How Many Questions Are on CompTIA Network+? N10-009 Format and Time

CompTIA Network+ N10-009 format at a glance

These are the CompTIA Network+ exam details for V9, exam N10-009, as checked on CompTIA's Network+ page and the N10-009 objectives on October 18, 2026.

"Maximum of 90" means a form can have fewer questions. Neither the Network+ page nor the objectives give a fixed count, and CompTIA's Network+ and performance-based-question pages give no number of PBQs. Treat any exact PBQ count you see elsewhere as unofficial.

What the 720 means, and why it is not a percentage, is covered in the passing score guide.

The question types, and where CompTIA's sources differ

The Network+ page and the objectives PDF name two types: multiple-choice and performance-based. CompTIA's blog post "What Is on the CompTIA Network+ Exam?" (December 18, 2024) splits that more finely. It says the multiple-choice questions are single-response and multiple-response, and that the exam also has drag-and-drop activities and performance-based items that test problem solving in a simulated environment. Prepare for all four. Being ready for a format you never see costs little.

CompTIA's PBQ page lists Network+ among the certifications with simulation PBQs. It says a simulation has a reset button, can be skipped and revisited with your work saved, can be solved in more than one way, and may earn partial credit.

A pacing plan for an exam that may open without a clock

The same CompTIA blog post says most performance-based items appear at the beginning of the exam and that you will not be able to see a clock while working on them. So the first stretch of the exam is the part you can least measure. Pace it by count and effort instead of minutes, then use question numbers as checkpoints once the clock is back.

A worked example with made-up numbers. Suppose a form has 85 questions and the first 4 are simulations. These numbers illustrate the method only; they say nothing about how many questions or simulations your form will have.

1. Set a ceiling for the simulations. Allow roughly 5 minutes each, so about 20 minutes for the four. Because you cannot watch the time, make the ceiling a rule of effort: one full read of the task, one solid attempt, then move on if it is not coming together.
2. Keep a reserve. Hold back 10 minutes for flagged questions and any simulation you skipped.
3. Divide the rest. 90 − 20 − 10 = 60 minutes for the 81 other questions, about 44 seconds each.

Then check the clock at fixed question numbers:

Each block between checkpoints is 27 questions at about 44 seconds each, which is 20 minutes. If the first reading shows 60 minutes instead of 70, the simulations took about 30 minutes. You are 10 minutes behind. Either spend part of the reserve or pick up the pace on short recall questions, and flag long stems to return to later.

"Most" PBQs come first, not all of them, so leave room for one appearing later. And because CompTIA says simulation work is saved and partial credit may be given, enter the parts you are sure of before you skip one.

No breaks, check-in, and online test-day timing

CompTIA's testing policies say every CompTIA exam, at a test center or on Pearson VUE's OnVUE platform, is a single session with no scheduled breaks. If you need an accommodation, request it through Pearson VUE. CompTIA's online guidelines say it must be approved before you schedule and cannot be added once an exam has started. The same guidelines add that breaks are allowed only with an approved accommodation and only at a test center.

A few online rules from the same guidelines also touch your time:

• Check-in can start up to 30 minutes before your appointment. Candidates more than 15 minutes late are not allowed to test.
• Notes go on the built-in digital whiteboard only. Physical note-taking materials are not allowed.
• Technical problems go to the proctor through the "Contact Proctor" option, but the proctor cannot pause the exam or add time.

After the exam, CompTIA's blog says you will be asked to complete an optional exit survey of about 12 multiple-choice questions about your study habits and reasons for certifying. Booking steps, ID rules and the OnVUE system check are in the scheduling guide.

ESL: 30 extra minutes, in some countries only

CompTIA's English as a Second Language accommodation adds 30 minutes. Per the testing policies, it applies to 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, and in eligible countries it is granted automatically when you register with Pearson VUE.

Network+ N10-009 is also offered in German, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish. The policy does not list which countries qualify, so if you test in English where one of those languages is spoken, check whether the extension appears during registration instead of assuming it.

Practice that fits this format

Different item types need different practice. Mixed scenario questions train the judgment behind single-response items, matching drills cover drag-and-drop, and hands-on work with addressing, VLANs and command-line tools is the best preparation for simulations.

The free Passy set is single-answer only. It does not include multiple-response, drag-and-drop or performance-based items, and a percentage on it does not predict a 720. For the single-answer part of the exam, answer 20 mixed single-answer N10-009 questions with explanations → and read why each wrong option fails.