CompTIA charges $246 per exam attempt. Since A+ certification requires passing two core exams (220-1101 and 220-1102), you're looking at nearly $500 before you've landed your first IT job. That makes study materials a real budget decision—and the good news is that the free CompTIA courses available today are legitimately good enough to pass, if you pick the right ones.
This guide focuses specifically on the 220-1102 exam, the second core exam covering operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. If you've already passed 220-1101 or are studying for both simultaneously, the resources below cover the 220-1102 objectives thoroughly without costing anything.
What Free CompTIA Courses Actually Cover
The term "free CompTIA courses" covers a wide range of quality. YouTube videos, structured free tiers on learning platforms, open courseware from community colleges, and vendor-provided exam objectives all fall under this umbrella. Some are excellent; most are not.
The 220-1102 exam tests five domain areas:
- Operating Systems (31%): Windows 10/11 installation, configuration, command-line tools, macOS, Linux, and mobile OS management
- Security (25%): Physical security, social engineering, malware types, wireless security, browser hardening, and basic identity management
- Software Troubleshooting (22%): Resolving OS, application, and security issues on Windows and mobile platforms
- Operational Procedures (22%): Documentation, ticketing systems, change management, disaster recovery, and professionalism
Any free CompTIA course worth using should map directly to these domains. If a resource doesn't reference the official exam objectives, treat it as supplemental at best.
The Best Free CompTIA A+ 220-1102 Courses by Source
Professor Messer (professormesser.com)
This is the benchmark. Professor Messer publishes a complete, free video course for the 220-1102—organized by domain, updated for the current exam version, and genuinely thorough. The videos run between 3 and 15 minutes each, which makes them practical for studying in short sessions. There are no upsells embedded in the videos themselves, though Messer sells practice exams and study guides separately (those are worth the price, but not required).
The free course covers all five domains with approximately 175 individual videos. If you watch every video and take notes, you'll have a solid foundation for the exam. The main limitation is that video-only learning has a ceiling for performance-based exam questions—you need hands-on practice with actual operating systems to do well on those.
CompTIA's Own Free Resources
CompTIA publishes the official exam objectives document as a free PDF—download it directly from their website. This is not optional study material; it is the definitive list of everything tested on the 220-1102. Every legitimate free CompTIA course should be cross-referenced against this document.
CompTIA also offers a free CertMaster Learn trial (7 days), which includes a limited set of practice questions and learning modules. It's not comprehensive in trial form, but it gives you a feel for the question format before exam day.
YouTube Channels
Several channels publish A+ content that covers 220-1102 objectives at no cost:
- PowerCert Animated Videos: Strong for conceptual understanding—networking, security fundamentals, and OS comparisons. Good for visual learners who struggle with text-heavy study.
- Certbros: Shorter, focused videos on specific exam topics. Useful for filling gaps after going through a primary course.
- NetworkChuck: More personality-driven content that covers security and networking topics adjacent to the 220-1102. Best used as a supplement, not a primary resource.
The problem with YouTube as a primary resource is inconsistency. Videos go out of date, objectives shift between exam versions, and there's no guarantee the content maps to the current 220-1102 exam blueprint. Use it to reinforce concepts you've already studied, not as your main course.
Open Courseware and Community Colleges
Several community colleges publish IT support and A+ prep materials under open courseware licenses. Quality varies significantly by institution. The better ones include lab exercises and practice environments, which is where most free CompTIA courses fall short. Search for "[your state] community college CompTIA A+ open courseware" to find regional options.
Where Free CompTIA Courses Fall Short
Free resources handle conceptual content well. They handle exam-day simulation poorly.
The 220-1102 includes performance-based questions (PBQs)—simulated scenarios where you configure settings, troubleshoot a virtual machine, or navigate a mock OS environment. These questions appear early in the exam and cannot be skipped without penalty to your score. Most free CompTIA courses don't simulate PBQs at all.
The other gap is practice questions. Free question banks are typically small (under 100 questions), poorly written, or outdated. Passing the 220-1102 requires pattern recognition from high-volume practice, not just conceptual understanding. If you're using only free resources, you need to be deliberate about supplementing with a quality practice exam—even if that's the one paid element in your prep.
Building a Free Study Plan for the 220-1102
A realistic study plan using only free CompTIA courses looks like this:
- Download the official exam objectives PDF from CompTIA's website. Print it or keep it open alongside every study session.
- Work through Professor Messer's free video course in domain order. Don't skip operational procedures (domain 4)—it's 22% of the exam and candidates routinely underestimate it.
- Set up a Windows 10 or 11 virtual machine using VirtualBox (free) or Windows Sandbox (built into Windows 10/11 Pro). Practice the command-line tools covered in the OS domain: ipconfig, netstat, sfc, chkdsk, tasklist. You need muscle memory on these, not just recognition.
- Use a Linux VM (Ubuntu or any Debian-based distro) to get comfortable with basic terminal navigation. The 220-1102 tests Linux at a surface level but it will trip you up if you've never opened a terminal.
- Take the CertMaster Learn trial in the final week before your exam to calibrate where you stand.
Most candidates who fail the 220-1102 on their first attempt report the same problems: underestimating the security domain, skipping operational procedures, and getting blindsided by performance-based questions. A structured free study approach that deliberately covers all five domains closes most of those gaps.
Top Courses
If you're looking to extend your skills beyond CompTIA prep, these courses are highly rated and available through our platform:
Learn How to Use LLMs Like ChatGPT for FREE
Understanding AI tools is increasingly relevant for IT support roles—knowing how to use language models for troubleshooting documentation, script generation, and knowledge-base queries is a real workplace skill. This course covers practical LLM usage at no cost.
Complete Web Design: from Figma to Webflow to Freelancing
For IT professionals looking to add a client-facing skill alongside their technical certifications, this course covers design-to-deployment workflows that complement help desk and desktop support career paths.
Kickstart a Freelance Editor & Proofreader Career on Upwork
Technical writing and documentation are listed in the 220-1102 operational procedures domain—professionals who can document clearly earn more and advance faster. This course builds that complementary skill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there official free CompTIA courses from CompTIA itself?
CompTIA publishes the exam objectives document for free, and their CertMaster Learn platform offers a limited free trial. They don't offer a complete free course—their paid training products (CertMaster Learn, CertMaster Labs, CertMaster Practice) are bundled and sold separately from exam vouchers. The closest thing to an official free resource is the objectives PDF, which should anchor any study plan.
Can you pass the 220-1102 using only free study materials?
Yes, but it requires discipline. Candidates who pass using only free CompTIA courses typically combine Professor Messer's video series with hands-on OS practice in virtual machines and some form of practice exam (even a free question bank). The weakest link is always practice questions—free question banks are small and often outdated. If you can spend money on only one thing, spend it on a quality practice exam package.
How long does it take to study for the 220-1102 using free resources?
For someone with no prior IT experience, 6–10 weeks studying 1–2 hours per day is a reasonable estimate. Those with hands-on Windows or help desk experience often need 3–4 weeks. The operational procedures domain (documentation, change management, ticketing) tends to require more time than candidates expect because it's less intuitive than the technical domains.
Does the 220-1102 differ from the older 1001/1002 exam versions?
Yes. CompTIA retired the 1001/1002 series in October 2022. The 220-1102 (part of the 220-1100 series) has updated coverage of Windows 11, cloud concepts, and expanded security content. Any study materials referencing the 1001/1002 exam objectives are outdated. Verify that any free CompTIA course you use explicitly covers the 220-1102 objectives.
Is CompTIA A+ worth it for career outcomes?
For entry-level IT roles, yes—particularly help desk, desktop support, and field service technician positions. CompTIA A+ appears in the required or preferred qualifications for a large share of Tier 1 IT support job postings. Starting salaries for A+-certified candidates typically range from $38,000 to $55,000 depending on geography, with experienced professionals moving into Tier 2/3 roles, network administration, or security paths within 2–4 years. The certification is vendor-neutral, which means it transfers across employers without locking you into a specific technology stack.
What comes after A+ on the CompTIA certification path?
The standard path from A+ is Network+ (networking fundamentals), then Security+ (the most widely requested security certification in entry-level job postings). CompTIA also offers Cloud+ and CySA+ for more specialized tracks. Each successive certification has a larger free resource library than the previous, as CompTIA certifications have been around long enough to generate substantial community-created content.
Bottom Line
Free CompTIA A+ 220-1102 courses are genuinely viable—Professor Messer's free video series is as comprehensive as many paid alternatives. The real gaps in free preparation are performance-based question simulation and high-volume practice exams, both of which require either hands-on lab time (free with virtual machines) or a paid practice exam package.
If your budget allows only one paid expense, spend it on a practice exam bundle after completing your free coursework, not on video instruction. The conceptual knowledge from free CompTIA courses is sufficient; it's exam-day simulation that makes the difference between passing on the first attempt and paying another $246 for a second try.
Start with the official exam objectives PDF and Professor Messer's free 220-1102 course, set up a Windows virtual machine for hands-on practice, and treat the security and operational procedures domains with the same rigor as the technical content. That combination passes the exam.