enforced at booking. The exam is offered in English, German, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.

Five domains carry published weights that sum to 100 percent: network troubleshooting at 24 percent, networking concepts at 23 percent, network implementation at 20 percent, network operations at 19 percent and network security at 14 percent. Troubleshooting and concepts together account for 47 percent of the exam, which is the single most useful fact for planning study time. Security is the smallest domain at 14 percent, a deliberate split, because CompTIA positions Security+ as the next credential rather than folding deep security content into Network+.

CompTIA does not publish a pass rate for Network+ or for any other certification. Its Exam Development policy states that CompTIA exams are criterion-referenced against a cut score rather than norm-referenced, that exam content, results data and analyses are classified as highly confidential, and that it is CompTIA policy not to disclose pass rates to any external third party. Network+ is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board under ISO 17024, and CompTIA estimates 5,000 subject matter expert hours go into developing a single exam.

Network+ is valid for three years and enrols automatically in CompTIA's Continuing Education programme. Renewal takes 30 continuing education units across the cycle plus a total CE fee of $150, or it happens without a fee when the holder earns a higher CompTIA certification. In CompTIA's hierarchy Network+ sits above A+ and below Security+, so passing Network+ also renews an existing A+ at no extra cost. CompTIA maps Network+ to three NICE and DoD 8140 work roles: technical support specialist, network operations specialist and system administrator.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for computer network support specialists at $73,340 in May 2024, against $60,340 for computer user support specialists, and it is the only branch of computer support the BLS projects to grow between 2024 and 2034, at 2 percent. Exams are delivered at Pearson VUE test centres or online through OnVUE remote proctoring, with the score shown on screen at the end of the session.

Why Get CompTIA Network+ Certified?

One exam, 90 minutes, five published domains, against the two separate exams and 180 minutes that A+ requires, so the whole credential can be closed in a single sitting.

The published domain weights sum to 100 percent and are specific enough to plan against: troubleshooting 24 percent, concepts 23 percent, implementation 20 percent, operations 19 percent and security 14 percent.

CompTIA maps Network+ to three NICE and DoD 8140 work roles, technical support specialist, network operations specialist and system administrator, which matters for US federal and contractor hiring.

Passing Network+ renews an existing A+ automatically without paying the A+ CE fee, because CompTIA renews lower certifications when a higher one is earned.

The credential is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board under ISO 17024, one of eight CompTIA certifications the vendor lists as holding that accreditation.

CompTIA lists Network+ and two years of security or systems administration experience as the recommended background for Security+, so this exam is the published on-ramp to the cybersecurity track.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for computer network support specialists at $73,340 in May 2024, roughly $13,000 above computer user support specialists, and projects 2 percent growth in the role to 2034 while general computer support declines 3 percent.

Exam Format & Structure

Duration

90 minutes. CompTIA structures its exams as a single session with no scheduled breaks, at test centres and through OnVUE alike.

Questions

A maximum of 90 questions. CompTIA publishes a ceiling rather than a fixed count and does not disclose how many questions are required to pass or how many a candidate answered incorrectly.

Passing Score

720 on a scale of 100 to 900. CompTIA sets passing scores by statistical analysis and states they are subject to change.

Question Types

Multiple choice, single response
Multiple choice, multiple response
Performance-based questions delivered in a simulated interface

Delivery Method

Computer-based at a Pearson VUE test centre, or online through Pearson VUE OnVUE remote proctoring. CompTIA offers online testing for all its certifications except in China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, South Korea, Slovenia, Sudan and Syria. Test centre candidates are photographed before testing and cannot sit the exam if they decline; OnVUE candidates are webcam-recorded throughout.

How scoring works

Score scale

100 to 900 scaled, as published on CompTIA's Network+ certification page.

Score needed to pass

720. CompTIA states that passing scores are set using statistical analysis and are subject to change.

When results arrive

The score appears on screen immediately after the exam. Test centre candidates receive a printed score report carrying their photograph; online candidates find the report in their Pearson VUE account within 24 hours. The exam record appears in the CompTIA certification account within five business days, and passing triggers a CompTIA Certmetrics email. The report names the exam objectives attached to questions answered incorrectly, but not the questions or the count.

How the scale is built

CompTIA describes calculating a scaled score with a mathematical algorithm from what would otherwise be a percentage score, with the cut score set by statistical analysis. The model is criterion-referenced: your score is compared to an established standard for minimal competency in the job role, never to other candidates, so there is no curve. Scoring is compensatory across the five domains, because a weak domain can be offset by a strong one and there is no per-domain minimum. CompTIA does not disclose the number of questions required to pass, the number answered incorrectly, or the raw-to-scale conversion, and it publishes no negative-marking rule for Network+.

Pacing and time budget

90 questions in 90 minutes gives you 1 minute exactly, since the exam allows a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes. Performance-based questions and subnetting items each consume several minutes, so the average has to be beaten on the recall questions. per question.

Every performance-based question located and flagged, subnetting reference written onto the digital whiteboard, and 3 to 5 recall questions cleared

About 30 multiple-choice questions, running ahead of the one-minute average to bank time for simulations and subnetting

About 60 questions, with every remaining unflagged item answerable in under 45 seconds

All multiple-choice and multiple-response questions answered, leaving only flagged performance-based items and flagged subnetting calculations

All performance-based questions attempted and every flagged item revisited, with 5 minutes reserved for a final sweep for unanswered questions

At this point	You should have answered
5	Every performance-based question located and flagged, subnetting reference written onto the digital whiteboard, and 3 to 5 recall questions cleared
25	About 30 multiple-choice questions, running ahead of the one-minute average to bank time for simulations and subnetting
50	About 60 questions, with every remaining unflagged item answerable in under 45 seconds
65	All multiple-choice and multiple-response questions answered, leaving only flagged performance-based items and flagged subnetting calculations
85	All performance-based questions attempted and every flagged item revisited, with 5 minutes reserved for a final sweep for unanswered questions

Subnetting is the hidden pacing tax on this exam. A single VLSM question can take three minutes if the method is not automatic, which is three recall questions lost. Drill until it takes under a minute.
The 28 minutes CompTIA allows for the Candidate Agreement review sit outside the 90-minute exam clock, so reading it does not eat into your time.
Performance-based questions are simulations and cannot be resolved by elimination. Banking the multiple choice first converts them from a time risk into a bonus.
The exam is a single session with no scheduled breaks, so plan hydration and food before check-in rather than mid-exam.
Troubleshooting at 24 percent means roughly one question in four presents a fault scenario. These read long, so budget more than a minute each and take the time back on ports and protocol recall.
Under OnVUE all working goes on the built-in digital whiteboard, which is slower than paper. Practise binary conversion and prefix arithmetic mentally so the whiteboard only records the answer.

Where the marks are

Network troubleshooting

24%

The largest domain. Scenario questions describe a symptom and ask for the next step or the right tool, covering cabling, interfaces, switching, routing, address exhaustion and performance faults.

Networking concepts

23%

The theory the rest of the exam assumes: OSI layers, appliances, cloud models, ports and protocols, traffic types, media and connectors, topologies and IPv4 addressing including VLSM and CIDR.

Network implementation

20%

Configuration-level questions on static and dynamic routing with BGP, EIGRP and OSPF, NAT and PAT, VLANs, spanning tree, MTU, wireless channels and encryption, and physical installation constraints.

Network operations

19%

Process and documentation recall: diagram and inventory types, IPAM, SLAs, end of life and end of support, change and configuration management, SNMP and flow data, and RPO, RTO, MTTR and MTBF.

Network security

14%

The smallest domain and deliberately shallow. Authentication and authorisation protocols, segmentation for IoT and OT, named attacks such as VLAN hopping and evil twin, and hardening controls including NAC and ACLs.

IPv4 addressing and subnetting

Inside the 23 percent networking concepts domain; CompTIA does not publish a sub-weight

Named explicitly in the objectives as public versus private, APIPA, RFC1918, loopback, VLSM, CIDR and address classes, and it also drives routing and troubleshooting questions in two other domains.

Ports and protocols

Inside the 23 percent networking concepts domain; CompTIA does not publish a sub-weight

Thirteen protocols are named in the objectives. Troubleshooting items describe a blocked service and expect you to identify the port an access control list is dropping, so recall has to work in both directions.

CompTIA troubleshooting methodology

Inside the 24 percent network troubleshooting domain; CompTIA does not publish a sub-weight

Published as six ordered steps from identifying the problem to documenting findings. Questions ask which step a scenario describes or which comes next, so the sequence is worth memorising verbatim.

Topic	Weight	Why it scores
Network troubleshooting	24%	The largest domain. Scenario questions describe a symptom and ask for the next step or the right tool, covering cabling, interfaces, switching, routing, address exhaustion and performance faults.
Networking concepts	23%	The theory the rest of the exam assumes: OSI layers, appliances, cloud models, ports and protocols, traffic types, media and connectors, topologies and IPv4 addressing including VLSM and CIDR.
Network implementation	20%	Configuration-level questions on static and dynamic routing with BGP, EIGRP and OSPF, NAT and PAT, VLANs, spanning tree, MTU, wireless channels and encryption, and physical installation constraints.
Network operations	19%	Process and documentation recall: diagram and inventory types, IPAM, SLAs, end of life and end of support, change and configuration management, SNMP and flow data, and RPO, RTO, MTTR and MTBF.
Network security	14%	The smallest domain and deliberately shallow. Authentication and authorisation protocols, segmentation for IoT and OT, named attacks such as VLAN hopping and evil twin, and hardening controls including NAC and ACLs.
IPv4 addressing and subnetting	Inside the 23 percent networking concepts domain; CompTIA does not publish a sub-weight	Named explicitly in the objectives as public versus private, APIPA, RFC1918, loopback, VLSM, CIDR and address classes, and it also drives routing and troubleshooting questions in two other domains.
Ports and protocols	Inside the 23 percent networking concepts domain; CompTIA does not publish a sub-weight	Thirteen protocols are named in the objectives. Troubleshooting items describe a blocked service and expect you to identify the port an access control list is dropping, so recall has to work in both directions.
CompTIA troubleshooting methodology	Inside the 24 percent network troubleshooting domain; CompTIA does not publish a sub-weight	Published as six ordered steps from identifying the problem to documenting findings. Questions ask which step a scenario describes or which comes next, so the sequence is worth memorising verbatim.

The numbers

720 on a scale of 100 to 900

Passing score

Source: CompTIA, Network+ certification exam details

Launched 20 June 2024, retirement estimated 2027

Launch date and estimated retirement, exam series N10-009 (V9)

Source: CompTIA, Network+ certification exam details

90 minutes, maximum of 90 questions

Exam length and question ceiling

Source: CompTIA, Network+ certification exam details

30 continuing education units plus a $150 total CE fee

Renewal requirement over the three-year cycle

Source: CompTIA, Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Continuing Education Renewal Fees

At least 14 calendar days from the last attempt

Wait required before a third or subsequent attempt

Source: CompTIA Certification Retake Policy

$73,340, with 152,700 jobs in 2024 and 2 percent projected growth to 2034

Median annual wage, computer network support specialists, May 2024

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Computer Support Specialists

If you fail

Wait before retaking

No waiting period between the first and second attempt. Before a third attempt, and before any subsequent attempt, CompTIA requires at least 14 calendar days from the date of the last attempt. Client-proctored exams follow the same rule, and CompTIA states these requirements cannot be waived under any circumstances.

Attempt limit

CompTIA publishes no cap on attempts, provided the 14-day interval is observed from the third attempt onward. Beta examinations may be taken only once. A candidate who has passed and certified cannot retake the same exam code without prior consent from CompTIA and must wait for a new exam series.

Retake fee

The full exam price for every attempt. CompTIA states that candidates must pay the exam price each time they attempt the exam and that it does not offer any free re-tests or discounts on retakes. The two exceptions are a Retake Assurance voucher bought inside a CompTIA bundle, which activates only after you take and do not pass the exam, and a free retake where CompTIA classifies a score as indeterminate.

A voucher is consumed by the attempt whether you pass or fail, and vouchers expire 12 months after issue with no extensions. Rescheduling a test centre appointment inside 24 hours, or failing to appear, forfeits the fee; online proctored appointments can be rescheduled or cancelled up until the scheduled start time. Violating the retake policy invalidates the test and can trigger a suspension, and CompTIA states repeat violators are permanently banned. The score report names the objectives attached to your missed questions, which is the most useful input for a second attempt. Candidates who want a result reviewed can request a manual rescore through the CompTIA Help Center, where an Exam Services staff member compares the responses to the official answer key.

Exam Domains & Topics

Network troubleshooting

24%

The largest domain. Applying a structured methodology to cabling, interface, service, routing and performance faults, and selecting the right tool for each.

Key Topics to Master:

Troubleshooting methodology: identify the problem, establish a theory, test it, plan and implement a solution, verify functionality, document findings
Cable issues including incorrect type, signal degradation, improper termination and transposed TX and RX
Interface issues including increasing counters and port status, plus PoE, transceiver mismatch and signal strength
Switching faults: spanning tree, VLAN assignment and access control lists
Routing faults: routing table entries, default routes, address pool exhaustion, incorrect gateway, IP or subnet mask
Performance faults: congestion, latency, packet loss and wireless interference
Tools: protocol analysers, command line tools, cable testers and Wi-Fi analysers

Networking concepts

23%

The theory layer the rest of the exam assumes: the OSI model, appliances, cloud, ports and protocols, media, connectors, topologies and IPv4 addressing.

Key Topics to Master:

OSI model layers: physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, application
Networking appliances: routers, switches, firewalls, IDS and IPS, load balancers, proxies, NAS, SAN and wireless devices
Cloud concepts: NFV, VPC, network security groups, cloud gateways, public, private and hybrid deployment, SaaS, IaaS and PaaS
Ports and protocols: FTP, SFTP, SSH, Telnet, SMTP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP, LDAP, RDP and SIP
Traffic types: unicast, multicast, anycast and broadcast
Transmission media and connectors: 802.11, cellular, satellite, fibre, coaxial, DAC, SC, LC, ST, MPO, RJ11, RJ45, F-type and BNC
Topologies: mesh, hybrid, star and hub and spoke, spine and leaf, point-to-point, three-tier and collapsed core
IPv4 addressing: public versus private, APIPA, RFC1918, loopback, VLSM, CIDR subnetting and classes A through E

Network implementation

20%

Building the network: routing, switching, wireless deployment and the physical realities of installing equipment.

Key Topics to Master:

Routing: static and dynamic routing with BGP, EIGRP and OSPF, route selection, NAT, PAT, FHRP, VIP and subinterfaces
Switching: VLANs, interface configuration, spanning tree, MTU and jumbo frames
Wireless: channels, frequency options, SSID, network types, encryption, guest networks and authentication
Wireless hardware: antennas and access point placement
Physical installations: installation implications and rack considerations
Power considerations and environmental factors

Network operations

19%

Running the network day to day: documentation, life-cycle, change and configuration management, monitoring, disaster recovery and network services.

Key Topics to Master:

Documentation: physical versus logical diagrams, rack diagrams, cable maps, asset inventory, IPAM, SLAs and wireless surveys
Life-cycle management: end of life, end of support, software management and decommissioning
Change management request process tracking, and configuration management across production, backup and baseline configurations
Monitoring: SNMP, flow data, packet capture, baseline metrics, log aggregation, API integration and port mirroring
Disaster recovery: RPO, RTO, MTTR, MTBF, cold, warm and hot sites, active-active and active-passive, and testing
Network services: DHCP, SLAAC, DNS, NTP, PTP and NTS
Access and management: VPNs, SSH, GUI, API and console

Network security

14%

The smallest domain. Logical and physical security, segmentation, attack recognition and hardening, pitched below the depth Security+ expects.

Key Topics to Master:

Logical security: encryption in transit and at rest, PKI, IAM, MFA, SSO, RADIUS, LDAP, SAML, TACACS+, time-based authentication, least privilege, role-based access control and geofencing
Physical security including cameras and locks, and deception technologies including honeypots and honeynets
Security terminology: risk, vulnerability, exploit, threat and the CIA triad
Audits and compliance: data locality, PCI DSS and GDPR
Segmentation for IoT, IIoT, SCADA, ICS, OT, guest networks and BYOD
Attacks: DoS and DDoS, VLAN hopping, MAC flooding, ARP poisoning and spoofing, DNS poisoning and spoofing, rogue devices and services, evil twin, on-path attacks and social engineering
Defences: device hardening, NAC, key management, ACLs, URL and content filtering, trusted versus untrusted zones and screened subnets

Recommended Study Plan

Week 1: Set scope and lock the OSI model

10 to 12 hours

1Download the official N10-009 exam objectives from CompTIA and print the five domain weights, since troubleshooting at 24 percent and concepts at 23 percent together carry 47 percent of the exam
2Confirm every resource you buy names N10-009, because N10-008 material predates the June 2024 launch and the domain structure changed
3Learn the seven OSI layers in both directions and place every appliance and protocol in the objectives onto a layer
4Watch Professor Messer's free N10-009 concepts modules and take notes against numbered objectives rather than video titles
5Build a one-page appliance table: routers, switches, firewalls, IDS and IPS, load balancers, proxies, NAS, SAN and wireless devices
6Sit a 25-question concepts quiz and log every miss against an objective number

Week 2: Ports, protocols and traffic types

9 to 11 hours

1Memorise every protocol and port pair in the objectives: FTP, SFTP, SSH, Telnet, SMTP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP, HTTPS, SNMP, LDAP, RDP and SIP
2Drill the list in both directions, port to protocol and protocol to port, under a three-minute timer
3Learn unicast, multicast, anycast and broadcast and identify a real use for each
4Capture traffic with Wireshark and identify five of the memorised protocols in the capture
5Learn which protocols run over TCP, which over UDP, and which over both
6Re-test the appliance table from week 1 without notes

Week 3: IPv4 addressing and subnetting

11 to 13 hours

1Learn classes A through E, RFC1918 private ranges, APIPA behaviour and the loopback range
2Practise CIDR and VLSM until you can produce network address, broadcast address, usable host range and host count for any prefix in under 60 seconds
3Subnet 30 addresses a day for the whole week, mixing prefix lengths from /8 to /30
4Learn the magic number method so subnetting works without a calculator, since none is allowed in the exam
5Design a VLSM addressing plan for a fictional five-site network and check it for overlap
6Sit a 20-question subnetting drill under a 20-minute timer

Week 4: Media, connectors, topologies and cloud concepts

10 to 12 hours

1Learn transmission media: 802.11, cellular, satellite, fibre, coaxial and direct attach copper
2Learn transceivers and connectors by sight: SC, LC, ST, MPO, RJ11, RJ45, F-type and BNC
3Learn topologies including spine and leaf, three-tier and collapsed core, and know where each is deployed
4Cover cloud concepts: NFV, VPC, network security groups, cloud gateways, and the public, private and hybrid deployment models
5Place real products against SaaS, IaaS and PaaS so the models stop being abstract
6Sit a full 90-question, 90-minute practice exam to get a first domain breakdown

Week 5: Routing

11 to 13 hours

1Learn static routing and route selection, then dynamic routing with OSPF, EIGRP and BGP at the depth the objectives set
2Build a three-router topology in GNS3, Packet Tracer or containerlab and watch a routing table converge
3Learn NAT and PAT and be able to explain the difference in one sentence
4Cover FHRP and virtual IPs, and know what problem each solves
5Configure subinterfaces for router-on-a-stick and verify inter-VLAN routing works
6Break the lab deliberately: wrong default route, wrong mask, and diagnose each fault

Week 6: Switching and wireless implementation

11 to 13 hours

1Configure VLANs, access ports and trunk ports in a lab and verify tagging behaviour
2Learn spanning tree port states and roles, and what happens when a loop forms without it
3Cover MTU and jumbo frames and when each matters
4Learn wireless channels, frequency bands, SSID configuration, encryption and guest network isolation
5Cover antenna types and access point placement, plus wireless authentication methods
6Cover physical installation implications, power considerations and environmental factors

Week 7: Network operations, part one

10 to 12 hours

1Learn documentation types: physical versus logical diagrams, rack diagrams, cable maps, asset inventory, IPAM, SLAs and wireless surveys
2Cover life-cycle management: end of life, end of support, software management and decommissioning
3Learn the change management request process as an ordered sequence, because ordering questions are common
4Cover configuration management across production, backup and baseline configurations
5Learn network services in the objectives: DHCP, SLAAC, DNS, NTP, PTP and NTS
6Cover access and management methods: VPN, SSH, GUI, API and console

Week 8: Network operations, part two, and monitoring

10 to 12 hours

1Learn SNMP versions, flow data, packet capture, log aggregation, API integration and port mirroring
2Set up a monitoring tool against a lab device and read the baseline metrics it produces
3Learn RPO, RTO, MTTR and MTBF and be able to state which measures recovery and which measures failure
4Compare cold, warm and hot sites, and active-active against active-passive
5Cover disaster recovery testing types and what each one proves
6Sit a 45-question operations and monitoring drill

Week 9: Network security

9 to 11 hours

1Learn the authentication and authorisation stack: PKI, IAM, MFA, SSO, RADIUS, LDAP, SAML and TACACS+
2Learn least privilege, role-based access control, time-based authentication and geofencing
3Cover the attack list in the objectives one by one, with the defence for each: DoS and DDoS, VLAN hopping, MAC flooding, ARP poisoning, DNS poisoning, rogue devices, evil twin, on-path attacks and social engineering
4Learn segmentation for IoT, IIoT, SCADA, ICS, OT, guest and BYOD
5Cover device hardening, NAC, key management, ACLs, URL and content filtering, trusted versus untrusted zones and screened subnets
6Remember this domain is only 14 percent of the exam, so cap the time you spend on it

Week 10: Troubleshooting methodology and cabling faults

11 to 13 hours

1Learn CompTIA's troubleshooting steps in exact order and be able to name the step a scenario is describing
2Practise cable faults: incorrect type, signal degradation, improper termination and transposed TX and RX
3Practise interface faults: increasing error counters, port status, PoE budget, transceiver mismatch and signal strength
4Use a cable tester and a toner probe in a lab, and record what each one proves and what it does not
5Work through 30 scenario prompts writing your own next step before reading the options
6Log every scenario where you jumped to a solution before establishing a theory

Week 11: Service, routing and performance troubleshooting

12 to 14 hours

1Practise switching faults: spanning tree convergence, wrong VLAN assignment and blocking ACLs
2Practise routing faults: missing routes, wrong default route, address pool exhaustion, wrong gateway, IP or subnet mask
3Practise performance faults: congestion, latency, packet loss and wireless interference
4Drill command line tools until output interpretation is automatic rather than guessed
5Run a protocol analyser against a broken lab and identify the fault from the capture alone
6Sit a second full 90-question, 90-minute practice exam and compare domain scores to week 4

Week 12: Performance-based questions and weak-domain repair

12 to 14 hours

1Practise performance-based questions in CompTIA CertMaster Labs or an equivalent browser-based lab
2Rehearse a full 90-minute run flagging every simulation, clearing the multiple choice, then returning
3Rank the five domains by practice score and give the bottom two the rest of the week
4Re-drill subnetting and the ports table under timer, since both decay fastest
5Rework every question missed in the week 11 exam against its numbered objective
6Buy the voucher only now, since a CompTIA voucher is valid for 12 months from issue and cannot be extended

Week 13: Final full-length rehearsals

10 to 12 hours

1Sit two more full-length practice exams on separate days and target a stable margin above 720
2Rebuild the OSI table, the ports table and the connector table from memory in under ten minutes each
3Rehearse the OnVUE or test centre process end to end so exam day holds no surprises
4Confirm your two forms of ID meet the CompTIA Candidate ID Policy and that the names match your registration exactly
5If testing online, run the Pearson VUE system test on the exact device and network you will use
6Book the appointment at a time of day when you are sharpest, because there are no scheduled breaks

Week 14: Sit the exam and set up renewal

6 to 8 hours

1Allow 28 minutes for the Candidate Agreement review that CompTIA requires before the exam begins
2Check in about 30 minutes ahead if testing through OnVUE, as CompTIA recommends
3Sit N10-009 and read the on-screen score before closing the session
4Expect the score report in your Pearson VUE account within 24 hours and the exam record in your CompTIA certification account within five business days
5If you passed and hold A+, note that Network+ has just renewed it without an A+ CE fee
6Set a reminder three years out for the 30 continuing education units and $150 CE fee, or plan Security+, which renews Network+ for free

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Best Study Resources

CompTIA Network+ N10-009 exam objectives

Official objectives

The definitive scope document from CompTIA, listing every examinable item under a numbered objective along with the five domain percentages. CompTIA's score report reports your misses against these same objective numbers, so studying against them makes the report directly actionable.

Free

Professor Messer's free Network+ N10-009 training course

Video course

A complete free video course mapped to the current objective list, published at professormesser.com alongside monthly live study groups and written comparisons of what changed between exam versions.

Free

CompTIA CertMaster Perform for Network+

Official courseware

CompTIA's most complete Network+ learning product, combining instructional content, video, interactives, simulated and live virtual machine labs, assessments and practice tests. CompTIA estimates 30 to 60 hours. Network+ is one of the certifications where CompTIA offers Perform rather than Learn alone.