What A+ practice questions are and where to find them

A+ practice questions are sample test items that mimic the format and difficulty of the CompTIA A+ certification exam. They help you identify weak areas, build test-taking speed, and get comfortable with the question styles you'll see on exam day. The real exam has 90 questions (for the Core exam) or 85 questions (for the Practical exam), and you have 90 minutes per section.

Free practice questions are available from CompTIA's official website, YouTube channels run by A+ instructors, and sites like Professor Messer (a popular free resource). Paid question banks—often bundled with study courses—typically offer hundreds of questions organized by topic, with detailed explanations for each answer. Udemy, Coursera, and exam-prep platforms like Examtopics and Boson ExSim-Max all host practice question sets.

The difference between free and paid options matters. Free questions teach you the exam format but may not cover every topic with equal depth. Paid banks usually track your progress, show you which domains you're struggling with, and include performance analytics. If you're studying on a tight budget, free resources can work—but many test-takers find that paid question banks cut study time in half.

Key Takeaways

  • Practice questions should come from sources that cover both A+ Core (220-1101) and Practical (220-1102) exam domains, not just one or the other.
  • Free resources like Professor Messer and CompTIA's official site teach you the format, but paid question banks usually offer more questions per topic and show you exactly where you're weak.
  • The best practice routine is to take questions by topic first (to learn), then take full-length timed exams (to build speed and stamina).
  • If you score below 70 percent on a practice test, review the explanations for every wrong answer before moving to the next section.

How to structure your practice question routine

Start with topic-based questions rather than full-length exams. The A+ Core exam covers hardware, networking, mobile devices, virtualization, cloud computing, and operational procedures. The Practical exam tests troubleshooting and hands-on skills. Spend one to two weeks on each domain, answering 20 to 40 questions per session on that topic alone. This builds your knowledge without the time pressure of a full exam.

Once you've worked through all domains, move to full-length timed practice exams. Set a timer for 90 minutes and answer all questions without stopping—this trains your brain to work at exam pace and teaches you how to manage time across the full test. Take at least two full-length exams before your real test date. If you score 75 percent or higher on two consecutive full exams, you're likely ready.

After each practice session, spend 15 to 20 minutes reviewing every question you got wrong. Read the explanation, look up the concept in your study guide, and write down the key fact you missed. This step is where most learning happens—the question itself is just the trigger.

The difference between question formats on the exam

The A+ exam uses multiple-choice questions (pick one correct answer), multiple-response questions (pick all that explore—usually two to three correct answers), and performance-based questions on the Practical exam (simulate real troubleshooting tasks). Practice questions should include all three types so you're not surprised on test day.

Multiple-choice questions are straightforward: one answer is correct, three are distractors. Multiple-response questions are harder because you must identify every correct answer—missing even one counts as wrong. Many test-takers rush these and pick only two answers when three are correct. Slow down on "select all that explore" questions and read every option before you answer.

Performance-based questions on the Practical exam ask you to troubleshoot a scenario or configure a system. These don't appear on the Core exam, so if you're only taking Core, you won't see them in that section. But if you're taking both exams, make sure your practice materials include performance-based simulations for the Practical portion.

Common mistakes people make with practice questions

The biggest mistake is memorizing answers without understanding the concept. If you see a question about RAID 5 and you remember "the answer is striping with parity," you've wasted your time. When you encounter that question on the real exam in slightly different wording, you'll be lost. Instead, understand why RAID 5 uses striping with parity and what problem it solves. Then the answer makes sense no matter how the question is worded.

Another common trap is taking practice exams too early. If you haven't studied the material yet, a practice exam just shows you how much you don't know—it doesn't teach you anything. Study the domain first, answer topic-based questions, then take full exams. The order matters.

Test-takers also often skip the explanations for questions they got right. Wrong. Read every explanation, even for correct answers. You might have guessed correctly, or the explanation might clarify a related concept you're fuzzy on. Explanations are where the real learning lives.

How to choose between free and paid practice resources

Free resources work best if you're disciplined and have time to study. Professor Messer's YouTube videos pair well with free practice questions from CompTIA's official site. You'll get solid coverage of the exam domains without spending money. The trade-off is that you won't have a progress tracker, and you'll need to manually organize your study plan.

Paid question banks (Boson ExSim-Max, Examtopics, Udemy bundles) cost between $30 and $150 and typically include hundreds of questions, detailed explanations, performance reports, and sometimes video walkthroughs of difficult questions. If you're a slower learner or you've failed the exam once, a paid bank usually saves you money in the long run because you'll pass faster and won't have to retake the exam.

A middle-ground approach: use free questions for your first pass through each domain, then buy a paid question bank for your final two weeks of study. This keeps costs down while giving you the analytics and depth you need before test day.

What to do if you're scoring below 70 percent

A score below 70 percent on practice questions means you're not ready for the real exam yet—and that's okay. The real exam requires 675 out of 900 points to pass (roughly 75 percent), so your practice score should be at least 75 to 80 percent before you schedule your test.

If you're stuck below 70 percent, go back to your study materials and focus on the domains where you're weakest. Most practice platforms show you a breakdown by topic—use that to identify which areas need more work. Spend extra time on those domains before you take another practice exam. Don't just retake the same exam; study first, then test again.

Also check whether you're running out of time. If you're scoring low because you're not finishing the exam, practice your pacing. Answer easier questions first, flag harder ones, and come back to them if you have time. Speed comes with repetition, so take more timed practice exams.

Timing and test-day strategies from practice questions

The Core exam gives you 90 minutes for 90 questions—one minute per question on average. In reality, some questions take 30 seconds and others take three minutes. During practice exams, note which question types slow you down. If scenario-based questions eat up your time, practice those more often so you can answer them faster.

On test day, read each question carefully the first time. Misreading a question is the fastest way to get it wrong. If a question asks "which of the following is not a symptom," make sure you're looking for the wrong answer, not the right one. Practice questions teach you to spot these tricks if you pay attention.

Flag questions you're unsure about and come back to them at the end if you have time. Don't spend five minutes on one hard question when you could answer three easier ones and come back. This strategy comes naturally if you practice it during timed exams.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many practice questions should I do before I take the real exam?

Most test-takers work through 500 to 1,000 practice questions total across both exams. That usually means 250 to 500 per exam. If you're using a paid question bank, aim for at least two full-length timed exams plus 200 to 300 topic-based questions. If you're using free resources, you may need to supplement with multiple sources to hit that volume.

Can I pass the A+ exam using only free practice questions?

Yes, but it requires more discipline and time. Free questions teach you the format and cover the main topics, but they're often less detailed than paid banks. You'll need to combine them with free study guides (like CompTIA's official exam objectives) and video courses. Many people pass this way, but it usually takes longer than using a paid question bank.

What if the practice questions don't match the real exam?

CompTIA updates the exam every few years, and older practice questions may cover outdated topics. Always use materials dated within the last two years. Check the exam version number (currently 220-1101 and 220-1102) and make sure your practice questions match that version. If you're using a paid platform, they update their questions regularly.

Should I memorize practice questions or understand the concepts?

Understand the concepts. Memorizing answers teaches you nothing because the real exam will phrase questions differently. If you understand why a concept is true, you can answer any version of that question. Read explanations carefully and look up concepts you don't fully grasp in your study guide.

How long before the exam should I start taking full-length practice tests?

Start full-length exams two to three weeks before your test date, after you've finished studying all domains. Take one per week if possible. If you score 75 percent or higher on two consecutive full exams, you're ready to schedule your real test. If you score lower, keep studying and retake in another week.