CompTIA Network+ N10-009 vs N10-010: What the V10 Draft Means for Your Exam Date

Where CompTIA Network+ stands on October 18, 2026

Checked October 18, 2026. The CompTIA Network+ exam you can book is V9, series code N10-009, launched June 20, 2024. CompTIA's Network+ page gives its retirement as "usually three years after launch (estimated 2027)." It does not give a retirement date, and it does not mention a launch date for a successor.

The next version exists only as a draft. CompTIA's "Exam Objectives Under Development" page lists "DRAFT CompTIA Network+ V10 Exam Objectives (pdf)." CompTIA explains on that page that draft objectives are posted after the job task analysis, may contain minor issues such as typos or unclear wording, are updated periodically, may go through several versions before launch, and are removed when the final objectives are posted.

The draft linked there on October 18, 2026 is document version 1.2. The file was created on September 15, 2026, and every page is marked DRAFT. Neither the draft nor CompTIA's Network+ page gives a V10 launch date or an N10-009 retirement date. Some third-party sites publish their own launch estimates. Those are guesses, not CompTIA announcements.

N10-009 and the V10 draft side by side

The draft itself is not fully consistent. Its cover calls the exam "N10-010 V10," while the test-details table and the opening text say "N10-010 V1." That is the kind of issue CompTIA says drafts can contain, and one more reason to treat every value in the right-hand column as provisional.

What the draft changes at the heading level

Three differences stand out without going into the draft's bullet lists:

• A new AI objective. Draft objective 3.5 asks candidates to summarize concepts related to artificial intelligence. N10-009 has no AI objective.
• No methodology objective. On N10-009, the seven-step troubleshooting methodology is objective 5.1. The September 2026 draft (v1.2) does not list it anywhere, and its domain 5 has three objectives instead of five. That describes this draft, not the final V10 exam. For N10-009, the methodology is tested, and the methodology guide covers it.
• Different weights. Network Operations rises 2 points and Network Security 3 points, while Networking Concepts drops 3 points and Implementation and Troubleshooting drop 1 point each.

None of this changes what N10-009 tests. If your appointment is for N10-009, study from the version 4.0 objectives, which the N10-009 objectives guide explains.

Decide by your exam date

The deciding fact is that N10-009 retirement is estimated, not dated. The table below is a way to reason about that, not a prediction of when CompTIA will act.

Wherever you land in the table, plan backward from a real date. Build a study outline that ends on your actual N10-009 test date → with the free plan generator, which uses your exam date, daily minutes and weakest domain.

Why a pass on N10-009 is not wasted

A new exam version does not shorten a certification you have already earned. CompTIA's renewal policy says Network+ is valid for three years from the certification date. When N10-008 retired in December 2024, CompTIA's Q&A blog said certifications earned before the retirement stayed valid for three years from the exam date.

Two renewal routes also connect to the version change:

• Pass the latest release. If a newer version of the exam comes out during your three-year cycle, CompTIA lets you renew by passing it, and the CE fee is waived.
• Earn a higher-level certification. CompTIA lists CompTIA Security+, CySA+, PenTest+, SecurityX and Cloud+ V3 among the certifications that fully renew Network+. Cloud+ V4 does not fully renew another certification.

The usual route, 30 continuing education units with a CE fee, is in the renewal guide. For a study order that works for N10-009 now, start with the Network+ study guide.