About 40% of CompTIA A+ candidates fail at least one of the two required exams on their first attempt. Professor Messer's A+ course is the first resource most of them found — free, thorough, and well-organized. It's also, by itself, not enough to pass. Understanding what it covers, what it doesn't, and how to build around it is the difference between passing first try and paying another $253 to retake.
This guide covers the current Professor Messer A+ series (Core 1 220-1101 and Core 2 220-1102), what you actually get for free, where candidates consistently fall short using only his materials, and how to structure a study plan that works.
What the Professor Messer A+ Course Actually Includes
Professor Messer — real name James Messer, an IT instructor since the 1990s — publishes a complete free video series covering both CompTIA A+ exams. The videos are available on YouTube and professormesser.com, organized by exam domain and objective number. He releases a new series each time CompTIA updates the objectives, which happens roughly every three years.
For the current 220-1101 (Core 1) and 220-1102 (Core 2) exams, the free course includes:
- Full video series: Every exam objective covered in standalone segments, typically 5–20 minutes each
- Study notes: Downloadable PDFs organized by domain, useful for review without rewatching
- Course syllabus: A structured checklist of all objectives so you can track progress
What requires payment:
- Practice exams: $11.99 each, $24.99 for a bundle of three per exam version
- Study groups: Live review sessions, roughly $15–20/month depending on the package
- Everything package: Combines videos, notes, and practice exams at a discount
The free tier is not a teaser. You can go from zero to a full conceptual understanding of A+ content using only the free videos and study notes. The practice exams are where the paywall matters, and they are arguably the most important component for passing.
How Professor Messer A+ Videos Are Structured
Core 1 (220-1101): Hardware, Networking, and Cloud
Core 1 covers five domains: Mobile Devices, Networking, Hardware, Virtualization and Cloud Computing, and Hardware and Network Troubleshooting. Messer's treatment of motherboard components, storage interfaces (SATA, NVMe, M.2), and RAM types is detailed and accurate. His networking content — subnetting basics, 802.11 wireless standards, network topologies, and cable types — is among the clearest free-format explanations available.
The troubleshooting domain is where lectures inherently fall short. Core 1 troubleshooting questions test diagnostic reasoning, not just knowledge. Knowing that a POST beep code indicates a RAM issue is different from working through a scenario where a machine won't boot and you have to rule out causes in sequence.
Core 2 (220-1102): OS, Security, and Operational Procedures
Core 2 covers Operating Systems, Security, Software Troubleshooting, and Operational Procedures. This exam is where many candidates underestimate the scope. The Windows administration content alone is wide: Task Manager, Event Viewer, Registry Editor, Group Policy, Active Directory basics, and the full suite of Windows troubleshooting tools. The security domain adds social engineering types, malware categories, physical security controls, and access management concepts.
Messer covers all of it, but the exam requires application, not just recognition. A question might describe symptoms consistent with a rootkit infection and ask which removal tool to use in which sequence. His videos give you the vocabulary. Diagnostic intuition comes from practice and hands-on work.
Where Candidates Fall Short Using Only Professor Messer A+
This is the section most study guides skip past. Messer's content is well-constructed, but there is a consistent pattern in how candidates fail after relying on it exclusively.
Performance-Based Questions (PBQs)
CompTIA embeds simulations directly into the exam. You might be asked to configure a small office network, set up a wireless access point with specific security parameters, or identify which firewall ports to open for a given scenario. These appear at the start of the exam. Watching videos does not prepare you for them — you need to have actually done these tasks. Tools that help include CompTIA Labs, setting up VirtualBox at home, or Messer's paid study groups, which include some hands-on walkthroughs.
Adaptive Questioning
The A+ exam adapts question difficulty based on your performance. If you're weak on a domain, it probes that weakness with harder questions. Candidates who prepare with only static practice tests often find their weak domains disproportionately represented in the real exam. The fix is to use multiple question banks, track accuracy by domain, and return to Messer's videos — or a hands-on lab — for any area below 70% accuracy.
Breadth Without Depth
Messer covers every objective on the exam. But covering a topic in a 12-minute video and reliably applying it under timed conditions are different things. Candidates often feel ready after finishing the full series, then discover on practice exams that they cannot consistently answer scenario-based questions. Self-testing — not rewatching — is what builds retrieval speed. The study notes help, but they are most effective when you use them to quiz yourself, not just to review.
Building a Study Plan Around Professor Messer A+
A practical structure for candidates starting from scratch:
- Focus on Core 1 only first. Splitting attention across both exams simultaneously slows progress and reduces retention. Work through Messer's Core 1 videos domain by domain, downloading and reviewing his study notes after each section.
- Add a question bank after each domain, not at the end. Practicing questions after each domain identifies gaps while the content is fresh. Waiting until you've finished the full series to start practice questions delays feedback by weeks.
- Run hands-on labs in parallel. Set up a virtual machine. Practice partitioning drives, manually configuring IP addresses, adjusting display and sound settings through control panel, running CHKDSK and SFC, and setting NTFS permissions. These take 20–30 minutes and pay off significantly on PBQs.
- Use a timed practice exam as your scheduling benchmark. Aim for 75–80% or higher before booking. CompTIA's passing scores are 675/900 for Core 1 and 700/900 for Core 2 — roughly 67–70% — but exam conditions add friction that practice doesn't fully simulate.
- Repeat the process for Core 2. Passing Core 1 first builds momentum and keeps the study scope manageable. Attempting both simultaneously works for some candidates, but most benefit from the structured sequence.
Total study time varies by background. Candidates with hands-on IT experience may need 4–6 weeks per exam. Those coming in with no IT exposure should plan for 8–12 weeks per exam at 1–2 hours per day.
Top Courses to Supplement Your A+ Preparation
Professor Messer's A+ materials are free and well-structured, but most candidates benefit from supplemental resources — especially for question practice, soft skills, and professional development beyond the exam itself.
How to Write Emails and Engage Professors
Directly useful if you are studying alongside a formal IT program and need to communicate effectively with instructors or ask for clarification on technical material — a practical skill that prevents misunderstandings during your certification prep.
Innovation That Works with Professor Jagdish Sheth
Worth considering once you are in a technical role and looking to move beyond tier-1 support — this course covers organizational thinking and innovation frameworks that become relevant as IT professionals move into more strategic positions.
Customer Centricity with Professor Jagdish Sheth
Covers customer-focused thinking that maps directly onto help desk and IT support work — the interpersonal complement to the technical foundation A+ builds, and something that separates effective support technicians from ineffective ones in practice.
Photoshop Professor Notes - Volumes 1-5
For IT professionals supporting environments that include design or publishing workflows, this course covers tools you will routinely be asked to troubleshoot alongside standard OS and hardware support.
FAQ
Is Professor Messer A+ enough to pass the exam on its own?
For most candidates, no. The free videos cover all exam objectives thoroughly, but passing the A+ also requires timed question practice to build accuracy and speed, plus hands-on exposure for performance-based questions. Messer's content works best as the conceptual foundation of a broader study plan, not as the entire plan.
How long does it take to complete Professor Messer's A+ series?
The Core 1 video series runs approximately 9–10 hours of video content; Core 2 is similar in length. Watching straight through would take a few days, but effective study requires pausing, reviewing the accompanying notes, and self-testing after each section. Budget 3–5 weeks per exam at one to two hours per day if you want to retain what you're watching.
Does Professor Messer update his A+ content when CompTIA revises the exam?
Yes, consistently. Messer releases updated video series whenever CompTIA revises the exam objectives. The current series covers 220-1101 (Core 1) and 220-1102 (Core 2). Before starting, verify on professormesser.com that the series you are watching matches your exam version — older playlists for 220-1001/1002 are still accessible and can cause confusion.
Are Professor Messer's paid practice exams worth buying?
At $12 per exam, they are among the more affordable paid options and are well-aligned with the actual exam's format and difficulty. The main limitation is that they use a fixed question pool — once you have worked through them, you are testing memory rather than understanding. Most candidates use them as a final readiness benchmark rather than a daily practice tool.
What is the difference between Professor Messer and Mike Meyers for A+ prep?
Messer is organized strictly by exam objective, which makes it easy to track coverage and go back to specific topics. Meyers takes a more narrative, scenario-heavy approach and includes more hands-on context throughout. Both are well-regarded. Messer tends to work better for candidates who want structured, methodical coverage; Meyers tends to work better for candidates who learn through applied scenarios. Many people use both.
Can I pass the CompTIA A+ using only free resources?
You can get very close. Messer's free videos and study notes cover the conceptual content. For practice questions, Jason Dion's Udemy course frequently goes on sale for $12–15 and is a cost-effective supplement. The exam voucher itself — $253 per attempt — is the unavoidable cost. The more thoroughly you prepare before scheduling, the less likely you are to pay for a second attempt.
Bottom Line
Professor Messer's A+ course is the strongest free starting point for CompTIA A+ prep available. The video series is thorough, accurately mapped to current exam objectives, and updated when those objectives change. It is not a lead magnet or a watered-down preview — it is a complete lecture series that happens to be free.
Where candidates run into trouble is treating it as a complete study system. The A+ exam tests application under time pressure, and lectures alone cannot simulate that. Pair Messer's free content with a question bank (his own paid practice exams, Dion Training, or Meyers), do basic hands-on work in a virtual environment, and you have a preparation approach that holds up.
If you are starting from scratch with limited budget for study materials, begin with Messer's free series. Work through it systematically, use his downloadable study notes actively, and track your progress against the exam objectives. When you are consistently hitting 75%+ on timed practice exams, schedule your Core 1 attempt. The A+ is achievable through free resources — it just requires being deliberate about where to supplement and honest about where your weak areas actually are.