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Exam Information
Official specifications published by CompTIA
Exam Format
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Skills this practice test covers
- Choose an installation method, a filesystem and a Windows edition for a given device and business need.
- Run Windows and Linux commands such as ipconfig, chkdsk, robocopy, chmod and apt, and read their output.
- Configure Windows security with BitLocker, NTFS permissions, Windows Defender and Active Directory groups.
- Remove malware from a small office PC by following CompTIA's seven-step process in order.
- Troubleshoot Windows boot failures, crashing mobile apps and the signs of a compromised phone.
- Plan workstation backups, record changes properly and explain the limits of AI tools at work.
Explore related topics
220-1202 exam content
4 domains · 36 topics · 278 of 600 questions are written for 220-1202
Operating Systems28%78 questions
Tied for the largest share of the exam, this domain covers installing and running Windows, macOS, Linux and mobile operating systems. Candidates pick editions, filesystems and installation methods, then use each system's own tools and commands.
Skills tested
- Choose a filesystem such as NTFS, ReFS, APFS, ext4 or exFAT for a drive and its purpose.
- Pick an installation type, from a clean install or an in-place upgrade to zero-touch deployment with Autopilot.
- Compare Windows 10 and Windows 11 editions, including the TPM and UEFI requirements of Windows 11.
- Run command-line tools such as ipconfig, netstat, chkdsk, sfc and gpupdate to find and fix problems.
- Manage Linux files and packages with chmod, chown and apt, and use macOS tools such as FileVault and Time Machine.
Official topics
- Explain common operating system (OS) types and their purposes
- Given a scenario, perform OS installations and upgrades in a diverse environment
- Compare and contrast basic features of Microsoft Windows editions
- Given a scenario, use Microsoft Windows operating system features and tools
- Given a scenario, use the appropriate Microsoft command-line tools
- Given a scenario, configure Microsoft Windows settings
- Given a scenario, configure Microsoft Windows networking features on a client/desktop
- Explain common features and tools of the macOS/desktop operating system
- Identify common features and tools of the Linux client/desktop operating system
- Given a scenario, install applications according to requirements
- Given a scenario, install and configure cloud-based productivity tools
Security28%79 questions
Security carries as much weight as Operating Systems. It covers physical and logical controls, Windows security settings, wireless protocols, malware and social engineering. Candidates also secure small office/home office (SOHO) networks, browsers and mobile devices.
Skills tested
- Set up Windows security with BitLocker, NTFS and share permissions, UAC and Active Directory groups.
- Compare WPA2 with WPA3, and RADIUS with TACACS+ and Kerberos, for wireless security and sign-in.
- Recognize phishing, vishing, smishing and QR code phishing, and threats such as business email compromise.
- Follow the seven steps of SOHO malware removal, from identifying symptoms to educating the user.
- Choose a data destruction method, such as shredding or degaussing, and keep a certificate of destruction.
Official topics
- Summarize various security measures and their purposes
- Given a scenario, configure and apply basic Microsoft Windows OS security settings
- Compare and contrast wireless security protocols and authentication methods
- Summarize types of malware and tools/methods for detection, removal, and prevention
- Compare and contrast common social engineering attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities
- Given a scenario, implement procedures for basic SOHO malware removal
- Given a scenario, apply workstation security options and hardening techniques
- Given a scenario, apply common methods for securing mobile devices
- Compare and contrast common data destruction and disposal methods
- Given a scenario, apply security settings on SOHO wireless and wired networks
- Given a scenario, configure relevant security settings in a browser
Software Troubleshooting23%65 questions
Candidates read a symptom and choose the fix. The domain covers Windows faults such as a BSOD or a slow profile load, mobile app and OS problems, and the security symptoms of an infected PC or phone.
Skills tested
- Troubleshoot a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), boot loops, services that fail to start and time drift.
- Fix mobile apps that fail to launch, update or install, and devices with battery life problems.
- Spot signs of a compromised phone, such as high network traffic or fake security warnings.
- Clean up browser redirection, certificate warnings and adware on an infected PC.
Official topics
- Given a scenario, troubleshoot common Windows OS issues
- Given a scenario, troubleshoot common mobile OS and application issues
- Given a scenario, troubleshoot common mobile OS and application security issues
- Given a scenario, troubleshoot common personal computer (PC) security issues
Operational Procedures21%56 questions
This domain covers how support work is run: tickets, asset records, change management, backups, safety and customer care. It also includes scripting basics, remote access tools and basic AI concepts such as bias and hallucinations.
Skills tested
- Document support work in a ticketing system and keep the asset inventory up to date.
- Prepare a change with a rollback plan, a risk analysis and change board approval.
- Choose full, incremental, differential or synthetic full backups, and rotate them with GFS or the 3-2-1 backup rule.
- Match script file types such as .bat, .ps1, .sh and .py to their uses and their risks.
- Pick a remote access method such as RDP, VPN, SSH or VNC, and weigh its security.
Official topics
- Given a scenario, implement best practices associated with documentation and support systems information management
- Given a scenario, apply change management procedures
- Given a scenario, implement workstation backup and recovery methods
- Given a scenario, use common safety procedures
- Summarize environmental impacts and local environment controls
- Explain the importance of prohibited content/activity and privacy, licensing, and policy concepts
- Given a scenario, use proper communication techniques and professionalism
- Explain the basics of scripting
- Given a scenario, use remote access technologies
- Explain basic concepts related to artificial intelligence (AI)
Requirements
- Required for A+: a pass on both Core 1 and this exam, from the same version of the A+ exams.
- Recommended: about 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support job.
- Recommended: experience with Windows 10 and Windows 11, basic networking and mobile device management.
- Recommended: a CompTIA A+ training course.
About the 220-1202 exam
Core 2 of CompTIA A+ (220-1202) checks that an IT support technician can set up and secure operating systems, fix software problems and follow sound support procedures. It covers Windows, macOS, Linux and mobile operating systems. A+ also needs a pass on Core 1. That exam covers hardware, networking and mobile devices. The A+ certification stays valid for three years.
The PlanetCert practice test covers all four domains and puts the most questions into Security and Operating Systems, the two largest. Each explanation points to the clue in the scenario, for example why a user with full control in NTFS permissions can still be blocked by a stricter share permission. Study Mode suits the command-line objectives, where one switch can change the result. Brainy AI Assistant can explain an unfamiliar command or compare two similar tools, such as Task Manager and Resource Monitor.
How to earn the certification
- Earns
- CompTIA A+Entry-Level
CompTIA A+ stays valid for three years from the date it is earned.
- Before
- FC0-U71 CompTIA Tech+
Optional. CompTIA's entry-level exam on basic IT concepts, for people who are new to IT.
- FC0-U71 CompTIA Tech+
- After
- N10-009 CompTIA Network+
The usual next step for technicians who want to move into network support.
- SY0-701 CompTIA Security+
CompTIA's core security exam, which goes much deeper than the Security domain of Core 2.
- SK0-005 CompTIA Server+
Server hardware, storage and administration, for technicians who look after servers.
- CV0-004 CompTIA Cloud+
Cloud operations, for support staff who are moving toward cloud infrastructure work.
- N10-009 CompTIA Network+
How to prepare for 220-1202
- 1
Set up three operating systems
Install Windows 11 and a Linux distribution in virtual machines, and use a Mac if one is available. Try a clean install, an in-place upgrade and a GPT partition layout.
- 2
Type every command in the objectives
Run each Windows command, from ipconfig and netstat to robocopy and gpupdate, and each Linux command, such as chmod, chown, apt and df. Note what each output shows and which option changes it.
- 3
Walk a malware case through seven steps
Learn CompTIA's removal order: identify the symptoms, quarantine, disable System Restore, remediate, schedule scans, enable System Restore again and educate the user. Then apply it to a browser redirection case.
- 4
Split time between the two big domains
Operating Systems and Security carry the most weight. Drill wireless protocols, Windows permissions and social engineering terms in flashcard mode until each one is quick to recall.
- 5
Finish with timed scenario practice
Take the 220-1202 practice test in Timed Mode once every domain feels solid. Ask Brainy AI Assistant to explain each missed troubleshooting question, then repeat that fix in the lab.
Start a timed 220-1202run
CompTIA's own preparation for Core 2 includes CertMaster Learn and CertMaster Practice for A+.
Who 220-1202 is for
- Help desk and technical support staff in their first IT job.
- Desktop support and end user computing technicians who look after Windows, Mac and mobile devices.
- Field service technicians who set up and repair devices at customer sites.
- Junior system administrators who want an entry-level certification that employers know.
Typical job titles: Help desk technician · Desktop support specialist · IT support specialist · Field service technician · Junior system administrator · Technical support specialist
220-1202 glossary
19 terms from the exam objectives and the vendor's official material, each defined in a sentence.
- 3-2-1 backup rule
- A backup plan that keeps three copies of the data, on two types of media, with one copy offsite.
- Access control vestibule
- A small entry room with two doors that never open at the same time, which stops people from following others into a secure area.
- APFS
- The Apple File System, which current versions of macOS use by default.
- BitLocker To Go
- The BitLocker feature that encrypts removable drives, such as USB flash drives.
- Business Email Compromise (BEC)
- A fraud in which an attacker writes from a real or faked company email account to trick staff into sending money or data.
- Degaussing
- Erasing a magnetic drive with a strong magnetic field, which destroys the data and usually the drive as well.
- Fileless malware
- Malicious code that runs in memory or through built-in system tools instead of an installed file, so file scans often miss it.
- Grandfather-Father-Son (GFS) rotation
- A backup rotation that keeps daily, weekly and monthly sets, so that older restore points stay available.
- Hallucinations
- False information that an AI tool presents as if it were true.
- Just-in-time access
- Granting raised privileges only for the time a task needs, and then removing them again.
- MSDS
- Material safety data sheet: the document that explains how to handle, store and dispose of a product such as toner or a battery.
- RADIUS
- Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service: a central server that checks a user's credentials before the user joins the Wi-Fi or the VPN.
- Rapid Security Response
- Apple's way of delivering urgent macOS security fixes between regular software updates.
- ReFS (Resilient File System)
- A Microsoft filesystem designed to protect large volumes against data corruption.
- Stalkerware
- Hidden software that tracks a person's location, messages or calls without that person knowing.
- Synthetic full backup
- A full backup built from the last full backup and the incremental backups after it, instead of copying all the data again.
- TACACS+
- Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System Plus: a protocol that centrally controls who may sign in to network devices and what they may do there.
- WPA3
- The Wi-Fi Protected Access version that gives wireless networks stronger encryption and sign-in protection than WPA2.
- Zero-touch deployment
- Setting up a new computer automatically, so that it reaches the user ready to work without a technician handling it.