The CompTIA A+ Core 1 exam pattern (220-1201) allows a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, mixing multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based items. You need a scaled score of 675 to pass, and CompTIA delivers the exam through Pearson VUE at a test center or online with a proctor.
Before you book CompTIA A+ Core 1, it helps to know exactly what happens once the timer starts. This page covers the CompTIA A+ Core 1 exam pattern: how many questions to expect, how long you get, what kinds of questions appear, and how CompTIA scores the result.
How many questions are on CompTIA A+ Core 1?
CompTIA A+ Core 1 has a maximum of 90 questions. You get 90 minutes to complete the exam, so on average you have about a minute per question, though performance-based items usually take longer than multiple-choice ones.
What is the comptia a+ core 1 number of questions made up of?
CompTIA mixes three question types across the exam:
- Multiple-choice, both single response and multiple response
- Drag-and-drop items, where you match or order elements
- Performance-based questions, which are simulated hands-on tasks rather than a list of options
Performance-based questions are the format most candidates find unfamiliar, because you are asked to complete or diagnose a simulated task inside the exam interface instead of picking an answer from a list.
What is the CompTIA A+ Core 1 passing score?
The comptia a+ core 1 passing score is 675, on CompTIA's scale of 900. That scaled score is not a straight percentage of correct answers; CompTIA weights questions differently, and it does not publish the exact weighting. Treat 675 as the number that matters and do not try to reverse-engineer a percentage from it.
How is the exam delivered?
CompTIA A+ Core 1 is available at a Pearson VUE test center or through Pearson VUE's OnVUE online proctoring service. The question format, timing, and passing score are identical either way; what changes is the check-in process, which the exam-day guide covers separately.
What languages is the exam offered in?
CompTIA A+ Core 1 is offered in English, German, and Japanese. Confirm your preferred language when you book through the cost and booking page, since availability can depend on the delivery method you choose.
comptia a+ core 1 exam duration and pacing
With 90 minutes for up to 90 questions, pacing is tight if you second-guess yourself on early questions. A common approach is to answer everything you are confident about first, flag the rest, and come back — CompTIA's interface supports marking questions for review within the session.
What does our mock reproduce, and what doesn't it?
Our mock matches the real exam's question count, timing, and domain weighting. It is multiple-choice and multiple-response only — it does not include performance-based questions, because those are interactive simulations that a static mock cannot fully replicate. Your scaled score inside the mock is our own estimate for feedback purposes; CompTIA weights performance-based questions more heavily than multiple-choice ones and does not publish that weighting, so treat the score as a guide to weak domains rather than a prediction of your real result.
For the topics behind each question, see the exam objectives breakdown, or go straight to sample questions to see the style CompTIA uses. If you are still deciding whether to sit the exam, the prerequisites page explains who it suits.
How retakes work if you don't pass
CompTIA applies the same retake policy across its exams: there is no waiting period between your first and second attempt, but if you need a third attempt you must wait before you can sit the exam again. Each attempt requires its own exam registration, so plan your budget and revision time around that rule rather than assuming you can retake immediately after a third miss. The cost and booking page covers how registration and rescheduling work in more detail.
Why the question mix matters for your prep
Because performance-based items sit alongside multiple-choice and drag-and-drop questions in the same 90-minute session, candidates who only memorize facts tend to lose time on the interactive tasks. Reading a scenario carefully, identifying what's actually being asked, and ruling out distractor options is a skill in itself, and it applies to every question type CompTIA uses on Core 1. Treat the exam pattern as a reason to practice under a timer, not just to review notes, since the biggest difference between knowing the material and passing on exam day is usually pacing under pressure rather than raw knowledge.
Exam facts on this page come from CompTIA’s own pages (official exam page). Prices, versions and policies change — confirm there before you book.