CompTIA A+ Exam Prep Study Guide 

Core 1 220-1201 + Core 2 220-1202 Study Guide, 100 Practice Questions & Answers

Instant PDF Download — $16.97

Preparing for the CompTIA A+ certification exams?

Get focused preparation for both CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202) in one affordable digital study guide.

The Noble Exam Prep CompTIA A+ Study Guide combines complete domain review, memorization sheets, quick-reference material, a structured study plan, and 100 original practice questions with detailed answer explanations.

Instead of purchasing separate study guides for Core 1 and Core 2, get preparation for both exams in one instant-download PDF for only $16.97.

$16.97 — One-Time Purchase

Instant Digital PDF Download

Get the CompTIA A+ Study Guide →

What's Included?

Your CompTIA A+ exam prep study guide includes:

• Core 1 (220-1201) complete domain review

• Core 2 (220-1202) complete domain review

• 100 original practice questions

• 50 Core 1 practice questions

• 50 Core 2 practice questions

• Answers with detailed explanations and rationales

• Exam-weighted study material

• Ports & protocols memorization sheet

• Command-line reference

• Cables & connectors review

• RAID quick-reference material

• Wireless networking review

• Windows tools review

• 5-week study plan

• Test-day checklist

The guide is organized around the current Core 1 and Core 2 domains, followed by separate practice exams, explanations, and memorization resources.

Prepare for BOTH CompTIA A+ Exams

CompTIA A+ certification requires candidates to pass two separate exams.

This study guide covers:

CompTIA A+ Core 1 — 220-1201

Core 1 focuses heavily on hardware, networking, mobile devices, cloud and virtualization technologies, and technical troubleshooting.

The guide covers:

• 1.0 Mobile Devices

• 2.0 Networking

• 3.0 Hardware

• 4.0 Virtualization & Cloud Computing

• 5.0 Hardware & Network Troubleshooting

These topics are presented according to their relative exam weight, helping you prioritize study time rather than treating every subject equally.

CompTIA A+ Core 2 — 220-1202

Core 2 shifts the focus toward operating systems, cybersecurity, software troubleshooting, and professional IT operational procedures.

The guide covers:

• 1.0 Operating Systems

• 2.0 Security

• 3.0 Software Troubleshooting

• 4.0 Operational Procedures

The guide identifies Operating Systems and Security as particularly significant Core 2 areas, with each representing 28% of the domain weighting presented in the study material.

100 CompTIA A+ Practice Questions With Explanations

Reading about computers isn't the same thing as answering certification questions.

That's why this study guide includes 100 original CompTIA A+ practice questions divided between both examinations.

Core 1 Practice Exam

50 practice questions covering:

• Mobile devices

• Networking

• Hardware

• Virtualization and cloud

• Hardware troubleshooting

• Network troubleshooting

The Core 1 practice questions are distributed to reflect the domain weighting used by the guide.

Core 2 Practice Exam

You'll also receive a separate 50-question Core 2 practice exam, followed by answers and explanations.

Don't just check whether you got an answer right or wrong.

The explanations are designed to reinforce the technical reason behind the correct answer so you can recognize the same concept when it appears differently on another question.

Detailed Answer Explanations — Not Just an Answer Key

A practice question is far more valuable when you understand why the answer is correct.

The guide provides explanations designed to distinguish the correct answer from the distractors.

For example, the answer explanations reinforce concepts involving networking protocols, laptop components, mobile device management, ports, hardware troubleshooting, wireless networking, and more.

That makes the practice exam another learning tool rather than simply a score sheet.

CompTIA A+ Core 1: Mobile Devices

Review the mobile technologies an IT technician may encounter in the field.

Topics include:

• Laptop components

• RAM and storage

• Displays

• Wi-Fi hardware

• Mobile connectivity

• eSIM

• NFC

• Bluetooth

• USB-C docking

• Hotspots and tethering

• Mobile device management

• Device synchronization

• Mobile hardware troubleshooting

The guide emphasizes practical distinctions candidates should recognize when troubleshooting common mobile-device scenarios.

CompTIA A+ Networking Study Guide

Networking represents a major portion of Core 1.

Review important networking concepts including:

• TCP vs. UDP

• Wi-Fi standards

• Wi-Fi 4, 5, 6, 6E & 7

• Wireless bands

• IP addressing

• Private IP ranges

• APIPA

• Routers

• Switches

• Firewalls

• DNS

• DHCP

• Power over Ethernet

• Network troubleshooting

• Common ports and protocols

The guide includes quick-reference information intended to help candidates recognize important networking values and concepts more quickly.

Computer Hardware Exam Review

Build your knowledge of the hardware concepts tested in Core 1.

Review areas include:

• DDR3

• DDR4

• DDR5

• DIMMs and SODIMMs

• Storage technologies

• SATA

• M.2

• NVMe

• HDDs

• SSDs

• RAID

• Power supplies

• Printers

• Connectors

• Hardware troubleshooting

The included RAID review compares RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, and RAID 10, including minimum drive requirements and fault tolerance.

Virtualization & Cloud Computing Review

Modern IT support professionals need more than traditional PC hardware knowledge.

The guide reviews important cloud and virtualization concepts including:

• IaaS

• PaaS

• SaaS

• Public cloud

• Private cloud

• Hybrid cloud

• Rapid elasticity

• Metered utilization

• High availability

• Type 1 hypervisors

• Type 2 hypervisors

• Virtual machines

• VDI

• Sandboxing

The guide also compares what the provider manages versus what the customer manages under common cloud service models.

Hardware & Network Troubleshooting

Knowing terminology isn't enough.

An IT technician needs to recognize symptoms, identify probable causes, and determine an appropriate next step.

The Core 1 troubleshooting section reviews scenarios involving:

• PCs that power on without displaying video

• Memory failures

• Thermal shutdowns

• CMOS battery failures

• Hard drive failures

• S.M.A.R.T. warnings

• Motherboard problems

• Monitor problems

• Network connectivity

• VoIP issues

• Wireless problems

• EMI

• Laptop battery problems

The study guide also uses a structured troubleshooting process to help approach "FIRST" and "NEXT" style scenario questions.

Core 2 Operating Systems, Security & Software Troubleshooting

Core 2 moves beyond physical hardware into the software and operational side of IT support.

The guide provides dedicated review sections covering:

Operating Systems

Review important operating-system concepts and tools used in modern IT environments.

Security

Prepare for questions involving cybersecurity fundamentals, access, system security, malware, secure practices, and other security-related concepts.

Software Troubleshooting

Practice recognizing and resolving operating-system and application problems.

Operational Procedures

Review procedures and professional practices important to working effectively in an IT support environment.

Together, Operating Systems and Security represent more than half of the Core 2 weighting presented in the guide, making them particularly important areas of review.

Memorization Sheets & Quick References

Some CompTIA A+ material simply needs to be recalled quickly.

Rather than searching throughout the study guide each time you want to review a fact, the appendix brings important memorization material together.

Quick-reference resources include:

• Ports & protocols

• Command-line reference

• Cables & connectors

• RAID

• Wireless concepts

• Windows tools

• Test-day checklist

The guide specifically recommends repeatedly drilling high-recall material such as ports, RAID levels, and command syntax.

A 5-Week CompTIA A+ Study Plan

Not sure where to begin?

The study guide includes a five-week preparation plan that helps divide your study time between both exams.

The plan progresses through:

Week 1: Core 1 Hardware & Mobile Devices

Week 2: Networking + Virtualization/Cloud

Week 3: Core 1 Troubleshooting + Core 1 Practice Exam

Week 4: Core 2 Operating Systems & Security

Week 5: Core 2 Software Troubleshooting + Operational Procedures + Core 2 Practice Exam

The guide also encourages hands-on practice, such as actually using Windows and Linux commands rather than simply memorizing them from a page.

Who Is This CompTIA A+ Study Guide For?

This study guide may be useful for:

• Aspiring IT professionals

• Help desk candidates

• Desktop support technicians

• IT support specialists

• Field service technicians

• Computer repair technicians

• Career changers entering IT

• Students pursuing technology careers

• Self-taught computer enthusiasts

• Candidates preparing for CompTIA A+ Core 1

• Candidates preparing for CompTIA A+ Core 2

• Anyone wanting additional A+ practice questions

No prior certification is required by the study guide's exam overview, although it notes a CompTIA recommendation of roughly 12 months of hands-on help desk, desktop support, or field-service experience.

Stop Studying Outdated A+ Material

One important feature of this guide is its focus on the 220-1201 and 220-1202 exam series.

The guide specifically distinguishes these exams from the previous 220-1101 and 220-1102 series and warns candidates to check the exam codes when using older study resources.

When searching online for free videos, flash cards, notes, or study guides, always verify that the material you're using corresponds to the examination you're actually preparing to take.

Get the Complete CompTIA A+ Core 1 + Core 2 Study Guide

CompTIA A+ Study Guide — Core 1 220-1201 + Core 2 220-1202

Only $16.97

Your digital study guide includes:

✓ Core 1 domain review
✓ Core 2 domain review
✓ 100 original practice questions
✓ 100 answers with explanations
✓ Memorization sheets
✓ Ports & protocols reference
✓ Command-line reference
✓ Cables & connectors review
✓ Study planning
✓ Test-day preparation
✓ Instant PDF download

One purchase. Both CompTIA A+ Core exams.

$16.97 — Instant Digital Download

Get the CompTIA A+ Study Guide →

Study Smarter for CompTIA A+

CompTIA A+ covers a broad range of information.

Instead of treating every topic equally, this guide is organized to help you understand the major exam domains, concentrate on heavily tested areas, review facts that require memorization, and then test your knowledge with practice questions.

Review the material. Test yourself. Study your mistakes. Repeat.

Whether you're preparing for your first IT certification or adding CompTIA A+ to the technology skills you already have, the objective is the same:

Walk into exam day better prepared.

Digital Product Information

Product: CompTIA A+ Certification Study Guide
Format: Digital PDF
Exam: Core 1 220-1201 + Core 2 220-1202
Practice Questions: 100
Price: $16.97
Delivery: Instant digital download
Publisher: Noble Exam Prep

This is a digital product. No physical book will be shipped.

Important Disclaimer

This study guide is independently developed by Noble Exam Prep for supplemental educational and exam-preparation purposes.

ExamPrepStudyGuides.com and Noble Exam Prep are not affiliated with, authorized by, endorsed by, or sponsored by CompTIA. CompTIA and A+ are trademarks of their respective owner.

The guide does not contain or claim to contain confidential, leaked, recalled, or proprietary examination questions. Practice questions are independently created for educational purposes.

Purchasing or using this study guide does not guarantee a passing examination score, certification, employment, promotion, or any particular career outcome.

Certification exam objectives, exam codes, policies, fees, technologies, and testing requirements may change. Candidates should always verify the current examination requirements and official objectives directly with CompTIA before scheduling an exam.