How to Schedule CompTIA A+: Online (OnVUE) or at a Test Center

The booking steps

CompTIA's scheduling page, checked October 17, 2026, describes one process for both delivery modes:

1. Sign in to your CompTIA Central account, or create one. Use an email address you check, because CompTIA sends results and certification updates there.
2. On your account homepage, open the section for scheduling and managing exams.
3. Complete or confirm your profile, and make sure your name matches your ID exactly.
4. On Pearson VUE's site, choose the exam code: 220-1201 for Core 1 or 220-1202 for Core 2.
5. Choose a test center, or online delivery through OnVUE.
6. Choose the exam language and agree to the testing policies. For a test center, you can then compare up to three locations.
7. Pick a date and time, then pay with a credit card or an exam voucher, and submit.

Each core is its own booking with its own payment. One voucher covers one attempt at one exam, so two cores mean two vouchers or two card payments. Current prices are in the cost guide.

For an OnVUE appointment, the time you pick follows the time zone in your Pearson VUE profile. CompTIA's online-testing article suggests checking that setting before you choose a slot.

Planning two appointments

Core 1 and Core 2 do not need to be on the same day, in the same place, or in the same mode. Both must be V15 exams, and CompTIA estimates V15 will retire around 2028. Some planning choices that follow from the rules:

• Book the first core, then pencil in the second. Leave enough time to study the second core's domains properly, but not so much that the first core's networking basics fade.
• Mix modes if it helps. You could take Core 1 at a test center and Core 2 online, or the reverse.
• Know the retake timing before you book. CompTIA requires no wait between a first and second attempt, and at least 14 calendar days before a third or later attempt.
• Buy vouchers close to your dates. Vouchers typically expire one year after purchase, and the date cannot be extended.

Test center or OnVUE: what changes

Rescheduling with certain accommodations can take up to three days, according to CompTIA's testing policies, so leave extra time if that applies to you. Under both modes, a late cancellation or a no-show forfeits the exam fee.

The official technical requirements for OnVUE do not match exactly. Pearson's CompTIA OnVUE page lists Windows 10 or macOS 14 or higher and at least 6 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up. CompTIA's help article lists Windows 11 and 10 (64-bit) or macOS 10.15 and above, with 6 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up. Rather than guessing, run Pearson's system test on the same computer and network you will use on exam day. CompTIA says it takes 5 to 10 minutes. If any requirement fails on the day, Pearson says you cannot test and the fee is forfeited.

Extra time: ESL and accommodations

ESL extension. CompTIA offers a 30-minute extension on exams delivered in English in non-English-speaking countries where a localized version of the exam is not available. It is not available in English-speaking countries. When you register at Pearson VUE from an eligible country, it is granted automatically, so you do not apply for it.

Accommodations. Extra time, a separate room, or scheduled breaks for a documented need go through Pearson VUE, which reviews every request. The order matters:

1. Request the accommodation before you schedule. It cannot be applied to an exam that is already booked.
2. Upload the documentation Pearson VUE asks for, such as a diagnostic report or a detailed letter.
3. If it is approved, follow the scheduling instructions Pearson VUE's accommodations team sends you. Accommodated exams cannot be booked through the standard online scheduler.

If you need it for both cores, ask Pearson VUE whether one approval covers both appointments.

On the day of each exam

For OnVUE, close every application except the OnVUE software, clear your desk and walls of notes, and keep your phone out of reach after check-in. Do not switch computers or networks after the system test. At a test center, arrive with both IDs. Either way, the exam itself is a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, described in the format guide, and you receive a score report when you finish.

If you need another attempt at either core, the retake guide covers the waiting periods. Passy cannot book or reschedule CompTIA exams. Use CompTIA Central and Pearson VUE for every appointment change.