CompTIA A+ (Core 1 & Core 2) Exam Survival Guide

A Fatskills Exam Survival Guide: what to focus on, what to avoid, and how to get through test day without panicking.

Window: Global | Entry-level IT support (hardware, OS, troubleshooting, security)

Must-do topics

• Core 1 (220-1101): hardware components, connectors, storage, mobile, virtualization, networking basics
• Core 2 (220-1102): OS installs/config (Windows/macOS/Linux), command-line, security hygiene, troubleshooting flows
• Imaging, backups, SOHO networks, wireless settings, cloud sync & profiles

Top traps (avoid)

• Mixing connector types (USB-C vs Thunderbolt, DisplayPort vs HDMI)
• Wrong wireless settings (WPA2/WPA3, channels, 2.4 vs 5 GHz)
• Skipping command-line flags (ipconfig/ifconfig, netstat, taskkill, chkdsk, sfc)
• Guessing troubleshooting steps out of order (identify → theory → test → plan → verify → document)
• Confusing malware types and remediation sequence (quarantine before removal)

Time split

• ~90 questions / 90 minutes each exam → 1 min/Q target
• Sims (PBQs) first or last based on comfort; don’t get stuck >3–4 min

Last-48h checklist

• Port numbers (20/21 FTP, 22 SSH, 23 Telnet, 25 SMTP, 53 DNS, 80/443 HTTP/HTTPS)
• Cable types & lengths; wireless standards (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
• Windows tools (MSCONFIG, REGEDIT, Services), Linux basics (ls, grep, chmod)
• Security: passwords, MFA, least privilege, device hardening

Quick facts

• IPv4 classes & masks; private ranges (10/8, 172.16/12, 192.168/16)
• RAID: 0 speed, 1 mirror, 5 parity, 10 mirror+stripe
• UEFI vs BIOS differences; secure boot purpose
• Backup types: full, incremental, differential (restore chains differ)

Speed tactics

• For PBQs, solve the obvious links first; partial credit counts
• Use process of elimination with port/cable/OS questions
• Memorize troubleshooting flow; pick answers in that order
• Flag niche hardware details; return after scooping easy points

Day-of mini-plan

• 10-min flash drill: ports + commands
• Read question stem before exhibits; then confirm with diagram
• Keep moving; guess, flag, and circle back

Ready to practice? Try the CompTIA A+ (Core 1 & Core 2) MCQ practice sets on Fatskills.