Should you take CompTIA A+ or Network+ first?
Take A+ first if you are entering IT with no prior experience, and Network+ first if you already work in support and want to move toward infrastructure. A+ is broader and shallower; Network+ is narrower and deeper.
The shared ground
Both cover networking fundamentals, and the overlap is real: A+ carries a Networking domain plus network troubleshooting, while Network+ treats the same ground as its entire subject. Studying A+ first means a meaningful part of Network+ is already familiar rather than new.
- A+ is the wider netA+ spans nine domains — hardware, operating systems, mobile devices, virtualisation, security, software and hardware troubleshooting, and operational procedures. It is designed to make you useful across a help desk rather than expert in one area.
- Network+ goes deeper on one subjectNetwork+ concentrates on five domains covering network concepts, implementation, operations, security and troubleshooting. Where A+ asks whether you can identify a network problem, Network+ asks whether you can design, secure and diagnose the network itself.
- A+ costs more sittingsA+ requires two exams, Core 1 and Core 2, each up to 90 questions in 90 minutes with a 675 pass mark. Network+ is a single 90-minute exam with a 720 pass mark. That difference matters for both budget and scheduling.
- Employers read them differentlyA+ signals that you can be trusted with users and endpoints. Network+ signals that you can be trusted with infrastructure. Neither replaces the other, and many roles list A+ as a floor and Network+ as a step up.
Taking them in sequence
The common path is A+ then Network+ then Security+. Skipping A+ is reasonable if you already do hands-on support daily; skipping Network+ before Security+ is not, because Security+ assumes networking knowledge it does not teach.
Find out which one you are actually ready for
Start free on either certification — 20 questions on A+, 20 on Network+ — and let your domain scores decide instead of guessing.
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