Revolutionizing IT: CompTIA A+ Boosts Skills with AI and Cybersecurity

At a glance

• CompTIA has released a new version of the A+ certification that adds AI and more security content, with the new exams launched on March 25, 2025.
• New examination objectives cover AI basics, security, cloud and troubleshooting, plus problem-solving and communication.
• CompTIA’s Chief Technology Evangelist, Dr. James Stanger, has long argued that durable skills such as problem-solving matter as much as tool knowledge.
• The certification draws insights from IT professionals worldwide, who help CompTIA decide which tasks the exams should test.

A+ adds AI and more security

Entry-level IT support jobs now involve cloud accounts, remote workers and security problems as much as fixing printers. The exam had to catch up. So the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) updated A+, and the new Core 1 and Core 2 exams, 220-1201 and 220-1202, launched in March 2025 to replace the 220-1101 and 220-1102 series that many help desk workers took over the past three years.

The update adds AI concepts and expands security topics, from malware removal to securing remote access. Basics stay. Diagnosing problems and explaining fixes to users are still at the center of the exam.

Soft skills stay on the exam

AI and security get the attention, but the new A+ also tests problem-solving and communication. That’s deliberate. Tech support staff spend much of the day explaining to people who are not technical what broke, why it broke and what they need to do differently next time, and CompTIA treats that as part of the job.

Technicians who can do both move up faster.

Built from practitioner input

CompTIA builds its exam objectives from job task analyses and from input by IT professionals in many countries. The goal is an exam tied to real support work.

The new objectives also cover support for hybrid and remote work, now routine for help desks. Home routers count too.

Is the new A+ worth it?

A+ remains one of the most common entry points into IT. It can help a newcomer land a first job. For employers, it is a quick way to check that a new hire knows the basics before they start touching user machines and accounts.

Breaches and AI tools are changing what entry-level staff need to know. A+ is the foundation. For the current exams, costs and a study plan, see our CompTIA A+ exam guide.

Getting started with the new exams

Candidates who were studying for the old exams should check CompTIA’s retirement dates for 220-1101 and 220-1102 before booking. Check first.

Help desk technicians and career changers both use A+ as a first step. The new version makes AI and security part of that first step.

Dan Evert, CCNP

Dan Evert is a self proclaimed Router Jockey. Dan got heavily involved in networking right out of high school and has never looked back! Dan is giving back by working with high school students to get them involved and interested in Networking and Security.