The fundamentals
Congratulations on passing the CompTIA Security+ Course! You are now a recognized expert in the skills required to work as a computer service technician. To get the most out of your credential, you should maintain them updated and current. Fortunately, CompTIA has a simple mechanism for renewing your certificate, so you don’t have to retake the exam (unless you want to!). This post will explain why, when, and how you should renew your CompTIA A+ certification.
Why should I renew?
Why is it critical to keep your CompTIA Security+ Course certification current? Information technology is a fast-paced, ever-changing field. As a result, the required skills, knowledge, and expertise are evolving. You can be confident that you’re using the most cutting-edge tools to stay ahead of your competition if you maintain your certification up to date with CompTIA’s Continuing Education (CE) program.
CompTIA A+ CE, like the A+ certification, has a globally recognized ISO/ANSI accreditation status, allowing you to extend your certification in three-year increments through activities and training related to its content.
What you should know about the renewal cycle
When you pass the CompTIA A+ test for the first time, your credential is valid for three years. In other words, if you pass the test on January 1, 2022, your certificate will be valid until January 1, 2025. You must renew it before that date to keep it accurate; otherwise, you will have to redo the exam again.
There are four ways to renew your CompTIA A+ certification:
- They were taking and passing the most recent release of the entire exam [candidates must complete both
- CompTIA A+ 220-1101 (Core 1) and 220-1102 (Core 2), both of which were released in April 2022].
- Completing CertMaster CE for A+.
- Obtaining a qualifying, higher-level CompTIA certification (e.g., Network+ or Security+).
- Earning Continuing Education Units (CEUs) by completing In the following part, we’ll discuss each choice in detail.
You must pay an annual continuing education fee and your renewal date to keep your certification active. The CompTIA A+ certification costs $25 per year (or $75 for the entire three-year cycle). Log in to your CompTIA certification account to make the payment.
Renewal requirements: CEUs vs. exam retake
Your CompTIA A+ certification can be renewed by earning Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or retaking the latest exam version.
CEUs are credits obtained by participating in qualified activities. Your activities must adhere to three criteria: timing, relevancy, and documentation.
employment experience, training, and industry involvement
Obtain a second CompTIA certification
Earning another CompTIA credential, such as Security+ or Network+ Certification Training, will fully renew your A+ certification because renewing a higher-level certificate immediately renews any lower-level certifications you have. See CompTIA’s Earn a Higher-Level CompTIA Certification for more information on the additional CompTIA certifications you can obtain to renew your A+ credential.
Work history:
Are you working in the IT industry? Good news: your everyday work tasks may be counted toward renewing your certification. Find out how many CEUs you can get for this qualified activity throughout your three-year renewal cycle.
Training:
Training, as opposed to on-the-job experience, comprises updating your abilities through classes and industry courses. CompTIA recognizes CEU credits for college programs, industry training courses, webinars, and conferences. Find out how many CEUs you can earn for each qualifying training and education activity throughout your three-year renewal cycle.
Activities in the Industry:
Aside from schooling and work experience, various additional industrial activities qualify for CEUs. These activities include teaching, mentoring, and participating as a subject-matter expert in a CompTIA exam workshop. Find out how many CEUs you can get for each qualifying industry activity throughout your three-year renewal cycle.
Publications:
You’ll be pleased to find that producing relevant articles, blogs, whitepapers, and books can earn you CEU credits. Find out how many CEUs you can get for each qualifying publication activity throughout your three-year renewal cycle.
