CompTIA Trifecta: A+, Network+ and Security+ Order, Cost, Renewal
The CompTIA trifecta is A+, Network+ and Security+: four exams, $1,386 in vouchers at list price, their order, and how passing Security+ renews the other two.
Builder of SecuSpark. 24 shipped projects across healthcare, defense, and education. Built this platform because textbooks never worked for my ADHD brain — so I turned exam prep into an RPG. @PawelBuilds
Table of Contents
The CompTIA trifecta is A+, Network+ and Security+. CompTIA’s recommended experience points to that order. That is four exams, since A+ has two (220-1201 and 220-1202), plus N10-009 and SY0-701. The vouchers total $1,386 at list price. Passing Security+ before they expire also renews your A+ and Network+, and CompTIA charges the renewal fee only on your highest certification.
Each exam is scored on its own, on a 100-900 scale, not a percentage [3] [4] [12] [13]. You pass four separate exams, not one combined total.
| Exam | Code | Max questions | Minutes | Passing score (100-900 scale) | Voucher (list price) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A+ Core 1 | 220-1201 | 90 | 90 | 675 | $274 |
| A+ Core 2 | 220-1202 | 90 | 90 | 700 | $274 |
| Network+ | N10-009 | 90 | 90 | 720 | $399 |
| Security+ | SY0-701 | 90 | 90 | 750 | $439 |
| Trifecta total | 4 exams | up to 360 | 360 | Scored per exam | $1,386 |
| Sources: CompTIA’s page for each exam (format and passing score), checked October 10, 2026 [1] [2] [3] [4]. The prices are CompTIA’s 2026 list prices as published by an authorized partner, a secondary source [5]. The voucher listings in CompTIA’s own exam pages carried the same prices that day. The A+ pages give each passing score “on a scale of 900”; the 100-900 range for A+ is printed in the objectives documents [12] [13]. | |||||
What Is the CompTIA Trifecta?
It’s the popular name for three separate CompTIA certifications: A+, Network+ and Security+. CompTIA uses the name too, in the title of a post on its own blog [6]. But the trifecta isn’t a separate credential.
The closest thing is a stackable. Hold all three and you meet the requirements for CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist. On the way, A+ plus Network+ meets the requirements for CompTIA IT Operations Specialist [7].
Each cert is still earned separately. A+ is the odd one out because it takes two exams. CompTIA requires both from the same version, which today means Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202) [1].
A CompTIA certification is valid for three years from the date you earn it [8]. The policy doesn’t single out two-exam certs. Our reading: you earn A+ only once both cores are passed, so its clock starts with the second one.
What Order Should You Take the Trifecta In?
Take A+, then Network+, then Security+, unless your work already covers the earlier ones. That order comes from CompTIA’s recommended experience for each exam [1] [3] [4]:
- A+: 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist job role.
- Network+: CompTIA A+ certification, with 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience in a junior network administrator or network support technician role.
- Security+: CompTIA Network+ and two years of experience working in a security/systems administrator job role.
These are recommendations, not prerequisites [24], so you can book Security+ first. Skipping makes sense when your job already does the earlier cert’s work. It also makes sense when the role you want names Security+ and nothing else. Two guides argue each pairwise call: A+ vs Network+: which first and Security+ vs Network+. If you’re weighing Cisco’s CCNA in place of Network+, see Network+ vs CCNA.
Whatever the order, watch the expiration dates. A higher cert renews a lower one only if you earn it before the lower one expires [16].
What Did SecuSpark Learners Actually Do?
SecuSpark is my product: a practice-exam and RPG study app for IT certifications. Between March 12, 2026 and September 25, 2026, 550 learners practiced on it. 49 of them practiced two or more trifecta certs, and 11 practiced all three.
- Security+ came first for 25 of the 49, A+ for 16 and Network+ for 8.
- 21 of the 49 started their certs in an order that fits that sequence, counting only the certs they practiced.
- A+ and Network+: 13 of 16 started A+ first (95% interval 57% to 93%).
- A+ and Security+: 12 of 29 started A+ first (95% interval 26% to 59%).
- Network+ and Security+: 9 of 26 started Network+ first (95% interval 19% to 54%).
- Of the 11 who practiced all three, 2 used the full A+, Network+, Security+ order.
A+ before Network+ is the only order whose 95% interval excludes an even split, and it fits CompTIA’s recommended experience. The other pairs are too close to call at this sample size. Security+ is the cert most learners practice (365 of 550). So Security+-first starts may say more about who finds the app than about the best order.
Method: each learner’s first recorded practice activity per cert, before September 26, 2026 UTC. Activity means campaign battles won with 2 or 3 stars (others aren’t recorded; battles from March 12, 2026) and synced practice-exam runs (from August 2, 2026). Founder and staff accounts are excluded. The order is when a learner started practicing a cert on SecuSpark, not when they sat or passed the real exam. Intervals are 95% Wilson score intervals from a read-only query. This is practice behavior. It is not an exam score, and it is not a pass prediction.
How Much Does the CompTIA Trifecta Cost?
The four vouchers cost $1,386 at list price [5]. That is $548 for the two A+ exams, $399 for Network+ and $439 for Security+. Two costs can come on top. CompTIA offers no free retakes and no retake discounts, so a second attempt costs a full voucher [9] unless you bought CompTIA’s Voucher Plus Retake Assurance bundle up front [1] [3] [4]. And renewing with CEUs later carries a CE fee [10].
The table shows what each line costs and when it comes due.
| What you pay for | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Four vouchers, first attempts | $1,386 | When you book each exam |
| One retake | $274 per A+ core, $399 for Network+, $439 for Security+ | After a failed attempt; no wait before a second try, 14 days before a third [9] |
| CE fee once you hold Security+ | $150 per three-year cycle | Only if you renew with CEUs; it covers A+ and Network+ too [10] |
| Sources: authorized-partner price notice [5], CompTIA retake policy [9] and CE fee page [10], checked October 10, 2026. | ||
A bundle can cut the first line. Dion Training, for one, sells a CompTIA Trifecta Exam Voucher Bundle with both A+ vouchers, Network+ and Security+ [11]. Its vouchers are valid for 9 months from purchase, so it suits you only if you’ll sit all four in that window. For academic pricing and resellers, see the CompTIA voucher discount guide.
How Much of the Trifecta Overlaps?
Measured by CompTIA’s own acronym lists, 79 of Network+’s 199 acronyms (40%) also appear on the A+ list. 148 of Security+’s 328 (45%) appear on the A+ or Network+ list. Only 57 acronyms appear on all three lists. That is less overlap than the usual “it all repeats” advice implies.
These counts come from the Acronym List at the back of each official objectives document. CompTIA describes it as the list of acronyms that appear on the exam [12] [13] [14] [15]. A+ Core 1 and Core 2 print the same list, so A+ counts once.
Method: the four PDFs were parsed and the acronyms compared exactly as printed. Two printing errors were fixed: Core 1 prints “XXS” for cross-site scripting, and N10-009 prints “TACAS+”. Two N10-009 rows printed without a gap (“AAddress”, “PTRPointer”) were read as A and PTR. Nothing else was merged. A shared acronym tells you a term comes back, not how deeply the next exam tests it. It is not study time saved, so this post doesn’t convert it into weeks. For a topic-by-topic map across five certifications, see the CompTIA certification overlap map.
How Long Does the CompTIA Trifecta Take?
CompTIA’s exam pages give no study-time figure for the certifications. Its recommended experience, listed above, is time on the job, and the hours it does print are estimates for its own CertMaster courses [1].
Our study guides give a planning range for each exam. They are estimates, not measurements:
- A+: 8 to 12 weeks across both cores for most beginners, or 4 to 6 weeks for working IT professionals.
- Network+: 4 to 8 weeks with an IT background, 8 to 14 weeks without one.
- Security+: 4 to 8 weeks with networking experience, 3 to 4 months for a complete beginner.
Don’t add them up. Each range assumes a different starting point, so the sum fits no real learner.
Two limits bound the whole plan. Each cert has to be earned within three years of the one below it, or it can’t renew that one [8] [16]. And exam versions move. SY0-701 English retires June 11, 2027, and CompTIA estimates N10-009’s retirement for 2027 [3] [4].
Does Security+ Renew A+ and Network+?
Yes. Earning Security+ fully renews Network+ and A+, and earning Network+ renews A+ [16]. The catch is timing. You must earn the higher cert during the lower cert’s three-year cycle. When you do, the lower certs take the new cert’s expiration date [16].
The chain keeps working after that. When you renew a higher-level cert, your lower-level ones renew automatically, with no extra fee [10]. So once you hold all three, you only renew Security+. Do it with 50 CEUs [25] and the $150 CE fee per cycle. Or skip the fee by passing a newer Security+ exam or earning a higher cert. You pay the CE fee for your highest certification only [10].
One trap: if A+ expires before you earn Network+ or Security+, the later exam can’t bring it back [16]. The CompTIA renewal guide covers CEUs and CertMaster CE, with the full renewal matrix.
Should You Book Security+ SY0-701 or Wait for SY0-801?
Book the version that fits your date. Both earn the same certification. CompTIA lists SY0-801 with a November 17, 2026 launch date. SY0-701 stays available in English until June 11, 2027 [4] [17]. A Security+ earned on either version renews A+ and Network+ the same way [16].
If your exam date falls before the launch, SY0-701 is your only choice. Between the launch and the retirement, you can pick either one. The SY0-801 release guide tracks what changes. The CompTIA roadmap for 2026 keeps every current version and retirement date.
A+ moved too. The V15 exams, 220-1201 and 220-1202, launched March 25, 2025. CompTIA estimates their retirement for 2028 [1]. Network+ N10-009 launched June 20, 2024 [3].
Is the CompTIA Trifecta Worth It?
It is worth it when the jobs you want name these certs. The clearest case is Department of Defense work. Under the DoD 8570 baseline chart, A+ and Network+ each qualified for IAT Level I. Security+ qualified for IAT Level II and IAM Level I [18]. The chart says A+ or Network+ alone cannot be used for a Level II position [18].
DoD has since moved to the DoD 8140 program. It qualifies people by work role and proficiency level rather than the 8570 IAT and IAM categories. DoD made the switch when it released DoD Manual 8140.03 on February 15, 2023. It says there is no crosswalk between the two programs [19]. The DoD 8570 and 8140 guide has the work-role detail.
I found no primary source that measures the payoff of holding all three outside DoD roles, so this post leaves pay out. If the postings you want ask for Security+ alone and your experience covers the rest, the first two exams are optional.
Can You Practice A+, Network+ and Security+ With One Subscription?
Yes. Several platforms cover all three under one plan, SecuSpark included. SecuSpark is my product, so weigh this section with that in mind. Its free tier includes 3 practice exams per certification. One Campaign Pass ($14.99/mo or $34.99/quarter) removes the limits on every certification path. What each bank covers matters more than the price:
- Security+: 1,808 practice questions aligned to SY0-701, the current exam.
- Network+: 1,069 practice questions aligned to N10-009, the current exam.
- A+: 1,252 practice questions, but the bank covers only the retired 220-1101 Core 1 objectives, with no Core 2. It is not a substitute for current 220-1201 and 220-1202 practice.
All three banks are third-party-sourced practice sets, not CompTIA questions. SecuSpark turns them into RPG battles, and missed questions can become flashcards. That helps if long study sessions don’t stick for you. The practice test hub lists every cert and exam version it covers.
Where other options win
If you need current 220-1201 and 220-1202 practice, start with these.
- CompTIA CertMaster is the exam owner’s own training line. The A+ Core 1 (V15) page lists CertMaster Learn, Practice and Labs [1].
- Professor Messer has free video courses for 220-1201, 220-1202, N10-009 and SY0-701. His site also lists practice exams for both A+ cores [20]. SecuSpark is not a video course, so pair it with one.
- Pocket Prep lists A+, Network+ and Security+ among the 27 exams in its IT & Cybersecurity bundle [21]. Its A+ prep names both current exams [22]. That is far more breadth than SecuSpark has.
Now put it to the test
See where you stand: free 25-question Security+ practice exam, no signup
Starts right away with SY0-701 practice questions.
What Else Do People Ask About the Trifecta?
Which trifecta exam is the hardest?
CompTIA’s policy is not to disclose pass rates [26], and its exam pages give no difficulty ranking, so any “hardest” answer is opinion. Security+ has the highest passing score of the four: 750 on a 100-900 scale, not a percentage. It also has the longest acronym list: 328, against 200 for A+ and 199 for Network+ [4] [12] [13] [14] [15]. But CompTIA sets each passing score through its own statistical analysis and doesn’t disclose how many questions it takes to pass [23], so a higher line alone doesn’t make Security+ harder. The Network+ difficulty guide and the Security+ difficulty guide take each exam on its own.
What jobs can you get with the CompTIA trifecta?
CompTIA maps each exam to DoD 8140 work roles [1] [3] [4]. For A+, it lists technical support specialist, system administrator and cyber defense infrastructure support specialist. For Network+, it lists technical support specialist, network operations specialist and system administrator. Security+ maps to roles such as cyber defense analyst, incident responder and security control assessor. Those are CompTIA’s own mappings; each employer decides what it accepts.
SecuSpark is not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA. CompTIA, A+, Network+ and Security+ are trademarks of CompTIA, Inc., named here only to identify the exams. CertMaster is CompTIA’s product. Professor Messer, Pocket Prep and Dion Training are named for comparison.
How this was made: AI-assisted drafting and fact-checking, with each fact last checked against the sources below on October 10, 2026. The overlap counts come from parsing the Acronym List in CompTIA’s four official objectives documents. The learner figures come from a read-only query of SecuSpark’s production database, with the method in the box above.
Last checked against CompTIA’s pages: October 10, 2026.
References
- CompTIA. “A+ Core 1 (V15).” comptia.org. 220-1201 format, passing score, launch date, estimated retirement, recommended experience, the same-version rule for Core 1 and Core 2, DoD 8140 work roles and CertMaster products. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “A+ Core 2 (V15).” comptia.org. 220-1202 format and passing score. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “Network+ (V9).” comptia.org. N10-009 format, passing score, launch date, estimated retirement, recommended experience and DoD 8140 work roles. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “Security+ (V7).” comptia.org. SY0-701 format, passing score, English retirement date, recommended experience and DoD 8140 work roles. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Total Seminars, an authorized CompTIA partner (secondary source). “CompTIA Exam Price increase June 2026.” totalsem.com. Old and new list prices for A+ (per exam), Network+ and Security+; the page gives the effective date as May 29, 2026. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “Completing the Trifecta of CompTIA Certifications: From Accidental IT Pro to Secure Infrastructure Specialist.” Jim Hamilton, December 18, 2024. comptia.org/blog. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “Stackable Certifications.” comptia.org. CompTIA Secure Infrastructure Specialist (A+ / Network+ / Security+) and CompTIA IT Operations Specialist (A+ / Network+). Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “Certification Renewal Policy.” comptia.org. Validity period, counted from the certification date. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “CompTIA Certification Retake Policy.” comptia.org. Full price for every attempt and the waiting period before a third attempt. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “Continuing Education Renewal Fees.” comptia.org. CE fee per renewal cycle, paying only for your highest certification, and lower certs renewing with a higher one. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Dion Training. “CompTIA Trifecta Exam Voucher Bundle (USD).” diontraining.com. Vouchers included and their validity. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “CompTIA A+ 220-1201 V15 Exam Objectives,” document version 4.0. CompTIA file host, linked from comptia.org. Acronym List appendix. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “CompTIA A+ 220-1202 V15 Exam Objectives,” document version 4.0. CompTIA file host, linked from comptia.org. Acronym List appendix. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “CompTIA Network+ N10-009 V9 Exam Objectives,” document version 6.0. CompTIA file host. Acronym List appendix. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 Exam Objectives,” version 6.0. CompTIA content delivery network. Acronym List appendix. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “Earn a Higher-Level CompTIA Certification.” comptia.org. Which cert fully renews which, the timing rule and expiration alignment. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “Security+ (V8).” comptia.org. SY0-801 exam code and launch date. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- DoD Cyber Exchange. “DoD Approved 8570 Baseline Certifications,” last public version, archived January 30, 2024. web.archive.org (public.cyber.mil). IAT and IAM levels for A+ CE, Network+ CE and Security+ CE. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- DoD Cyber Workforce Qualification Program (DoD Cyber Exchange). “DoD 8570 Information Assurance (IA) Program Transition to DoD 8140 CWQP,” August 7, 2024. dl.dod.cyber.mil. DoDM 8140.03 release date, qualification by work role and proficiency level, and no crosswalk between 8570 and 8140. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Professor Messer. “Professor Messer’s IT Certification Training.” professormesser.com. Free video courses for 220-1201, 220-1202, N10-009 and SY0-701, and practice exams for A+ Core 1 and Core 2. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Pocket Prep. “IT & Cybersecurity Bundle.” pocketprep.com. The 27 included exams. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- Pocket Prep. “CompTIA A+ Exam Prep.” pocketprep.com. Names the 220-1201 and 220-1202 exams. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA Help Center. “How Are CompTIA Exams Scored?” help.comptia.org. Scaled scores; passing scores set through statistical analysis; the number of questions needed to pass is not disclosed. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA Help Center. “Are There Any Prerequisites or Age Requirements to Take a CompTIA Exam?” help.comptia.org. No educational, training or certification prerequisites for any CompTIA exam. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs).” comptia.org. CEUs required per certification. Accessed October 10, 2026.
- CompTIA. “Exam Development.” comptia.org. CompTIA’s policy is not to disclose pass rates to any external third party. Accessed October 10, 2026.
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