CompTIA
CompTIA A+ Pass Rate 2026
Complete analysis of CompTIA A+ exam difficulty, pass rates, and strategies to pass on your first attempt.
Pass Rate Overview
~75%
Pass Rate
75% Pass
25% Fail
Difficulty Verdict
Moderately Challenging
Recommended Study Time
4-8 weeks
Typical Attempts
1-2 attempts typical
Why is the CompTIA A+ Pass Rate ~75%?
CompTIA A+'s ~75% pass rate means roughly 25 out of 100 candidates fail. For a medium-difficulty CompTIA exam, this is in line with expectations. Success requires covering all exam objectives — not just the ones you're comfortable with. At $246 per exam (2 exams) per attempt, failing is costly. If you fail, you'll wait 14 days before retaking. The certification is valid for 3 years, so investing in solid prep pays off long-term.
Top Reasons Candidates Fail CompTIA A+:
32%
Insufficient hands-on lab practice with real cloud/platform environments
24%
Memorizing answers instead of understanding architectural concepts
18%
Not covering all exam domains — weak areas get heavily tested
15%
Using outdated study materials (cloud services update frequently)
11%
Skipping official documentation and whitepapers
How to Beat the ~75% Pass Rate
Do This for CompTIA A+
- Two exams: Core 1 (220-1101) and Core 2 (220-1102)
- Computer-based at Pearson VUE
- Professor Messer free videos
- Hardware, networking, security, troubleshooting
Avoid This
- Relying on brain dumps — cloud providers update exams frequently
- Studying only theory without spinning up real environments
- Ignoring the official exam guide and objective weightings
- Cramming a week before instead of steady hands-on practice
Ready to Beat the Odds?
Get our complete CompTIA A+ study guide with practice questions.