Best CompTIA A+ Study Resources in 2026: Courses, Books, PBQs and Practice Exams
Skip the comparison - test yourself on a full paper
A complete A+ Core 1 practice exam: 90 questions in 90 minutes, interactive PBQs graded outcome by outcome, an Exam Tip on every item and an Exam Coach report at the end.
APLUS1-EXAM-FULL
Try a free A+ Core 1 exam
Already have an account? Log in to redeem
Hardware
Plan the motherboard upgrade.
Identify the exact sockets and connectors before installation.
Security
Remove the confirmed infection through the approved recovery gates.
Isolation, trusted remediation and verified return are separate stages.
Software Troubleshooting
Update the managed mobile app without losing unsent records.
Capacity and app-source policy are two independent gates.
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.
To pass CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202) in 2026 you need four kinds of resource for each core. Learn with Professor Messer's free courses. Read the Sybex A+ Complete Study Guide, 6th edition, where the videos leave gaps. Practise PBQs, the simulations that open each exam: Dion's packs and TotalSims drill them, and FigigExams grades 34 interactive PBQs inside timed papers. Test on full-length timed exams: FigigExams gives a complete 90-question exam free per core ($39 once per core for the rest), and Jason Dion's Udemy sets are the cheapest paid volume.Compiled 12 October 2026 by FigigExams. Prices and counts are dated in the comparison table.
In this guide
The four jobs an A+ study stack has to do
A+ is two exams, so every job below has a Core 1 and a Core 2 half. PBQs, the simulations that open each exam, are the part a question bank alone never rehearses.
A course that covers every objective
- Professor Messer's 220-1201 and 220-1202 courses, free, the default starting point
- Mike Meyers (Total Seminars) or Jason Dion on Udemy, often $15-30 on sale
- Official: CompTIA CertMaster Learn
A book for depth and gaps
- Sybex A+ Complete Study Guide, 2-volume set, 6th edition (220-1201/1202)
- Mike Meyers' All-in-One, 12th edition, for 220-1201/1202, due December 2026
- Every book compared: best A+ books
Rehearse the simulations
- Dion PBQ Practice Packs, 50 PBQ-style items per core
- TotalSims, 296 simulation elements, both cores
- FigigExams, 19 Core 1 and 15 Core 2 PBQs graded inside timed exams
Full-length timed papers
- FigigExams, a complete 90-question exam free per core, 4 + 3 exams in the packs
- Jason Dion's Udemy sets, 6 exams per core
- Boson ExSim-Max, timed exam simulator
Every A+ resource worth knowing, side by side
Prices carry the date they were checked. Products that renew automatically are marked.
| Resource | Job | Price | Free option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor Messer 220-1201/1202 | Learn | Free course; paid notes and practice bundle | The course | Learning every objective, both cores |
| Mike Meyers / Total Seminars | Learn + Read | Course or book bundle | No | Hardware depth and the All-in-One book |
| Jason Dion (Udemy) | Learn + Test | $89 list, often $15-30 | No | Course plus 6 practice exams per core |
| Sybex Complete Study Guide, 6th ed. | Read | Paid book | No | Deepest single reference, with an online test bank |
| CompTIA CertMaster Practice | Test | About $139-200 per core | No | The official, adaptive option |
| Dion PBQ Practice Packs | PBQs | $29.99 per core | No | Most PBQs per dollar, drilled in sets |
| TotalSims | PBQs | $69 for 1 year, both cores | No | The largest set of simulations |
| FigigExams A+ | Test + PBQs | $39 once per core, lifetime | Full exam per core | 354 Core 1 + 262 Core 2 questions, 34 PBQs inside timed exams, Exam Coach |
| Boson ExSim-Max | Test | $99 a year per core, auto-renews | No | Timed multiple-choice simulation |
| ExamCompass | Test | Free | Yes | Quick topic quizzes between sessions |
Dion PBQ packs, TotalSims and Boson checked 3 October 2026; Udemy and CertMaster Practice checked 4 September 2026; FigigExams counts read from the live question banks 10 October 2026. If anything here is out of date, email [email protected] and we will correct it and re-date the page.
The A+ stack that costs nothing
- Professor Messer's 220-1201 and 220-1202 courses for the material.
- CompTIA's exam objectives PDFs for both cores, as the checklist. Our versions with every objective explained: Core 1 and Core 2.
- A full-length FigigExams paper per core, 90 questions in 90 minutes with interactive PBQs: Core 1 with
APLUS1-EXAM-FULL, Core 2 withAPLUS2-EXAM-FULL. - ExamCompass for quick topic quizzes.
- The free study guides, readable online: Core 1 and Core 2.
What free does not give you is a second unseen paper per core and a large PBQ bank. That is where the paid options come in.
Where spending money actually helps
- More unseen papers. FigigExams is $39 once per core: 4 Core 1 exams (354 questions) and 3 Core 2 exams (262 questions), with an Exam Coach report after every attempt. Dion's Udemy sets are cheaper per question on sale. Boson ExSim-Max is $99 a year per core and renews automatically.
- More PBQs. TotalSims has the most simulations and Dion's packs the most PBQs per dollar. Ours are graded outcome by outcome inside timed full-length exams, where the real exam puts them. Every tool compared: best A+ PBQ simulators.
- A book, if the videos leave gaps. Use it on the domains your course covers thinly, not cover to cover.
A study order that works
- Pick a core and finish it. Most candidates start with Core 1 (hardware and networking), but either order is allowed. Studying both at once doubles the time before your first pass.
- Halfway through, sit a full-length paper as a diagnostic. It shows whether your gap is content or the PBQ format.
- Drill PBQs on the heaviest domains: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting (28% of Core 1), Operating Systems and Security (28% each of Core 2).
- Re-sit unseen papers until you clear the pass mark with margin: 675 for Core 1, 700 for Core 2, on a 100-900 scale.
- Book the exam, then start the other core. The readiness rubric and the 30-day plan cover the final month. Prices, rules and retakes: A+ exam cost and format.
Test your stack on a full-length paper
90 questions in 90 minutes with interactive PBQs, an Exam Tip on every question and an Exam Coach report that ranks what to revise. 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, future versions included.
Frequently asked questions about A+ study resources
What resources do I need to pass CompTIA A+?
Four kinds, for each core: a course (Professor Messer's 220-1201 and 220-1202 courses are free and complete), a book for depth (the Sybex A+ Complete Study Guide, 6th edition), PBQ practice for the simulations that open each exam, and full-length timed practice exams (FigigExams gives a complete 90-question exam free for each core; Jason Dion's Udemy sets are the cheapest paid volume).
Is Professor Messer enough to pass A+?
For learning the material, often yes: the free courses cover every 220-1201 and 220-1202 objective. They do not simulate the exam, so add full-length timed practice exams and PBQ practice before you book.
Where can I practise A+ performance-based questions?
Dion's PBQ Practice Packs have 50 PBQ-style items per core for $29.99, TotalSims has 296 simulation elements across both cores for $69 a year, and FigigExams grades 19 Core 1 and 15 Core 2 PBQs inside timed full-length exams.
What is the best free A+ practice test?
A full-length, timed paper that includes PBQs. FigigExams gives a complete 90-question exam free for each core, with interactive PBQs, an explanation and Exam Tip on every question and an Exam Coach report. ExamCompass is useful for quick topic quizzes.
Should I study A+ Core 1 and Core 2 together?
Usually not. Finishing one core and passing it first gets you to an exam sooner and halves what you hold in your head at once. CompTIA allows either order.
Which A+ book should I buy in 2026?
One written for 220-1201 and 220-1202: the Sybex A+ Complete Study Guide 2-volume set, 6th edition, or, from December 2026, Mike Meyers' All-in-One, 12th edition. Books for 220-1101/1102 cover the retired version.