CompTIA Exams

The Vendor-Neutral Baseline

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) issued its first vendor-neutral certifications in 1992. Since its founding in 1982 as a trade association, the organization has awarded over 2.2 million certifications worldwide. Unlike credentials from Microsoft, Cisco, or Amazon, CompTIA exams do not focus on a single ecosystem. They test fundamental concepts that apply across platforms.

If you understand how a subnet works on a CompTIA exam, you understand how it works in an on-premises datacenter, an AWS Virtual Private Cloud, or a local coffee shop router. This vendor-neutral stance makes CompTIA credentials a standard hiring requirement for entry-level IT roles, help desk positions, and government contracting jobs.

The CompTIA Core Infrastructure Path

CompTIA organizes its primary certifications into a sequential pathway. The entry point for most IT professionals is the A+ certification.

Earning the A+ requires passing two separate exams. The 220-1201: CompTIA A+ Certification Exam: Core 1 focuses on hardware, networking, mobile devices, and virtualization. The 220-1202: CompTIA A+ Certification Exam: Core 2 covers operating systems, security fundamentals, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. CompTIA refreshes these exams every three years. The 1200 series shifted the emphasis away from legacy hardware and toward supporting hybrid workforces, software as a service (SaaS) models, and remote troubleshooting.

Hiring managers treat the A+ as proof that a candidate can build a PC, configure a mobile device, and troubleshoot operating system issues without constant supervision. It filters out candidates who lack practical troubleshooting methodology.

After A+, the path moves to networking. The N10-009: CompTIA Network+ validates a candidate's ability to design, configure, and troubleshoot wired and wireless networks. The exam covers IP addressing, routing protocols, network security, and cloud concepts.

While a Cisco CCNA teaches you how to configure specific routers via the command line, Network+ ensures you understand the underlying protocols that make those routers function. You must know how TCP/IP, DNS, and DHCP interact across a network. The exam also tests your ability to read network diagrams, calculate subnets, and troubleshoot connectivity issues using standard command-line tools like ping, tracert, and netstat.

Security+ and Department of Defense Compliance

The most requested CompTIA certification in the job market is Security+.

The SY0-701: CompTIA Security+ 2023 tests baseline cybersecurity skills. Candidates must demonstrate knowledge of threat actors, attack vectors, cryptographic concepts, and identity management. The 90-minute exam contains up to 90 questions and requires a passing score of 750 out of 900.

Security+ holds distinct market value because of its alignment with United States federal government requirements. The U.S. Department of Defense Directive 8140 (formerly 8570) mandates specific certifications for personnel handling classified or sensitive networks. Security+ satisfies the baseline requirement for multiple roles, including Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level II. If you apply for a technical role at a defense contractor, military base, or federal agency, Security+ is often a mandatory prerequisite before you can gain network access. It also serves as a common requirement for civilian security operations center (SOC) roles.

Advanced Cybersecurity and CompTIA SecurityX

For senior professionals, CompTIA offers advanced security credentials. In 2024, the organization retired the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) designation and replaced it with SecurityX.

The CAS-005: CompTIA SecurityX serves as the capstone of the cybersecurity pathway. It targets security architects and senior engineers with five to ten years of experience. The exam tests enterprise security architecture, governance, risk management, and security operations.

Unlike Security+, which focuses on identifying concepts and implementing specific controls, SecurityX requires candidates to design multi-tiered solutions. A candidate taking the CAS-005 exam must know how to integrate Zero Trust architectures, automate incident response workflows, and manage third-party vendor risks across hybrid cloud environments. The name change from CASP+ to SecurityX reflects this broader scope, signaling that the certification tests management and architectural skills, not just hands-on practitioner tasks.

Exam Format and Performance-Based Questions

CompTIA exams rely heavily on multiple-choice questions, but they also feature Performance-Based Questions (PBQs). PBQs require candidates to solve problems in a simulated environment.

During a Network+ exam, a PBQ might present a network diagram and ask you to drag and drop the correct IP addresses, subnet masks, and default gateways onto specific workstations. A Security+ PBQ might require you to review a firewall access control list and modify the rules to block a specific type of malicious traffic while allowing legitimate web requests.

PBQs appear at the beginning of the exam. Because they take longer to complete than standard multiple-choice questions, candidates often manage their time by flagging them and returning to them after finishing the rest of the test.

CompTIA certifications expire three years from the date you pass the exam. To maintain active status, credential holders must earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by attending industry events, completing training courses, or passing a higher-level exam. Passing the Security+ automatically renews an active Network+ or A+ certification, establishing a clear incentive for professionals to continue moving up the certification pathway rather than retaking the same exams.