How to earn CompTIA A+ CEUs: Complete guide to continuing education

Understanding CEUs

You will need to renew your CompTIA A+ certification every 3 years to keep your skills up to date with the rapid changes in the information technology field.

Instead of repeating the entire certification process, CompTIA uses a system of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to help you renew your A+ credential. You can earn ongoing certification requirements through related work experience, training, education and industry activities. Each activity is worth a different number of CEUs, so you will likely complete several activities to reach the required number to renew your certification.

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How to earn CEUs for CompTIA

CompTIA currently groups renewal options into two main paths: single-activity renewal and multiple-activity renewal.

• With single-activity renewal, you complete one qualifying activity that renews your certification in full. For A+, this commonly includes earning a higher-level CompTIA certification, such as Network+ or Security+, or completing another approved activity that satisfies the full renewal requirement.
• With multiple-activity renewal, you combine several eligible CEU activities until you reach the number of CEUs required for A+. These can include training, college courses, webinars, work experience, publishing, teaching, presenting or volunteering, as long as the activity is relevant to the A+ exam objectives and meets CompTIA’s documentation rules.

To better understand the renewal process, check out our CompTIA A+ renewal process article.

Single-activity renewal options for CompTIA A+

Single-activity renewal is the simplest path because one qualifying activity can renew your A+ certification without requiring you to submit several smaller CEU activities. This path is often a good fit if you’re already planning to continue along the CompTIA certification pathway.

For example, earning a higher-level CompTIA certification, such as Network+ or Security+, can renew A+ because those certifications build on the skills validated by A+. Some approved non-CompTIA certifications may also qualify, but you should confirm the certification is accepted before relying on it for renewal.

CEUs earned: A qualifying single-activity renewal option can satisfy the full A+ renewal requirement.

Multiple-activity renewal options for CompTIA A+

Multiple-activity renewal lets you earn CEUs through a combination of smaller professional development activities. This option is flexible because you can mix training, education, work experience and industry participation during your three-year renewal cycle.

CompTIA and non-CompTIA training

Training is one of the most straightforward ways to earn A+ CEUs. Eligible options may include CompTIA training, vendor training, webinars, boot camps, online courses and other IT training programs that relate to A+ exam objectives.

If a course is not listed as pre-approved, it may still qualify if it is relevant and properly documented. Save completion certificates, course outlines, dates and the number of training hours so you can support your CEU submission.

Higher education

College and university courses can also count toward A+ renewal when the course content aligns with A+ exam objectives. For example, courses covering hardware, networking, operating systems, cloud, virtualization, security or troubleshooting may qualify.

Keep your transcript, syllabus or course description so you can show what the course covered and when you completed it.

Work experience

Relevant work experience can count toward A+ renewal if your job duties overlap with current A+ exam objectives. Qualifying work might involve mobile devices, networking, hardware, virtualization and cloud computing, hardware and network troubleshooting, operating systems, security, software troubleshooting or operational procedures.

To claim work experience, be prepared to document your job title, employer, relevant tasks or projects and supervisor verification.

Teaching, mentoring and instructional work

Teaching, mentoring, developing instructional materials or presenting technical content may qualify for CEUs when the topic is relevant to A+. Examples include leading a technical workshop, mentoring junior IT staff, creating training materials or presenting on an A+-aligned topic such as troubleshooting, operating systems, hardware or security basics.

Keep copies of presentation materials, agendas, event descriptions or other proof showing the topic, date and length of the activity.

Content development

Writing technical content may qualify for CEUs when the material is published during your renewal cycle and relates to A+ exam objectives. Examples can include blog posts, articles, whitepapers, technical guides or books.

Because CEU values and maximums vary by content type, check CompTIA’s current activity rules before relying on a publication for renewal. Save the published link or copy, publication date and evidence that you are the author.

Volunteering

Volunteer IT work may qualify when it relates to A+ skills. Examples include mentoring, providing community tech support, supporting a nonprofit’s IT needs, helping with school technology programs or contributing to open-source documentation and support.

Keep documentation from the organization showing what you did, when you did it and how many hours you volunteered.

Free CEUs for CompTIA A+

Some CEU opportunities come without a price tag.

CompTIA free webinars

If you don’t have time for a full class but are still interested in gaining some extra IT experience, participating in a live webinar or a conference might be a good option. To claim your CEU credits, CompTIA asks that you provide proof of participation and a detailed description of what you learned.

Free online courses

Infosec offers free workshops you can take advantage of without incurring any cost. Also, some content included in Infosec Skills is also free.

CEUs earned: One CEU for each hour you attend or participate.

How to maximize CEUs

Maximizing your certification maintenance units for CompTIA isn’t just about staying compliant — it’s about doing it efficiently, strategically and without scrambling when your three-year renewal deadline hits.

Best single-activity renewal options

1. Earn a higher-level CompTIA certification
2. Complete an approved non-CompTIA certification
3. Complete an approved full-renewal program, if available for your certification

Best multiple-activity CEU options

1. Complete eligible IT training or boot camps
2. Take a relevant college course
3. Attend webinars, conferences or workshops
4. Teach, mentor or present on A+-aligned topics
5. Publish technical content
6. Document qualifying work experience
7. Volunteer in an IT-related role

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How to earn CEUs for multiple certifications at once

CompTIA may allow the same CEU activity to apply toward multiple certifications, as long as the activity is relevant to each certification and meets the renewal rules for each one. You still need to submit the activity correctly for each certification in your CompTIA account.

For example, training on network troubleshooting may be relevant to A+ and Network+ if the content overlaps with both exam objectives. The key is to choose activities that map clearly to the certifications you want to renew.

Planning your 3-year cycle

If you’re renewing a three-year certification, aim for 20 CEUs total. Spread them evenly to avoid getting overwhelmed. Here’s an example using various qualifying activities:

Year 1

• Watch two webinars (2 CEUs)
• Complete a 6-hour training course (6 CEUs)
• Publish an article or white paper (4 CEUs)

Year 2

• Watch two webinars (2 CEUs)
• Attend a conference (4 CEUs)
• Write two technical blog posts (2 CEUs)

Year 3

• Finish any remaining CEUs you may have missed — or if anything from year 1 or two didn’t qualify.

To avoid last-minute scrambling, make sure you start early and are consistent, including when it comes to professional learning units. You don’t want to go several months without earning any CEUs. And keep track of what you’ve earned to avoid having to stuff too many in over a short time period — or even earning more than you need.

CompTIA A+ CEU requirements: How to document and report CEUs

While earning CEUs is the “active” part of renewal, CompTIA CEU reporting and documenting is where many people get tripped up. Here’s how to handle the process smoothly from start to finish.

1. Finding and participating in activities. Before you can document anything, you need to choose CEU-eligible activities.
2. Checking documentation requirements. CompTIA requires clear, verifiable documentation for every activity.
3. Obtain proof of completion. Valid proof includes completion certificates, digital badges, transcripts, a confirmation email from the organizer, or published work.
4. Submit CEUs to CompTIA. You can submit CEUs at any time during your three-year renewal cycle. You use your CompTIA CertMetrics account to submit.

Account navigation tips

To navigate your account, keep in mind:

• Your CEU dashboard displays your current CEU total and how many you still need.
• You can always revise or delete submissions – as long as they haven’t been reviewed yet.
• Make sure you’re submitting CEUs for the correct certification, such as A+, rather than another credential.

Verification process

After you submit a CEU activity, CompTIA will review the documentation.

What CompTIA checks

CompTIA verifies that:

• The activity fits allowed CEU categories
• The documentation is official and clearly readable
• The number of hours claimed matches supporting evidence
• The date of the activity is within your three-year cycle
• The provider is legitimate

Reviews usually take around three to five business days for standard CEUs or one to two weeks when there are a lot of requests.

Common submission issues

Some of the most common issues people come across when submitting include:

• Rejected submissions because they’re missing information, such as how long they occurred for or the activity itself is invalid
• Missing documentation due to not saving registration confirmations, event agendas, syllabi or other documentary evidence

How to appeal

If you feel the rejection was incorrect, you can take the following steps:

1. Reply to the rejection email with clarification
2. Provide additional proof
3. Request re-evaluation

CompTIA typically accommodates appeals when the documentation is genuine and complete.

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FAQs

Can I earn all 20 CEUs in year 1?

Yes, you can earn them anytime within the 3-year window.

What if I earn more than 20 CEUs?

That’s fine, but the extras can’t be used for the next cycle.

Do CEUs roll over to the next cycle?

No, they do not.

Can I use the same activity for multiple certs?

Yes, as long as the activity is relevant to the cert you’re trying to use it for.

What if CompTIA rejects my CEU submission?

If a CEU submission gets rejected, CompTIA will flag it in your account and explain.

How do I prove volunteer work?

You can prove volunteer work by providing a signed letter from the organization you volunteer for, along with photos, screenshots, or email conversations as evidence.

Can work experience count for CEUs?

Yes, but you have to document your tasks, explain how they connect with CompTIA A+ domains and have a supervisor verify your activity.