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Which CompTIA certification should you get first?

By the founder of CertOwl • Published July 29, 2026 • 4 min read

The honest answer nobody puts in a headline: it depends less on the certifications than on where you are standing right now. CompTIA sells the classic order as A+, then Network+, then Security+, and for someone with no IT job that order is genuinely good advice. For a lot of other people it is an expensive detour. Here is how to pick without buying a certification you did not need.

First, the rule that changes everything

None of these certifications is a prerequisite for the others. CompTIA recommends a sequence, and recommendations get repeated online until they sound like rules, but you can sit Security+ tomorrow without holding the A+ or Network+. Nobody will stop you at the door, and no employer sees a note on your certificate saying you skipped a step. We wrote this out in detail in our piece on whether you need A+ before Network+.

That matters financially. The A+ is two separate exams at about $274 each, roughly $548 in total, while Network+ runs $399 and Security+ $439. Taking a certification you did not need is not a small mistake in this market. Our exam cost calculator will add up whichever path you pick, including a retake if you want to plan for the worst.

Start with A+ if you are coming from outside IT

If you have never worked in IT and want a first job in support, the A+ is the right opening move. It is the only one of the three that teaches the physical and operating system fundamentals the others quietly assume you already know: hardware, Windows and macOS behaviour, mobile devices, troubleshooting method, and the customer facing side of the job. Help desk postings ask for it by name more than any other credential.

Two warnings. It is the most work of the three because it is two exams, and from a standing start it takes most people three to six months. It is also the certification most likely to be wasted money for the wrong person, which brings us to the next case.

Start with Network+ if you already work in IT

If you already sit at a help desk, fix computers for a living or have a few years of tinkering behind you, the A+ mostly certifies what you can already do. In that situation Network+ is the better first move: it teaches the layer above, and the layer where troubleshooting stops being guesswork. Subnetting, routing, switching, wireless standards and the OSI model are the vocabulary of every conversation with a network team. If subnetting is the part that scares you, we broke it down from scratch, and if you are weighing it against the CCNA, we compared them directly.

One practical note about our own app: the A+ and Network+ tracks are free, so the cheapest way to find out whether you already know this material is to try the questions before you buy anything.

Start with Security+ if cybersecurity is the actual goal

If your target is a security role and you have some IT exposure, going straight to Security+ is defensible and common. It is the single most requested certification in entry level security postings, and in one large corner of the market it is a formal requirement rather than a nice extra: US defense work under DoD 8140, which we explained in our 8140 guide.

The catch is that Security+ assumes networking knowledge it does not teach. Ports, protocols and how traffic actually moves show up throughout the exam, and candidates who skipped that groundwork tend to discover it under time pressure. If networking is genuinely new to you, the extra weeks on Network+ first usually pay for themselves.

A quick decision, three lines

If you have never worked in IT: A+ first. If you work in IT already and want to move up: Network+ first. If you have IT exposure and want security specifically: Security+ first, unless networking is a blank page for you.

Whichever you choose, pick one and finish it. The most expensive mistake we see is not the wrong order, it is three half-started study plans and no certification at the end of the year. If you want the full picture of what each exam demands before you commit, our Security+ difficulty guide and A+ difficulty guide go exam by exam.

Frequently asked questions

Is A+ required before Network+ or Security+?

No. CompTIA recommends that order, but there is no prerequisite. You can register for any of the three at any time.

Can I skip straight to Security+ with no IT background?

You can sit it, but expect a harder road: Security+ assumes networking knowledge it never teaches. Plan more study time, or take Network+ first.

Is it worth getting all three?

For people entering IT, yes: A+, Network+ and Security+ together cover most entry to mid level requirements, and they are achievable in roughly a year of steady study.