A+ 220-1201 vs 220-1101: What Changed in CompTIA A+ V15

The version you book now

On October 17, 2026, CompTIA's A+ exam pages listed V15 only. Each V15 exam has a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, with passing scores of 675 for Core 1 and 700 for Core 2. This guide gives the English V14 retirement date only, because the official pages checked for it do not show retirement dates for other languages.

A V14 pass does not pair with a V15 pass

CompTIA's November 2024 article on the two-exam structure said both exams must be passed within the same series, and that someone who had passed V14 Core 1 could only certify within the V14 series. The V15 exam pages say the same thing in fewer words: Core 1 and Core 2 must come from the same version, with no mixing.

Put together, if you passed one V14 core and did not pass the other before V14 retired, plan on taking both V15 exams. If your situation does not fit that pattern, confirm it with CompTIA before you buy a voucher.

How the domain weights moved

The domain names are the same in both versions. Only the weights changed.

The V14 figures come from CompTIA's December 2024 FAQ on 220-1101 and 220-1102. The V15 figures come from the current objectives documents.

Two shifts matter most for study time. On Core 2, Security now ties Operating Systems as the largest domain, so a plan built on the old 31/25 split underweights security. On Core 1, Networking gained three points and is the only Core 1 domain that grew. A changed weight tells you where the blueprint moved. It does not tell you which individual objectives were added or dropped.

The methodology note in the V15 objectives

One V15 change does not show up in the weight table. The 220-1201 objectives say CompTIA decided not to test the troubleshooting methodology in the 220-1200 series, and keep the steps only as part of a competency standard. If a book or course presents the six steps as something you must memorize for the exam, that framing does not match V15. Troubleshooting itself still carries heavy weight, 28% of Core 1 and 23% of Core 2. The troubleshooting methodology guide quotes the note and shows how the steps still help on scenario questions.

Audit an older 220-1101 or 220-1102 book

The CompTIA pages checked for this guide do not link the V14 objectives, so it does not publish an objective-by-objective list of removals. Lists of "what was dropped" on forums are not a source. Check your material against the V15 documents instead.

1. Download the 220-1201 and 220-1202 objectives from CompTIA's V15 exam pages.
2. For every V15 objective, find the chapter in your book that covers it. Mark each objective "covered," "thin," or "missing."
3. For every chapter in your book, find the V15 objective it supports. A chapter with no match is low priority, though CompTIA notes that its example lists are not exhaustive.
4. Rebalance your hours to the V15 weights in the table above.
5. Replace practice tests labeled 220-1101 or 220-1102. They were written for the old weights and may treat the methodology as a tested objective.

These V15 objectives are specific enough to check quickly. Their presence in V15 is confirmed. Whether each one is new is not something this guide claims.

If your book covers most of these, it is still useful for the fundamentals. If it misses several, use it for background only and study the gaps from material written for 220-1201 and 220-1202. The A+ study guide turns the V15 objectives into a checklist, and the Core 1 vs Core 2 comparison lists all nine domains.