Best CompTIA A+ Books in 2026: Which Study Guide for 220-1201 and 220-1202
Skip the reading list - test yourself on a full paper
A complete A+ Core 1 practice exam: 90 questions in 90 minutes with interactive PBQs, an Exam Tip on every item and an Exam Coach report that shows which chapters to re-read.
APLUS1-EXAM-FULL
Try a free A+ Core 1 exam
Already have an account? Log in to redeem
Networking
Connect the new access switch.
Three connections need three different interfaces.
Security
Recover the encrypted laptop without removing its protection.
A matching key identifier is required before unlocking.
Troubleshooting
Service the laser printer.
Use the failure evidence to choose the right part.
PBQs from the A+ Core 1 and Core 2 packs, each graded outcome by outcome. Each free A+ exam includes PBQs like these, where the real exam puts them.
The best CompTIA A+ book for 220-1201 and 220-1202 in 2026 is the Sybex A+ Complete Study Guide, 2-volume set, 6th edition (Docter and Buhagiar, July 2025): one volume per core, with an online test bank. The Sybex Complete Certification Kit adds the Review Guide and Complete Practice Tests. Mike Meyers' All-in-One, 12th edition, for the same exams is due in December 2026; the 11th edition covers the retired 220-1101/1102. Pair any book with full-length timed practice exams that include PBQs.Compiled 12 October 2026 by FigigExams from publisher listings.
In this guide
Which A+ book for which candidate
Sybex A+ Complete Study Guide
- 2-volume set, 6th edition (Wiley, July 2025), Quentin Docter and Jon Buhagiar
- Volume 1 is Core 1 (220-1201), Volume 2 is Core 2 (220-1202)
- For: anyone who wants one main book
Sybex A+ Complete Certification Kit
- 6th edition (August 2025)
- The 2-volume Study Guide, the Review Guide and the Complete Practice Tests, 4th edition
- For: book learners who want the questions too
Mike Meyers' All-in-One, 12th edition
- Written for 220-1201/1202 by Glen E. Clarke and Edward Tetz, Mike Meyers as series editor
- Due December 2026; the 11th edition covers the retired 220-1101/1102
- For: hardware depth, once it ships
Sybex A+ Complete Review Guide
- 6th edition, 220-1201 and 220-1202
- Condensed objective-by-objective review
- For: revision after a course, not first learning
Every A+ book worth reading, side by side
| Book | Edition | Covers | Includes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quentin Docter, Jon Buhagiar: CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide, 2-Volume Set | Sybex, 6th edition, July 2025 | 220-1201 and 220-1202 | Full objective coverage with an online test bank | The default pick |
| Sybex: CompTIA A+ Complete Certification Kit | Sybex, 6th edition, August 2025 | 220-1201 and 220-1202 | Study Guide set, Review Guide, Complete Practice Tests (4th edition) | One purchase for book learners |
| Sybex: CompTIA A+ Complete Review Guide | Sybex, 6th edition | 220-1201 and 220-1202 | Condensed review by objective | The final month |
| Glen E. Clarke, Edward Tetz: CompTIA A+ All-in-One Exam Guide | McGraw Hill, 12th edition, due December 2026 | 220-1201 and 220-1202 | Mike Meyers series; the 11th edition is for the retired exams | Hardware depth, once it ships |
| CompTIA: 220-1201 and 220-1202 exam objectives | Free PDFs from CompTIA | The live exams | Every objective, numbered | Checking what any book covers |
| FigigExams: free A+ study guides | Online, no PDF gate | 220-1201 and 220-1202 | Core 1 and Core 2 chapters by domain | Free revision alongside practice exams |
Editions and dates from the publishers' and Total Seminars' listings, checked 12 October 2026. We earn no affiliate commission on any book.
The edition trap
A+ changed exam codes in March 2025, and second-hand and library copies of the old books are everywhere. Check the cover: 220-1201 and 220-1202 is the current A+ (V15). Anything labelled 220-1101/1102 or 220-1001/1002 was written for a retired exam. Until the 12th edition of the All-in-One ships, the Sybex 6th edition is the main book written for the current objectives.
How to use an A+ book without wasting weeks
- One core at a time. Read Volume 1 and sit Core 1 before opening Volume 2. Finishing both books first doubles the time before your first exam.
- Pair the book with videos. Professor Messer's free 220-1201 and 220-1202 courses cover the same objectives in less time; use the book where the videos are thin.
- Keep the objectives PDF open and tick each objective as you finish it.
- Practise PBQs separately. A book can describe a performance-based question; you need to rehearse one. See the PBQ simulator comparison.
A book does not tell you whether you would pass
End-of-chapter questions test one objective at a time. Each exam is 90 minutes across every domain of that core, opening with PBQs. Pair any book with full-length timed papers: FigigExams gives a complete 90-question exam with interactive PBQs free for each core (Core 2 with APLUS2-EXAM-FULL), and the packs are $39 once per core. The rest of the stack: best A+ study resources.
Find out which chapters to re-read
A full-length Core 1 paper with PBQs and an Exam Coach report that ranks your domains by the marks they cost. Free, no credit card.
Try a free A+ Core 1 examA+ packs are $39 once per core: 4 Core 1 exams and 3 Core 2 exams, 34 interactive PBQs, lifetime.
Frequently asked questions about A+ books
What is the best book for CompTIA A+ in 2026?
The Sybex CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide, 2-volume set, 6th edition (Quentin Docter and Jon Buhagiar, July 2025), written for 220-1201 and 220-1202. Mike Meyers' All-in-One, 12th edition, for the same exams is due in December 2026.
Is the Mike Meyers A+ book still good?
The 11th edition covers 220-1101 and 220-1102, which have retired. The 12th edition, written for 220-1201 and 220-1202 by Glen E. Clarke and Edward Tetz with Mike Meyers as series editor, is due in December 2026.
Do I need a book to pass A+?
Not necessarily. Many candidates pass with Professor Messer's free courses plus full-length practice exams and PBQ practice. A book helps on domains the videos cover thinly.
Which A+ book has the most practice questions?
The Sybex A+ Complete Certification Kit, which bundles the 2-volume Study Guide with the Review Guide and the Complete Practice Tests, 4th edition. Book questions are still chapter-style, so add full-length timed papers with PBQs.
Can I use an older A+ book?
Not as your main book. Exam codes 220-1201 and 220-1202 replaced 220-1101 and 220-1102 in March 2025, and the objectives changed. Check the exam codes on the cover.