Changes to CompTIA’s A+ Exam (220-901 and 220-902 / 220-1001 and 220-1002)

Introduction

CompTIA’s A+ is an entry-level certification that’s considered one of the best certifications for those pursuing a career in IT tech support and field operations and was named one of 10 best entry-level certs by CIO magazine. As a vendor-neutral credential, it covers a broad range of IT skills, from hardware and networking to operating systems and security.

A+ is a two-part test series, Core 1 and Core 2. Because the IT world is constantly evolving, CompTIA launches new exam versions every few years to reflect current best practices and technologies. A new A+ exam series, 220-1001 (Core 1) and 220-1002 (Core 2) became effective on January 15th, 2019, and the old series, 220-901 and 220-902, will be retired on July 31st, 2019. That means that if you already passed the first exam (220-901) or are studying for it currently, you will want to also take and pass 220-902 before July 31st, because CompTIA doesn’t allow you to mix exams from two different series.

CompTIA Senior Director of Certification Products Teresa Sears explained in a podcast: “The new [CompTIA] A+ will open up avenues for career development. A+ holders might end up working in cybersecurity, network engineering, network administration, business analysis or data analytics. It’s not a direct path, but it exposes technical workers to the functions of IT that really can open up some exciting career opportunities.”

What’s Different: An Overview

While the previous series added cloud concepts and placed a larger emphasis on Windows operating systems, the new version broadens or puts more emphasis on the areas of security, cloud, networking and device connectivity, while decreasing emphasis on hardware, mobile and Windows. One of the biggest changes is in operational procedures — there’s a “dramatic shift,” as CompTIA describes it, in how competency is defined (Read more...)