The Best Comptia A+ Study Guides of 2024

Are you an aspiring IT support professional? If yes, you’ll need to pass through the CompTIA A+ to start a career in IT. It gives you a reliably solid and basic foundation for your endeavors in the IT field. Passing the CompTIA A+ exams or any other IT-related exam is not the easiest thing. You’ll need all the preparations you can get. One of the most important preparatory steps is studying. But, what exactly should you study? This article takes you through the best study materials for CompTIA A+, as well as a guide to help you pick the best book for your needs. Let’s go!

If you want to just get back to studying, get our top pick for CompTIA A+ study guides here.

Last update: 2024-05-06

Our Favorites for Best CompTIA A+ Study Guides

CompTIA A+(r) Certification All-in-One For Dummies(r) (For Dummies (Computer/tech)) by Glen E. Clark, Ed Tetz, and Timothy Warner 

As the name suggests, the CompTIA A+(r) Certification All-in-one For Dummies (r) is written for total beginners, so it’s not surprising that it leads readers through the basics of computer and tech. If you’re preparing for the A+ exams but unsure about where to start, this is a great option to try. It doesn’t just demystify important IT topics; it also offers you an easy path through the CompTIA A+ exams. Its content includes:

Detailed graphics to readers understand different parts of a computer and how to use them.

A review of the type of questions to expect in the actual exam. This review typically gets you acquainted with the exam questions format and how you should tackle them.

A link to an online testing bank helps you test your knowledge and find areas where more studies are required.

It’s also important to mention that the book is comprehensive enough with most of the topics you’ll need to get your footing in the IT world.

What Makes It Unique:

• Unlike most other A+ preparatory books, the CompTIA A+(r) Certification All-in-one For Dummies (r) prioritizes simplicity over depth, so beginners can study with or without help.
• It can be combined with the most advanced A+ books.
• The book is also well-organized, with objectives listed in the back, so you’ll know what to expect with every chapter.

Why Choose this CompTIA A+ Study Guide:

• The detailed graphics will help you understand the concepts and their application.
• The authors of this book adopt a simple language to teach a technical subject that’s otherwise difficult to learn.

Last update: 2024-05-06

---

CompTIA A+ Certification Premium Bundle: All-in-One Exam Guide, Tenth Edition by Mike Meyers

The CompTIA A+ Certification Premium Bundle: All-in-One Exam Guide, Tenth Edition by Mike Meyers wouldn’t be such a great option for both beginners and mid-level IT students if the author didn’t effectively combine simplicity and comprehensiveness. From the first page, you’ll notice that this book features complete coverage of all the objectives of the CompTIA A+ exams. But it’s not just the coverage that makes it a preferred choice among many candidates. It also has a vast array of online resources for a better understanding of concepts. However, you’ll need to discover and enter the multiple access codes in the book to access the numerous online materials available.

Another standout feature of this guide is the availability of 200+ simulations and 750+ practice questions that enable you to practice what you’ve read in the exam guide and prepare your mind for the exam. Perhaps, it’s also worth mentioning that you can comfortably combine this book with other advanced study guides without having the information from one overlap the other.

What Makes It Unique:

• The organization may not be solid, but access to other online materials would help you make sense of it.
• A combination of video and written content makes this book an excellent choice for IT beginners.
• The book is a comprehensive study guide with information touching different aspects of computer technology. So, beyond helping you prepare for the exams, it can also guide you through basic computer training.

Why Choose this CompTIA A+ Study Guide:

• Everything in this book, from its basic to premium content, is helpful for getting you physically and psychologically prepared for the exams.
• Although many people get confused about how to unlock the materials in the premium bundle, you’ll enjoy the simplicity of the content and how it’s able to walk you through comprehensive information once you’re able to unlock it.

Last update: 2024-05-06

---

Runner Ups for Best CompTIA A+ Study Guides

Complete CompTIA A+ Guide to It Hardware and Software, Seventh Edition by Cheryl A Shmidt and Ucertify

This CompTIA A+ study guide by Cheryl A Shmidt can best be described as an easy-to-use online course with everything you’ll need to access your readiness for the A+ exams. Beyond preparing you for the exams, the Complete CompTIA A+ Guide to It Hardware and Software, Seventh Edition also has loads of informative content to help you become an IT heavyweight.

The Ucertify labs featured in the book helps to bridge the gap between conceptual learning and real-world application of concepts by providing 24/7, interactive, competency-based training. The Lab simulates real-world computer operating systems, hardware, software applications, and command-line interfaces. Add that to the 60+ videos included to demonstrate lab solutions, and you can tell that there’s so much on offer.

What Makes it Unique:

• The Complete CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Hardware and Software, Seventh Edition includes a combination of texts, exercises, practice questions, and labs, all focused around the CompTIA A+ exam objectives.
• This guide serves as a real-world guide to help readers learn how to manage, connect, and troubleshoot multiple devices in realistic IT scenarios.
• Each chapter of the guide contains tons of figures, tables, and pictures to summarize and present information in a manner that’s both exciting and easy to understand.
• Available summaries at the end of each chapter help serve as recaps for what you’ve learned throughout the chapter.

Why Choose this CompTIA A+ Study Guide:

• The author’s dual emphasis on tech and soft skills means that readers can learn what they’ll need to become skilled, professional, and customer-focused technicians.
• The guide is comprehensive, with detailed content to prepare you for the A+ exams.

Last update: 2024-05-06

---

CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1001) and Core 2 (220-1002) Cert Guide by Richard McDonald and Rick McDonald

One look at the first few pages of this guide, and you can tell that it targets people that prefer self-study. Although it can also be used in classroom scenarios, it features detailed information and additional visual content to make reading easier. Review questions and exam preparation tasks at the end of each chapter to help you assess your knowledge while serving as a preparatory step to help you prepare better for the exam. Most candidates also love to leverage the final preparation chapter to find tools and resources that’ll help them prepare better.

At this point, let’s mention that the author of this book is a leading IT certification instructor dedicated to sharing preparatory hints and test-taking tips to ease candidates through the process. This means that the book has an impressive level of detail, assessment features, and challenging exercises. These features do not only help you succeed in the exams; they also help you master concepts and techniques that’ll help you become a better IT professional.

What Makes It Unique:

• The CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1001) and Core 2 (220-1002) Cert Guide by Richard McDonald and Rick McDonald comes with a companion website that contains powerful test preparation software, complete with 600+ exam-realistic questions and answers.
• The book uses proven series techniques to present an organized test preparatory routine to help you prepare better.

Why Choose this CompTIA A+ Study Guide:

• The book is well structured and easy to navigate.
• The inclusion of real questions helps prepare you and get your confidence up before the exam date.
• It offers practical guidance on how to navigate from one chapter to the next until you are fully prepared for the exam.

Last update: 2024-05-06

---

Value Pick for Best CompTIA A+ Study Guides

CompTIA Network+ N10-008 Cert Guide by Anthony Sequeira

The CompTIA Network+ N10-008 Cert Guide by Anthony Sequeira is a digital-only certification preparatory material that efficiently combines an Ebook with enhanced Pearson test preparation software. For many people, the most attractive part of this guide is the availability of proven study features to allow you to succeed in the exam from the first time. Throughout the guide, Anthony Sequeira, an expert instructor, shares preparation hints and test-taking strategies to help you identify your areas of weakness and improve them. In addition to this, the guide also offers an easy path to improving your conceptual knowledge and hands-on skills you’ll need to become an IT professional.

The clearly defined chapters of the book will come in handy when you want to study by yourself. It allows you to transition smoothly from one chapter to another. Let’s also mention that there’s a performance-based exercise at the end of each chapter to help familiarize you with the exam structure.

What Makes It Unique:

• The clear and concise chapter-ending review questions and preparatory exercises will help you drill yourself on key concepts you’ve learned.
• An additional 60 minutes mentoring video helps walk you through complex concepts with clear examples.
• The study guide also features study plan suggestions for people that want to transition into advanced studies. These study plan suggestions are well organized to help you optimize your study time.

Why Choose this CompTIA A+ Study Guide:

• The CompTIA Network+ N10-008 Cert Guide by Anthony Sequeira contains extensive content written in simple English to make study-time fun.
• Tons of graphs, images, and tables available throughout the guide will help you recall information when you need to.
• If you’re studying in groups, this guide contains practical exercises that will help you keep your study partner engaged and accountable.

Last update: 2024-05-06

---

How to Choose the Best CompTIA A+ Study Guides?

Deciding to pursue an IT certification may seem easy, but many people get discouraged because of how difficult the exams can be. Fortunately, finding the right preparatory materials to use can make the exam easier. But what’s the right preparatory material to use? There are tons of study guides out there, and we’ve reviewed some of them in this article. However, if you want to explore more options, here are important questions that will point you to the right material for you.

Do You Have Prior Experience?

As with every other subject, IT writers have their target audience. As such, they typically focus on addressing the needs of their audiences with their works. IT books are either written for beginners, mid-level enthusiasts, or professionals. IT books for professionals feature advanced concepts and practicalities and are too complex for beginners. If you’re a beginner who doesn’t have enough experience in the field, we recommend opting for beginner guides. These guides feature introductory explanations of basic concepts, thus helping to make your onboarding easier. Therefore, it’s important to research to find which books suit your level and go for them.

What’s Your Learning Style?

The idea that people learn in different ways and paces is not a new concept. When choosing a preparatory guide for important exams like this, you want to ensure that it suits your learning style. You can start by observing how your brain prefers to process information.

Ask critical questions like “am I a self-learner, or do I need an instructor.” Different books are authored to suit different learning styles, so it’s up to you to find a style you’re most comfortable with.

What’s Your Budget?

Knowing your budget and choosing an option that suits it is as important as most of the other points we’ve listed here. While it’s important to choose an IT certification exam preparatory guide that’s comprehensive enough, you also want to ensure that you have the money for it. Different A+ guides are sold at different prices. So choose a low-budget option if you don’t have enough money. Just ensure that its content is still good enough for your objectives.

Wrapping Things Up: The Best CompTIA A+ Study Guides

We’ve gone over a lot today. Here’s a helpful table to consolidate every CompTIA A+ study guides we went over:

Last update: 2024-05-06

If you’re an actual or aspiring IT professional, you’ll know that the A+ certification is a great way to show potential employers that you are ready to work in the IT field. However, to acquire these certificates, you must pass the exams. Study materials, practice tests, and flashcards are essential parts of preparing for the exams. We know how difficult it can be to find the right materials. So, we’ve reviewed the best CompTIA A+ certification books and guides in this article.

Our favorite pick, the CompTIA A+(r) Certification All-in-One For Dummies(r) (For Dummies (Computer/tech)) is an excellent guide for beginners since it features the basic definition of concepts and detailed explanations in less-technical language. For those short on time, our runner-up, the Complete CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Hardware and Software, Seventh Edition by Cheryl A Shmidt and Ucertify, offers you an easy-to-understand online study guide that can be accessed on the go.