Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About CompTIA Exams

CompTIA certifications are usually an aspiring IT professional’s first foray into the world of IT certifications. However, there are many aspects to them that confuse even the most seasoned IT professionals. This article conglomerates all of my answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about CompTIA exams so I can easily refer someone to this resource.

Which CompTIA certification should I start with?

It depends on your circumstances.

• If you are completely new to IT and know absolutely nothing about it, then I highly recommend starting with the A+, regardless of what anyone else says. The A+ covers basic help desk skills, and it can be used to get your foot into the IT door.
• If you have an idea of what your career path in IT will be or if you already have some IT work experience, then I highly recommend starting with the Network+. Networking knowledge is required regardless of your field or position in IT, and having strong networking foundations will only benefit your career. This is only a suggestion, and many people have obtained the Security+ as their very first IT certification.

How is a CompTIA exam formatted? How is a CompTIA exam scored? Is there a minimum passing percentage?

All CompTIA exams, with a few exceptions such as the ITF+, Cloud Essentials+, and CASP+, follow the same format.

• Each exam is 90 minutes long.
• Each exam has a maximum of 90 questions. This means that you may receive up to 90 questions, but almost no one ever receives that many questions.
• Each exam has a linear format. Unlike adaptive exams such as Cisco exams, the questions that you receive at the start of the exam are always the same questions throughout the exam.
• Each exam consists of multiple-choice (MCQ), multiple-select (MSQ), and performance-based questions (PBQs). For MCQs, you select 1 answer out of 4 possible answer choices. For MSQs, you select 2-3 answers out of 5-7 possible answer choices. PBQs are questions that do not follow the MCQ or MSQ format, such as fill-in-the-blanks, completions, matching, dropdowns, command-line interface (CLI)/terminal, and other formats.
• Each exam is scored on a scale of 100-900 on a scaled scoring algorithm, which means that questions are valued differently based on a variety of factors. Some questions are unscored, while others are valued higher than others. This ensures that individuals with completely different tests and completely different questions of varying difficulty are scored equally and fairly. Thus, there is no official minimum passing percentage for CompTIA exams. If you want to learn more about what a scaled scoring algorithm is, then review this AWS article. Keep in mind that CompTIA, AWS, Microsoft, and all other IT certification vendors have their own scaled scoring algorithms.

What are the passing scores for the A+, Network+, and Security+?

• A+ Core 1: 675/900
• A+ Core 2: 700/900
• Network+: 720/900
• Security+: 750/900

How do I study for the A+, Network+, and/or Security+? How do I pass the exam(s)?

I wrote a blog article about passing the CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ exams.

What training materials do you recommend for the A+, Network+, and Security+ exams?

I wrote a blog article about the training materials I used to pass the CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ exams.

Should I take the Network+ or the CCNA?

This is a very common question asked online because both exams cover entry-level networking concepts and skills. However, as much as CompTIA tries to market the Network+ as equivalent to the CCNA, the CCNA is much better in terms of overall marketability and knowledge gained. The Network+ covers networking concepts at a very high-level, while the CCNA covers actual Cisco CLI configuration in addition to intermediate-level networking skills and knowledge. If you want to commit to a career in networking or expand your networking skillset, then the CCNA is the much better choice. If you want a general, high-level overview of networking, then the Network+ is a good choice.

A new version of the exam that I want to pursue released. Should I take the current one or the new one?

My recommendation is to continue studying with whichever version you are currently studying. When you pass a CompTIA exam, you obtain a certification that has no version attached to it. This means that a Security+ SY0-401 certification holder has the same certification as a Security+ SY0-701 certification holder, assuming the SY0-401 certification holder has been continually renewing his Security+ certification.

If you have not started studying for a particular version, then download the official exam objectives for both exams and compare the differences between the two. Take a look at the content covered by both exams and make a decision. If you plan to take the older version of an exam, you must take the exam before the retirement date, which is listed on the certification’s official webpage on the CompTIA website when the newer version of the exam launches.

Do you receive partial credit for PBQs?

According to CompTIA, you may receive partial credit for some PBQs. This means that CompTIA does offer partial credit in some capacity, but we are unable to know which PBQs give partial credit or how CompTIA distributes partial credit. Thus, the best strategy is to fill in everything, even if it is a complete guess.

What is an exam voucher? Where do I purchase one?

An exam voucher is essentially a code that you redeem to schedule your exam and to negate the cost that Pearson tries to charge you while scheduling an exam.

• If you are a college student based in the United States, its territories, or Canada, then you can purchase an exam voucher from the CompTIA Academic Store. If you are a college student based in the United Kingdom, then you can purchase an examm voucher from the CompTIA UK Academic Store. Either way, you will have to create a CompTIA Academic Store account to purchase a voucher. Keep in mind that your CompTIA Academic Store account is different from your CompTIA certification account, which is used to schedule your exam and check your certification status(es) via the CompTIA Certification Portal.
• If you are not a college student based in the US, its territories, Canada, or the UK, then you can purchase an exam voucher from Professor Messer or Dion Training Solutions for a discount. If you purchase an exam voucher from Professor Messer, you will have to create an account during the transaction. If you purchase an exam voucher from Dion Training Solutions, you do not have to create an account unless you want to purchase Jason Dion’s training course(s) and lab materials. Additionally, Dion offers a “Take2 Re-Sit Exam Option” for $79 USD in which you are given another exam voucher if you fail your first exam attempt. However, you must add the option during checkout, and you cannot use the retake exam voucher for missed exam appointments or purchase it after a failed exam attempt.

How do I schedule my exam with the exam voucher?

Professor Messer has a step-by-step guide that walks you through the exam registration process.

Should I take my exam online or in-person?

I highly recommend that you take your exam in-person at a PearsonVUE testing center. Online exams have stricter requirements to ensure that you are not cheating, and, in addition, you may recevie a strict proctor or there may be technical issues during your exam, such as intermittent or no Internet connectivity. To save yourself the hassle and to prevent technical mishaps, just take the exam in-person unless you are forced to take the exam online (e.g., the closest testing center is located too far away). Here are several stories from r/CompTIA and Professor Messer’s Discord server that I have read about the online exam experience.

• A person’s exam was revoked because he/she moved out of the webcam frame too many times.
• A person’s exam was revoked because he/she sneezed too many times.
• A person’s exam was revoked because the proctor heard too much noise.
• A person’s exam was revoked because someone walked in the room.
• A person’s exam was revoked because he/she mumbled the questions quietly.
• A person’s exam was cancelled because his/her device did not pass the system checks.

When may I schedule an exam?

Exam appointment availability depends on your method of examination. If you are taking your exam in-person at a PearsonVUE testing center, then you can schedule your exam appointment only during select times when the testing center is open and available for testing. If you are taking your exam online via OnVUE, then you can schedule your exam at any time.

What is the check-in process like? What are the ID requirements?

Admittedly, I am not knowledgeable about the online check-in process. To learn more about the online check-in process, review the PearsonVUE webpage about the online check-in process.

The in-person check-in process is relatively simple. You arrive early at the testing center 10-15 minutes before your scheduled start time, and the proctor will greet you and walk you through the check-in process. The check-in process involves inspecting your IDs, signing forms, taking a picture, reviewing the exam rules and code of conduct, and locking up your personal belongings before you are escorted to a computer to take the exam.

Regardless of your method of examination, you will need a primary ID and a secondary ID. You can review the list of accepted IDs here. The only IDs I take to the testing center are my driver’s license and a signed credit/debit card.

Will I know which questions I missed on the exam?

No, and you will never know which questions you missed. You will instead receive a score report that will show which exam objectives you missed questions in.

My score report for the Security+ SY0-601 exam.

I passed my exam! When do I receive my certificate?

According to the score report that you receive after you pass your exam, you will need to wait up to 5 business days for your score to be associated with your CompTIA certification account. Usually, however, your score is imported during business hours or the next business day in a relatively quick fashion.

I failed my exam. What do I need to review?

Your score report will tell you which exam objectives you missed questions in. If you took the exam in-person, then your score report should have been printed out and given to you. If you took the exam online, then you can find your score report by logging into your CompTIA PearsonVUE Dashboard, going to the home page, and clicking View score reports.

The exam objectives I incorrectly answered questions in for the Security+ SY0-601 exam.

Click on “View score reports” in the CompTIA PearsonVUE Dashboard to find your score report.

Will I receive anything after I pass my exam?

Yes! Once your score is associated with your CompTIA certification account, you will receive the following items:

• A congratulatory email from CompTIA
• An email from Credly stating that a digital badge has been awarded to you
• If you have any lower-level CompTIA certifications, CompTIA will email you stating that your lower-level certifications have been automatically renewed
• A free physical certificate kit that is shipped to an address of your choice once you confirm your address via the CompTIA Certification Portal
• A digital (.pdf) certificate and a .zip file containing CompTIA logos that you can download in your CompTIA CertMetrics Dashboard

A congratulatory email from CompTIA for passing the CompTIA Security+ exam.

A digital badge on Credly for passing the CompTIA Security+ exam.

An email from CompTIA stating that my Network+ certification was renewed.

Click on “Go to My Certifications” to access your CompTIA CertMetrics Dashboard.

Go to the “Certifications” tab to download your digital certificate and CompTIA logos.

My digital (.pdf) certificate for passing the CompTIA Security+ exam. You will receive a physical version in your physical certificate kit.

Do CompTIA certifications expire?

Yes, all CompTIA certifications, with the exception of the ITF+, Cloud Essentials+, and Project+, expire 3 years exactly after the date you passed the exam.

How do I renew my CompTIA certification(s)?

Review the ways to renew your CompTIA certifications here.

I have more questions to ask. Where do I ask for help?

No offense, but the vast majority of questions that people ask about CompTIA exams can be easily found on Google. Do your due research first before asking a forum a question that has been asked repeatedly.

If you have exam-specific questions, then the best bet is either the r/CompTIA subreddit or Professor Messer’s Discord server. I am very active in Messer’s Discord server, so if you want a quick response, then Messer’s Discord server is your best choice to ask questions.