What the two Core exams look like
Both exams are the same length and structure. The difference is content, and the slightly higher bar on Core 2.
| Item | Core 1 | Core 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Exam code | 220-1201 | 220-1202 |
| Questions | Maximum 90 | Maximum 90 |
| Time | 90 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Passing score (100-900) | 675 | 700 |
| Main content | Mobile devices, networking, hardware, virtualisation and cloud, hardware troubleshooting | Operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, operational procedures |
- ✓Both exams mix multiple choice with performance-based questions that ask you to complete a task in a simulated interface.
- ✓The two exams can be taken in either order and on different days; certification is only awarded once both are passed.
- ✓A maximum of 90 questions means you may receive fewer - do not treat the count as fixed.
Practice: Core 1 hardware and mobile devices
A laptop screen is black, but an external monitor connected to the same laptop displays correctly. Which component should you suspect first?
The display assembly - most often the backlight or its power circuitry. The external monitor working proves the graphics output and the operating system are fine, which isolates the fault to the internal panel path. A quick field test is to shine a bright light at the screen: if you can faintly see the desktop, the panel is receiving an image and the backlight is the failure.
Which memory form factor is used in most laptops?
SODIMM - the small outline module. Full-size DIMMs are used in desktops and servers. This is straight recall, and A+ contains a lot of it, so treat form factors, connector types and cable standards as vocabulary to drill rather than concepts to reason about.
A user reports that Wi-Fi is reliable throughout the office but drops in one specific meeting room. What is the most likely cause?
A coverage or interference problem specific to that location - distance from the access point, construction materials in the walls, or another device on the same channel. The fact that the rest of the office is fine rules out the internet connection, the router configuration and the client device, which is exactly the elimination the question wants you to perform.
Which cloud characteristic describes resources being pooled and allocated to multiple customers on shared physical hardware?
Multitenancy. Core 1 includes a virtualisation and cloud domain, and it tests definitions rather than implementation - shared resources, rapid elasticity, measured service, on-demand self-service. Learn the terms; you will not be asked to deploy anything.
Practice: Core 2 operating systems and security
A workstation is displaying a ransomware message. What should you do first?
Quarantine the system - disconnect it from the network. CompTIA publishes a malware-removal sequence and expects you to follow it in order: investigate and verify the symptoms, quarantine the system, disable System Restore, remediate by updating and running anti-malware tools, schedule scans and updates, re-enable System Restore and create a restore point, then educate the user. The exam frequently asks which step comes first or next, so learn the sequence rather than the general idea.
Which Windows feature encrypts an entire drive?
BitLocker. Contrast it with the Encrypting File System, which encrypts individual files and folders. Security questions in Core 2 often hinge on scope - whole disk versus file level, local account versus domain account, standard user versus administrator.
A user needs to run a legacy application that requires administrative rights, but company policy forbids making them a local administrator. What is the appropriate response?
Escalate to the appropriate team or use a documented elevation method rather than granting standing administrative rights. A+ tests the principle of least privilege alongside the practical fix, and answers that quietly grant the user more permission than policy allows are wrong even when they would work.
Which step follows establishing a theory of probable cause in the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology?
Test the theory to determine the cause. The full sequence is: identify the problem, establish a theory of probable cause, test the theory, establish a plan of action and implement the solution, verify full system functionality and implement preventive measures, and document findings, actions and outcomes. Both A+ and Network+ test this list by position, so learn it in order.
The domain technical people fail: operational procedures
Core 2 includes a domain covering safety, environmental controls, documentation, change management, privacy and professional conduct. Candidates who work in IT already often skim it, because it reads like common sense. It is not scored like common sense - it is scored against a specific set of expected behaviours.
A customer is angry and repeatedly interrupts while you are explaining the problem. What should you do?
Let them finish without interrupting, avoid arguing or becoming defensive, and clarify the issue by restating it. The expected answer set is consistent: listen, do not argue, do not dismiss, do not take it personally, and do not post about it. Anything that involves correcting the customer mid-sentence is wrong even when the customer is factually wrong.
Before working inside a desktop computer case, what should you do?
Disconnect power and use an anti-static wrist strap connected to an appropriate ground. Electrostatic discharge safety is reliably examined, along with correct lifting technique, fire-extinguisher classes for electrical fires, and proper disposal of batteries and toner.
While repairing a laptop you discover illegal content on the drive. What should you do?
Preserve the evidence, report through the proper channels, and document the chain of custody. The expected behaviour is to stop, not investigate further yourself, and not to inform the customer of your suspicions. This is a prohibited-content scenario and it appears on the exam more often than its practical frequency would suggest.
Practice this now
How to prepare efficiently
- ✓Download the current objectives PDF for both exams from CompTIA. It is an itemised list of every testable topic, and it is the only study plan you need.
- ✓Drill the two ordered sequences - troubleshooting methodology and malware removal - until you can recite them. They are guaranteed marks.
- ✓Treat ports, protocols, connectors and form factors as flashcard material. Reasoning will not help you recall that HTTPS is 443.
- ✓Do not skip the operational procedures domain because it looks easy. Practise the scenario questions specifically.
- ✓For performance-based questions, get hands-on: build a machine, configure a home router, break a Windows setting and repair it.
- ✓Book both exams before you feel completely ready. A+ rewards coverage, and open-ended preparation tends to expand indefinitely.