Best CompTIA A+ Practice Exams in 2026: An Honest, Ranked Comparison
For the CompTIA A+ in 2026 you need practice for two separate exams, 220-1201 Core 1 and 220-1202 Core 2, and the best option differs by budget. Professor Messer is the best free choice, with a complete A+ video course at no cost. FigigExams is the best value paid option: $39 once per core for lifetime access, 359 questions across 4 Core 1 exams and 180 across 2 Core 2 exams, with a complete 90-question exam free. Mike Meyers and Jason Dion both bundle large question sets with their courses.Prices and question counts verified 4 September 2026 by FigigExams. Boson figures read from boson.com product pages; FigigExams figures read from the live question banks.
Sit the value pick yourself in one sitting
Before you read the comparison, sit a complete CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) practice exam free - 90 questions, an Exam Tip on every item, and a concept-level Exam Coach report at the end. Then judge for yourself. No credit card.
APLUS1-EXAM-FULL
Try a free A+ exam
Already have an account? Log in to redeem · Or read the full ranking below first.
In this guide
How to judge a CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) practice exam (it is not question count)
The A+ is the certification where "best practice exam" lists go most wrong, because they treat it as one exam. It is two, they are priced separately, and Core 1 and Core 2 test genuinely different things - hardware and networking versus operating systems, security and procedures. A tool that covers one core well and the other thinly will leave you half-prepared. Here is the rubric used below.
Both cores covered properly
A+ is two exams, 220-1201 and 220-1202, each bought and sat separately. Coverage that is deep on Core 1 and thin on Core 2 is a common and expensive gap.
Performance-based questions
Both A+ cores open with PBQs and they cost the most time. A bank of multiple choice only rehearses the easier half of the paper.
Full-length, timed simulation
Each core is up to 90 questions in 90 minutes. Pacing across a full paper is a skill, and topic quizzes do not build it.
Feedback that names what to study next
A domain percentage is not actionable. The tool should say which concepts cost the marks and in what order to fix them.
Access model and total cost for two exams
Because A+ is two sittings, per-core pricing and expiry matter twice over. An annual licence taken out for Core 1 can lapse before you sit Core 2.
Try before you buy
You should be able to sit a genuine full-length paper before paying anything, on at least one of the two cores.
CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) practice exams compared at a glance
Every price below carries the date it was checked. Subscription products are marked as such, because a licence that expires mid-preparation is a cost most comparison tables hide. Verified 4 September 2026.
| Practice exam | Price (checked 4 September 2026) | Questions | Free full-length try | Concept-level coaching | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor Messer | Free course; paid bundle | Bundled exams and notes | Course free | No | Best free A+ course |
| FigigExams A+ | $39 once per core, lifetime | 359 Core 1 · 180 Core 2 | Yes | Yes | Value and concept-level feedback |
| Mike Meyers / Total Seminars | Course or book bundle | Large bundled bank | No | No | Hardware depth and the All-in-One book |
| Dion Training (Udemy) | $89 list, often $15-30 | 6 exams per core | No | No | Course plus exams in one purchase |
| CompTIA CertMaster Practice | ~$139-200 per core | Official bank | No | Limited | Official-source provenance |
| ExamCompass | Free | Free topic quizzes | Limited | No | Quick free topic drills |
| Exam dump sites | Varies | Scraped | Varies | No | Nothing - avoid |
"Concept-level coaching" means a per-attempt report naming the specific concepts costing you marks and what to revise next, not just a domain percentage. If any figure here is out of date, email [email protected] and we will correct it and re-date the page.
The best free CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) practice exams in 2026
The A+ has a strong free ecosystem, and for a certification aimed at people entering the industry that matters more than it does anywhere else on this site. The free options worth your time in 2026:
- Professor Messer - a complete free A+ video course covering both 220-1201 and 220-1202, plus free live study groups and free pop quizzes. For learning the material at zero cost, nothing else competes. His paid bundles add practice exams and written notes.
- FigigExams - a complete 90-question A+ Core 1 paper free with no credit card - the same Exam 1 that ships in the paid pack. Every question carries an explanation and a separate Exam Tip, and finishing produces an Exam Coach report plus a Study Path that ranks the Core 1 domains by weighted shortfall.
- ExamCompass - free topic-level A+ quizzes with no signup, split by objective. Thin on explanations and not full-length, but genuinely free and useful for drilling terminology such as ports, connectors and command-line switches.
The strongest zero-cost A+ path is Professor Messer for the material, then a full-length timed paper as the gate for each core separately. The mistake that costs A+ candidates most is preparing for both cores as one body of knowledge and then discovering that Core 2 - operating systems, security, software troubleshooting and operational procedures - was never really revised. Gate each core on its own paper.
The best CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) practice exams, ranked and explained
Ranked by overall fit against the criteria above for a typical self-funded candidate. Your priorities may reorder this, which is why every entry says who it is best for.
The default free recommendation for the A+ and deservedly so. Messer publishes a complete video course for both 220-1201 and 220-1202, free of charge, plus free live study groups and pop quizzes. For a candidate entering IT without an employer paying, this removes the single largest barrier. The limitation is the same one every course has: the practice component is secondary to the teaching, so you get quizzes rather than a weighted full-length diagnosis, and the analytics are basic.
This is ours, so weigh it accordingly. Core 1 carries 359 questions across 4 full-length exams and Core 2 carries 180 across 2, at $39 once per core with lifetime access. Every item ships with a written explanation and a separate Exam Tip. Finishing a paper produces an Exam Coach report and a Study Path that scores you against CompTIA's published objective weights and ranks revision by weighted shortfall. You can sit a complete 90-question Core 1 paper free first. Two honest limitations: Core 2 has fewer papers than Core 1, and Messer teaches the material better than our written study guide does - these are complements, not substitutes.
Mike Meyers has taught the A+ longer than almost anyone, and the All-in-One Exam Guide plus the Total Seminars courses remain the most thorough treatment of the hardware material available. The bundled question banks are large. The honest caveat is the one that applies to every comprehensive book: reading a thorough explanation builds recognition, and the A+ tests recall under time pressure. Those are different skills, and the gap between them is what a timed full-length paper exposes.
Dion's Udemy A+ courses bundle lecture content with six practice exams per core, downloadable notes and a PBQ simulator in a single purchase, and Udemy discounting means the real cost is often $15 to $30 per core. On raw volume per dollar this is the strongest paid entry here. The caveat specific to a vendor who already sells a large bank: a bank you have worked through cannot measure you twice. Once you have seen the questions, a high score measures memory of that bank rather than readiness for the exam.
CompTIA's own adaptive practice tool, written by the organisation that writes the exam. Provenance is the appeal, and some employers and training providers require it. The difficulty is cost, and it compounds on the A+ because everything is per core: roughly $139 to $200 each, on top of two exam vouchers. For a self-funded candidate entering the industry that is hard to justify against free and $39 alternatives.
Free A+ quizzes organised by objective with no signup. Genuinely useful for short reinforcement on the memorisation-heavy parts of the A+ - ports, connectors, cable types, command-line switches - while the material is fresh. It is not a full-length simulator, the explanations are thin, and there is no analytics layer.
Sites advertising "real 220-1201 questions" or "A+ dumps" sell scraped live content. CompTIA's Candidate Agreement is explicit and CompTIA does revoke certifications for it - a serious risk on a certification whose whole purpose is getting you your first IT job. The keys are frequently wrong, so you memorise errors, and dump content goes stale at every objectives refresh.
The cheapest way to get CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) practice exams that are actually worth sitting
The A+ cost question is different from every other certification here, because you are buying practice for two exams rather than one. Compare per core, not per product.
Start at zero. Professor Messer's complete A+ course is free for both cores, and a complete 90-question FigigExams Core 1 paper is free with no card. Then compare paid options per core. Dion on Udemy is often $15 to $30 per core on sale for six exams, which is the cheapest paid volume available. The FigigExams packs are $39 once per core with lifetime access - Core 1 works out at about $0.11 per question across 359 questions, Core 2 at about $0.22 across 180. CompTIA CertMaster Practice is roughly $139 to $200 per core, so $278 to $400 to cover both.
The trap specific to the A+ is buying an annual licence for Core 1 and letting it lapse before sitting Core 2. Most candidates take several months between the two papers, and some take a year. Lifetime access matters more on a two-exam certification than on a one-exam certification, which is exactly why the per-core pricing above is quoted as a one-off rather than a subscription.
What the FigigExams CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) pack actually includes
Most practice-exam products are a question bank and a score. The reason CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) candidates pick this one is the layer on top of the questions - the part that tells you what to do next. Here is everything in the pack, 4 September 2026.
4 full-length exams, 359 for Core 1 and 180 for Core 2 questions
Every paper is timed to the real CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) format and uses every question type the live exam uses. 90 of them are free on Exam 1, with no credit card.
An Exam Tip on every question
Not just an answer key. Every item carries a written explanation of why the right answer is right, plus a separate Exam Tip - the thing to remember on exam day.
Exam Coach: a concept-level report
After every attempt you get a per-concept breakdown across all five Core 1 domains, not a bare percentage - so you know which topics cost you the marks.
Study Path: what to revise next
Your result is scored against the published CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) blueprint weights and ranked by weighted shortfall - domain weight multiplied by your miss rate - so you revise what costs the most marks first, not what simply feels weakest.
Study cards from your own mistakes
Select any explanation and turn it into a saved study card. Your card deck is built from the questions you actually got wrong, which is the only revision list worth keeping.
A free CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) study guide
A full written study guide for CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202), readable online with no PDF gate and no email wall, cross-referenced to the exam domains.
$39 once, lifetime, future versions included
One payment unlocks every CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) exam in the pack for life. When the blueprint changes, the new versions are included - you are not re-billed for a new edition.
30-day money-back guarantee
If the pack is not what you needed, you have 30 days to ask for the money back. And you can sit a complete exam free before you pay anything.
Figures read from the live CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) question banks on 4 September 2026. Pack contents grow over time; the price does not change for people who already bought.
The verdict: which CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) practice exam to actually buy
If your budget is zero, learn from Professor Messer and gate each core on a free full-length timed paper. That path has taken more people into their first IT job than any paid product on this list.
If you want the best paid value, FigigExams is $39 once per core with lifetime access, 359 questions on Core 1 and 180 on Core 2, and a complete 90-question paper free first so you can test the claim before paying.
If you want a course and a large question bank in one cheap purchase, Jason Dion on Udemy is frequently $15 to $30 per core - just keep an unseen second set of papers for the final readiness check.
Whatever you choose, treat Core 1 and Core 2 as two separate preparations with two separate readiness gates. Assuming Core 2 will follow from Core 1 revision is the single most common reason A+ candidates pass one paper and fail the other.
What a real candidate said about the FigigExams practice exam
Posted on r/ccna in April 2026 about our CCNA exam rather than the A+, but it describes the free-full-paper-plus-end-of-exam-breakdown experience that is identical across every FigigExams certification, both A+ cores included:
"the free test is way better than boson imo and its free and 105 questions and it shows you the result and what you had wrong in the end, you can use a mock email to create the account idk why you guys hate so much, I have my ccna on tuesday and got 96% on this practice test which really boosted my confidence"
Try the value pick free before you spend a dollar
A complete CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) practice exam, an Exam Tip on every question, and a concept-level Exam Coach report with your Study Path. No credit card.
Start Free A+ Practice ExamFree full-length exam. The complete 4-exam pack is $39 once, lifetime, future versions included.
Frequently asked questions about CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) practice exams
What is the best free CompTIA A+ practice exam in 2026?
Professor Messer is the best free A+ resource overall, with a complete video course covering both 220-1201 and 220-1202, free live study groups and free pop quizzes. For a free full-length practice paper specifically, FigigExams gives you a complete 90-question A+ Core 1 exam free with no credit card, with an explanation and an Exam Tip on every question and an Exam Coach report plus a weighted Study Path. ExamCompass offers free topic-level quizzes with no signup. Checked 4 September 2026.
Do I need separate practice exams for A+ Core 1 and Core 2?
Yes. The A+ is two separate exams, 220-1201 and 220-1202, bought and sat separately, and they test different material - Core 1 covers hardware, networking, mobile devices, virtualisation and hardware troubleshooting, while Core 2 covers operating systems, security, software troubleshooting and operational procedures. Preparing for both as one body of knowledge is the most common reason candidates pass one paper and fail the other. Gate each core on its own full-length timed paper. See the Core 1 and Core 2 objectives.
What is the cheapest way to get A+ practice exams for both cores?
Free, if you use Professor Messer for the material and a free full-length paper as the gate. The cheapest paid volume is usually Jason Dion on Udemy at $15 to $30 per core on sale, giving six practice exams each. FigigExams is $39 once per core with lifetime access, which is 359 questions on Core 1 and 180 on Core 2. CompTIA CertMaster Practice is roughly $139 to $200 per core, so $278 to $400 for both. Prices checked 4 September 2026.
Which A+ practice exam has performance-based questions?
Both A+ cores open with PBQs and they consume the most time, so practising them matters. Jason Dion's courses include a PBQ simulator, Professor Messer's paid bundles include PBQs, and FigigExams includes performance-based style items in its A+ papers with a written explanation and an Exam Tip on each. CompTIA CertMaster Practice includes official PBQ-style content. Free topic quiz sites generally do not. See the A+ PBQ guide.
What score on an A+ practice exam means I am ready?
Core 1 (220-1201) passes at 675 out of 900 and Core 2 (220-1202) at 700 out of 900, so the two cores do not share a threshold. The practical bar is consistently clearing the pass mark on full-length papers you have not seen before, per core, with no domain far behind. Measured across 192 completed attempts from 129 candidates, the median practice score among candidates working at a genuine pace was 68.9%, so an early paper below the pass mark is normal. See Am I Ready for the A+?