Free Preparation Discussions
MENU
CompTIA 220-1201 Exam Questions
Ask what CompTIA A+ Core 1 covers and you hear hardware and networking. That is true, and only part of the story. The biggest domain on the 220-1201 exam is Hardware and Network Troubleshooting at 28%, so over a quarter of the paper hands you something already broken. Recognising components is the entry price. Working 220-1201 exam questions is how you learn whether you can diagnose at about a minute per question. If your exam is booked, start with a full timed set and let the misses direct you. If you are still choosing a date, take a domain at a time and book once troubleshooting stops catching you out.
| Exam name | CompTIA A+ Certification Exam: Core 1 (2026) |
| Exam code | 220-1201 |
| Certification | CompTIA A+ |
| Exams required | Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202), in either order |
| Time allowed | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 675 on a scale of 100 to 900 |
| Recommended experience | 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist job role |
| Exam cost | USD 274 |
| Retake policy | No waiting period between the first and second attempt. 14 days before the third attempt and every attempt after it. Full price each time, with no discounted retakes. |
| Certification validity | Three years from the date you pass, renewable with 20 CEUs |
| Practice questions in our bank | 504 |
| Questions on the real exam | 90 |
220-1201 Exam Practice Questions
These come from the same bank as the full set, in the question formats CompTIA uses on the day.
Which of the following protocol ports is used for secure remote access to a network device?
Correct Answer: B
Port 22 is used by SSH (Secure Shell), which is the standard protocol for secure remote administration of network devices such as switches, routers, firewalls, and Linux-based systems. CompTIA A+ Core 1 emphasizes knowing common ports and selecting secure management methods. SSH provides encrypted communication for both authentication and the session data, protecting usernames, passwords, and command output from being intercepted by packet sniffers. This makes it the preferred choice over older remote access methods.
In contrast, port 23 is Telnet, which is also used for remote terminal access but sends traffic in cleartext, making it insecure and generally discouraged in modern environments. Port 21 is FTP control traffic, used for file transfers and typically not secure unless paired with FTPS or replaced by SFTP (which actually runs over SSH on port 22). Port 25 is SMTP, used for sending email between mail servers and is unrelated to remote device management. Therefore, for secure remote access to a network device, SSH on port 22 is the correct answer.
Which of the following devices forwards data between different networks by analyzing the headers of packets?
Correct Answer: B
A router is a network device that forwards data between different networks by examining packet headers, specifically the IP address information contained in Layer 3 (Network Layer) of the OSI model. According to the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) networking objectives, routers use routing tables and packet header analysis to determine the best path for data to travel from a source network to a destination network. When a packet arrives at a router interface, the router reads the destination IP address in the packet header, compares it against its routing table, and then forwards the packet to the appropriate next hop or network interface. This function allows routers to connect multiple networks such as LANs, WANs, and the internet.
The other options do not perform this function. A hub operates at Layer 1 (Physical Layer) and simply broadcasts incoming signals to all connected ports without inspecting any packet information. A repeater also operates at the physical layer and is used only to regenerate or amplify signals to extend network distance. An unmanaged switch operates mainly at Layer 2 (Data Link Layer) and forwards frames based on MAC addresses, not IP packet headers. Because only routers analyze packet headers and forward traffic between different networks, Router is the correct answer.
The power supply for a user's gaming computer fails. The user buys a replacement online. The user connects the power supply to the motherboard, the graphics card, and the SSDs, but the computer fails to start and displays a critical error. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
Correct Answer: C
Modern motherboards require two separate power connections from the power supply: the 24-pin ATX connector for general motherboard power and a 4-pin or 8-pin CPU (EPS) connector dedicated to powering the processor. According to CompTIA Core 1 (220-1201) power supply installation and troubleshooting guidelines, failing to connect the CPU power connector commonly results in a system that does not boot and may display a critical or CPU-related error.
In this scenario, the user connected power to the motherboard, graphics card, and storage devices, but the system fails to start. This strongly indicates that the CPU power connector was overlooked, which is a frequent mistake during PSU replacement. Without this connection, the processor cannot initialize, preventing POST.
Insufficient wattage typically causes instability, shutdowns, or reboots under load rather than immediate failure with a critical error. RAM upgrades are unrelated to PSU replacement, and redundant power supplies are used in enterprise systems, not standard gaming PCs.
CompTIA emphasizes verifying all required PSU connectors, especially the CPU power connector, as a critical troubleshooting step when a system will not power on after a PSU replacement.
A local bank is designing its new infrastructure blueprint. Which of the following RAID types offers double parity?
Correct Answer: D
RAID 6 is the RAID level that provides double parity, allowing the system to tolerate the failure of two disks simultaneously without data loss. According to CompTIA Core 1 (220-1201) storage and RAID objectives, RAID 6 improves fault tolerance by storing two independent parity blocks across all disks in the array.
RAID 0 provides no parity or redundancy and focuses only on performance through striping. RAID 1 uses mirroring, duplicating data across two drives but does not use parity. RAID 5 uses single parity, allowing recovery from only one failed drive.
For environments such as a local bank, where data integrity and availability are critical, RAID 6 is commonly preferred due to its higher fault tolerance compared to RAID 5. Although RAID 6 has slightly lower write performance due to the additional parity calculation, the increased resilience makes it suitable for mission-critical systems.
CompTIA highlights RAID 6 as a common enterprise solution when both redundancy and reliability are priorities.
A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that repeatedly shuts down within ten minutes of being turned on. The technician notices a loud clicking sound coming from inside the case. Which of the following components should the technician check first?
Correct Answer: C
A failing CPU fan may make unusual noises (including clicking) and, if it is not cooling the CPU, the system will quickly overheat and shut down to prevent damage.
From CompTIA A+ 220-1101 Official Study Guide, Objective 4.1 -- Troubleshooting hardware problems:
''Overheating due to a failed or obstructed CPU fan can cause frequent shutdowns. Loud noises are a sign the fan should be checked first.''
Verified Source:
CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) Official Study Guide, Chapter 4: PC Hardware Troubleshooting
CompTIA Exam Objectives 220-1101, Domain 4.1
============
220-1201 Exam Domains and Weightings
Every domain here shows its share of the paper, what it expects you to be able to do, and the shape its questions usually take. The percentages are CompTIA's own, from the Core 1 objectives.
Mobile Devices
13%Laptop internals are not what most home builders have taken apart, so candidates meet much of this cold. Questions name a part or a port and want to know what it connects to, or how it comes out and goes back in. Wireless and hotspot setup on phones sits here too, asked as configuration rather than theory.
Networking
23%Nearly a quarter of the paper, and the part where a wrong answer is usually a confident one. Port numbers and protocols are asked flatly, so 443 against 3389 is something you either have or you do not. The rest turns on wireless standards, small office setup, and what a given box on a network is there to do.
Hardware
25%Bigger again, and it rewards hands that have been inside a case. You are asked to choose RAM by its characteristics, match a storage device to the work it has to do, and size a power supply for everything plugged into it. Printers take a larger share than expected, covering multifunction deployment and the maintenance afterwards.
Virtualization and Cloud Computing
11%The one domain with no screwdriver in it. CompTIA keeps it conceptual, so items ask what a hypervisor is doing, why a virtual machine needs resources set aside, and which cloud model somebody has just described. It is the smallest slice and the furthest from a support technician's day, which is what makes it easy to leave until last.
Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
28%The heaviest domain, and the one that decides whether Core 1 goes your way. Items open with something already failing, a machine that will not post, a drive dropped out of an array, a display showing nothing, and ask what you would look at next. Naming the fault at the end matters less than the check that got you there.
Official Revisions by CompTIA
September 25, 2025 — : Version 14 retired, closing 220-1101 and 220-1102 to new candidates and leaving 220-1201 as the only route through Core 1.
March 25, 2025 — : Version 15 launched. Core 1 became 220-1201 and Core 2 became 220-1202, with the two exams still sittable in either order.
Source: CompTIA A+ Core 1 and Core 2 V15 exam objectives. Our question bank is updated to match each revision.
What the 220-1201 Exam Really Tests, and How
Under the five domains sit a handful of things that decide answers, among them the order you check a failing machine in, the characteristics separating one kind of memory or drive from another, and the port numbers behind everyday services. Most of that is asked as multiple choice. Some is handed over as a live task with the answer worked out rather than picked, which is the part nobody bluffs.
Which port, which protocol, which service
Tested via: multiple-choice questionsNetworking carries 23% of the paper and this is most of it. The pairs are what catch people out. 22 and 23 both open a remote session and only one encrypts it, 143 and 993 both fetch mail and only one is protected, and 67 and 68 only make sense as a pair. TCP against UDP is asked the same way, by naming a service and expecting you to know which transport it uses and why that choice matters for something like voice.
What a specification commits you to
Tested via: multiple-choice and drag-and-drop questionsHardware and Mobile Devices keep asking the same thing in different housings, and between them they are 38% of the exam. A memory module's speed and channel arrangement decide whether it will run alongside what is already fitted. A drive's interface decides where it can be plugged and how quick it will be once it is there. Connectors work the same way, which is why the drag and drop items cluster here, matching a cable end to the thing it serves.
Failures that look alike
Tested via: performance-based question setsA machine that is dead and a machine that powers up showing nothing are different faults with overlapping symptoms. Telling them apart is the work of Hardware and Network Troubleshooting, at 28% the heaviest domain here. The same goes for a drive missing from an array against a drive present and failing, or a laptop with no wireless against one whose radio is switched off. Performance-based items put a case like that in front of you and want the check that separates the two.
What runs on hardware you cannot touch
Tested via: multiple-choice questionsAlmost everything in Virtualization and Cloud Computing's 11% turns on who owns which layer. The hypervisor type decides whether an operating system sits underneath the virtual machines or beside them. The cloud model decides where your responsibility stops, and questions describe a situation and want the model's name back. Client-side virtualization brings resource requirements with it, so a laptop that runs one virtual machine comfortably may struggle with three.
How to Pass the 220-1201 Exam on Your First Attempt
Most people reading this want a booking date. Two things about failing are worth knowing first. CompTIA charges full price for every attempt and discounts no retakes, and while a second sitting can follow the first straight away, the third and each one after needs a 14 day gap.
- Sit a full set cold, before you study. Core 1 concentrates its marks in troubleshooting, and no syllabus tells you whether you can diagnose. An untouched run of 90 questions does.
- Take every miss back to CompTIA's own objectives. Find the numbered objective the question came from and read around it in CompTIA's documentation. Our questions carry no written explanations, so the understanding has to come from the source that sets the exam.
- Spend what time is left by weight. Troubleshooting and Hardware are 53% between them, and Networking another 23%. Virtualization and Cloud Computing is 11%, so it earns less of your remaining time than its unfamiliarity will argue for.
- One timed run near the end. 90 minutes for up to 90 questions is about a minute each, and the performance-based items take longer than that. Finish under a minute on the ones you know and the rest looks after itself.
What to Look for in 220-1201 Practice Questions
and Why Prefer Pass4Success Practice Material
A failed 220-1201 means buying another voucher at full price, because CompTIA discounts no retakes, and from the third attempt onward a 14 day wait comes with it. Set against that, what a question bank costs matters much less than whether it was written for V15 or for the 220-1101 paper it replaced.
Written for the version CompTIA is testing now
CompTIA replaced 220-1101 with 220-1201 in March 2025 and closed the older paper that September. Questions built for the previous objectives still read plausibly, which is exactly what makes them expensive.
✓ Ours: the bank is updated on a regular cycle to reflect how CompTIA actually tests, not only when the objectives document changes. The last update date sits at the top of this page, so freshness is not something you have to take on faith.
Something you can look at before you pay
The exam prep market has earned its reputation, and A+ is one of the most heavily targeted certifications in it. Any provider confident in its questions can show you some first.
✓ Ours: free demo of both formats before any purchase. The questions higher up this page come from the same bank as the full set.
Practice under a clock, and practice away from one
Answering a question and answering it inside a minute are different skills, and Core 1 allows 90 minutes for up to 90 questions. Both kinds of practice have a place, at different points in the same week.
✓ Ours: one purchase covers the PDF and the practice test, which runs browser-based or as a Windows desktop version.
Enough questions per domain for a pattern to show
Core 1 has five domains and the two largest hold 53% of the marks between them. A short sample cannot tell you which one is costing you, because a handful of misses spread across five areas looks like noise.
✓ Ours: 504 220-1201 questions across the these five exam's domains.
A price that reads sensibly against a second voucher
The comparison worth making is with the cost of sitting 220-1201 again, which CompTIA sets and does not discount. That figure is the ceiling on what preparing properly is worth.
✓ Ours: Practice material costs USD 69 once, versus a second CompTIA exam voucher if you walk in underprepared. Prep costs less than a second attempt and a lot less than paying for the exam twice.
220-1201 Exam Discussion: What Recent Candidates Say
Candidates compare notes below on how the paper ran, what the performance-based items asked for, and which domains took the time they had not budgeted. Add yours once you have sat it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are on the 220-1201 exam and how long do you get?
The 220-1201 exam carries a maximum of 90 questions and allows 90 minutes. That averages a minute each, and the performance-based items run longer than a minute, so the multiple-choice questions have to come in under it. CompTIA publishes a maximum rather than a fixed count, which means a shorter paper is possible.
What is a passing score on the 220-1201 exam?
The passing score for 220-1201 is 675 on a scale that runs from 100 to 900. CompTIA scales its results rather than reporting a raw percentage, so 675 does not convert cleanly into a number of questions answered correctly. Core 2 sits at 700 on the same scale, which surprises candidates who assume both halves of A+ are marked to the same bar.
Is the 220-1201 exam the same as the CompTIA A+ exam?
The CompTIA A+ certification is awarded for passing two exams, and 220-1201 is one of them. The other is Core 2 (220-1202), and the two can be taken in either order. Passing Core 1 alone earns no certification, so budget for both vouchers from the start. Core 1 is the hardware, networking and troubleshooting half.
Can I still use 220-1101 study material for the 220-1201 exam?
Old 220-1101 material is not safe to rely on for 220-1201. CompTIA retired the V14 exams on September 25, 2025, and 220-1201 is written to the V15 objectives that replaced them. Material aimed at the older paper still reads convincingly, which is what makes it costly. Check that anything you study from names 220-1201 or V15 on its cover.
Where does 220-1201 fit in the CompTIA certification path?
220-1201 is the first of the two A+ exams, and A+ is where CompTIA's path starts. Most candidates pair it with Core 2 (220-1202) to complete the certification, then move on to Network+ or Security+ depending on which way the role is going. Nothing is required before A+, which is why it tends to be a first certification rather than a later one.
What are the most common mistakes on the 220-1201 exam?
Mismanaging the clock is the most expensive one, because 90 minutes for up to 90 questions leaves nothing spare for a performance-based item you decide to wrestle with. The second is treating troubleshooting as something to reason out on the day, when it is 28% of the paper and rewards a rehearsed order of checks. The third is leaving Virtualization and Cloud Computing until there is no time left for it.
What question types are on the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam?
CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) uses multiple choice with single and multiple responses, drag and drop, and performance-based questions. The performance-based items drop you into a simulated task and ask you to work something out rather than choose from a list. They are also why a minute per question is an average rather than a budget you can spend evenly.
Do I need experience before taking the 220-1201 exam?
CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist job role, and recommends rather than requires it. There are no prerequisites, so the exam can be booked without any. The recommendation is best read as a description of what the questions assume, particularly in troubleshooting, where items are written as though you have had a machine open before.
How long is the CompTIA A+ certification valid after passing 220-1201?
CompTIA A+ is valid for three years from the date you pass. Renewal runs through CompTIA's continuing education program and takes 20 CEUs, a qualifying higher-level certification, or the CertMaster CE course. Once it lapses past three years the certification has to be earned by sitting the exams again, so the renewal route is worth knowing about early rather than late.
Is the 220-1201 exam worth taking?
That depends on whether the roles you are aiming at name A+, and on where you are already. 220-1201 on its own is not a credential, so the real question is about the certification that Core 1 and Core 2 add up to. If you already do support work, the value sits mostly in having it on paper. If you are moving into the field, CompTIA writes these objectives around a first support job.
Ready to Pass 220-1201 on Your First Attempt?
Full access to all 504 220-1201 questions, in both the PDF and the practice test.
Get Premium AccessRelated CompTIA Exams
This page is checked against CompTIA's published Core 1 objectives, most recently after 220-1101 closed on September 25, 2025. The question bank runs on its own schedule rather than the vendor's, because the way an exam is asked drifts between objective revisions even when the objectives themselves hold still. When CompTIA does publish a change, affected 220-1201 questions are re-checked against it and the update date above moves.