CompTIA A+ renewal: Complete guide to maintaining your certification

Earning your CompTIA A+ certification marks a significant achievement in your IT career. But certification is just the beginning. Keeping it active ensures your credentials remain relevant as technology evolves.

Your CompTIA A+ certification renews every 3 years. Understanding how to renew CompTIA A+ helps you maintain certified status without the stress of retaking exams. The renewal system rewards ongoing professional development while keeping your skills current.

CompTIA's Continuing Education (CE) program offers multiple pathways to renew CompTIA A+ certification. Whether you prefer structured courses, on-the-job learning or pursuing higher certifications, you'll find options that fit your career goals.

For foundational information about the certification itself, see our CompTIA A+ overview.

Renewal requirements overview

Your CompTIA A+ certification remains valid for three years from the date you pass the exam. The CompTIA A+ recertification process begins immediately after earning your initial certification. If you earned your certification on March 15, 2025, it expires on March 15, 2028.

The CompTIA A+ CEU requirements specify you need 20 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) total across that three-year period.

CompTIA renewal options generally fall into two paths: renewing with a single activity or renewing with multiple CEU-earning activities.

Single-activity renewal options may include:

• Completing CompTIA CertMaster CE
• Earning a qualifying higher-level CompTIA certification
• Earning or renewing a qualifying non-CompTIA IT industry certification
• Passing the latest release of the CompTIA A+ exam

Multiple-activity renewal options include:

• Completing approved training, webinars, higher education, work experience or other eligible professional development activities until you reach the required CEUs

For comprehensive details on specific qualifying activities, earning strategies and tracking templates, see our detailed CEU earning guide.

Renewal timeline and deadlines

Planning your renewal timeline prevents last-minute stress and potential certification lapses. The $75 renewal fee is due before your certification expires after three years, but you can pay any time. There are also options to skip paying this fee, like earning a higher-level CompTIA certification.

Year	Recommended Actions	CE Fee
Year 1	Familiarize yourself with CE requirements, identify preferred CEU activities, begin earning CEUs	$0
Year 2	Continue earning CEUs, submit documentation as you complete activities, track progress	$0
Year 3	Complete remaining CEU requirements, ensure all documentation is uploaded, finalize payment	$75

When to start planning renewal: Begin immediately after earning your certification. Starting in year one gives you flexibility to explore different CEU activities and avoid rushed decisions in year three.

Grace period information: CompTIA provides a 30-day grace period after your expiration date. During this window, you can pay any outstanding CE fees and upload CEUs that were earned during your three-year renewal cycle. Activities completed after your expiration date don't qualify.

What happens if you miss the deadline: After the 30-day grace period ends, you lose certified status. Your certification becomes inactive, and you cannot claim CompTIA A+ credentials on resumes or professional profiles.

Late renewal options: Once the grace period expires, retaking both the current Core 1 and Core 2 exam versions (220-1201 and 220-1202) is your only path back to certification.

Step-by-step renewal process

The recertification process involves five straightforward steps:

Step 1: Log in to the CompTIA certification account

Visit certmetrics.com/comptia and sign in with your credentials. This portal serves as your central hub for tracking CEUs, managing payments and monitoring your expiration date.

If you've forgotten your login credentials, use the password reset function. Have your CompTIA ID number ready when contacting support for account access issues.

Step 2: Track your CEUs throughout the three-year period

Your certification dashboard displays your current CEU total, submitted activities and remaining requirements. Check this regularly rather than waiting until your final renewal year.

The dashboard shows:

• Total CEUs earned
• CEUs pending review
• Expiration date
• CE fee payment status
• Individual activity submissions

Don't procrastinate. Professionals who track progress consistently avoid discovering shortfalls when it's too late to address them.

Step 3: Submit CEU documentation

For multiple-activity renewal, upload required documentation through your certification portal immediately after completing each activity.

Log in to your account, navigate to the Continuing Education section and select "Add Activity." Choose your activity type from the dropdown menu, enter activity details and upload supporting documents.

Some single-activity renewal options, such as CertMaster CE or earning a qualifying higher-level CompTIA certification, can renew A+ without separate CEU submissions or CE fee payments. Always confirm the option fully renews A+ before relying on it.

CompTIA performs random audits of submitted CEUs. Maintain organized records in case you're selected for audit verification.

Step 4: Pay the renewal fee

The CompTIA A+ renewal fee is $75 for the complete three-year cycle.

To pay fees:

1. Log in to your certification account
2. Click "Manage Certifications"
3. Select "Continuing Education"
4. Choose "CE Maintenance Fees"
5. Select your certification and submit payment

Payment methods include credit card or PayPal. If PayPal isn't available in your country, purchase CE tokens from comptia.org as an alternative.

Step 5: Receive renewed certification

Once you've earned 20 CEUs (or other qualifying actions) and paid all fees, CompTIA processes your renewal. You'll receive an email confirmation, and your certification extends for another three years from your previous expiration date.

Your updated certification status appears in your CompTIA account and on your digital badge.

Renewal costs

Current renewal fee: $75 total for three years. These CE fees are required only if you're renewing through CEU activities. You can pay anytime before your cert expires.

Payment methods accepted: Credit card, PayPal or CE tokens purchased from CompTIA. Organizations can buy bulk CE tokens for employees.

Training costs are separate: The $75 CE fee covers only CompTIA's administrative costs. Training courses, webinars, conferences and other CEU activities cost extra. Prices vary widely, from free webinars to courses costing hundreds of dollars.

Compare: Renewal vs. re-testing costs:

Renewal Method	Total Cost
Earn 20 CEUs + pay CE fees	$75 + training costs (varies)
CompTIA CertMaster CE	$139
Retake both exams	Approximately $548 ($274 per exam × 2)
Earn higher certification	Exam cost only (varies by certification)

Renewing through the CE program costs significantly less than retaking both exams.

Documentation requirements

Organized documentation is essential for maintaining IT credentials and ensuring smooth renewal.

What records to keep:

• Completion certificates showing your name and completion date
• Detailed course descriptions or content outlines
• Registration confirmations or attendance records
• Receipts proving payment for training activities
• For publications: URLs, PDF copies or published articles proving your authorship
• For work experience: Employment verification or project documentation

How to document CEU activities: Create a dedicated folder for renewal documents. As you complete each activity, immediately save all related materials. Label files clearly with activity type and date. For example: "2025-06-Webinar-CloudSecurity-Certificate.pdf"

Submission format: CompTIA accepts PDFs, JPEGs and other common image formats. Ensure documents are legible and contain all required information before uploading.

Tracking and templates: Our CEU earning guide provides tracking spreadsheets and templates for documenting various activity types.

Troubleshooting common renewal issues

What if CEUs aren't showing up? Wait 24-48 hours after submission for processing. If CEUs still don't appear, verify you uploaded all required documentation. Contact CompTIA support if issues persist.

What if renewal is denied? Review the rejection notice to understand which activities CompTIA didn't accept. Common reasons include:

• Insufficient documentation
• Activity content doesn't meet the 50% relevance requirement
• Activities completed outside your renewal cycle
• Duplicate submissions

Correct the issues and resubmit, or complete additional qualifying activities to reach 20 CEUs.

Appeal process: If you believe your CEUs were incorrectly rejected, contact CompTIA support to initiate an appeal. Provide detailed documentation demonstrating why your activities meet CE requirements. Include course syllabi, content breakdowns and explanations of relevance to A+ exam objectives.

Account access issues: Use the "Forgot Password" function at certmetrics.com/comptia. If you still can't access your account, contact CompTIA customer support. Have your CompTIA ID number ready.

Missing documentation solutions: Contact the training provider to request duplicate certificates. If the provider no longer exists or won't provide documentation, you'll need to complete alternative activities to reach 20 CEUs.

Quick tips for smooth renewal

Effective certification maintenance requires planning and organization. Here are some tips to get you started.

Start earning CEUs in year one. Don't wait until year three. Spreading activities across three years reduces stress and provides buffer time if complications arise.

Keep all documentation organized. Create a dedicated renewal folder and add documents immediately after completing activities. This habit prevents frantic searching when you're ready to submit.

Submit CEUs as you earn them. Upload documentation as soon as you complete activities. This approach identifies problems early when you still have time to address them.

Set calendar reminders. Add alerts at these intervals:

• Six months before expiration: Check progress and plan remaining activities
• Three months before expiration: Finalize all CEU submissions and fee payments
• One month before expiration: Verify everything is complete

Leverage training opportunities that count toward renewal. Infosec offers boot camp training that qualifies for CEUs while building advanced skills. Our on-demand skills courses provide flexible learning that counts toward renewal.

Consider earning a higher certification. Achieving Network+ or Security+ automatically renews your A+ while advancing your career.

FAQs

How long is A+ valid?

Three years from the date you pass the exam.

Can I renew early?

Yes. You can earn CEUs and pay fees at any time during your three-year cycle.

What if I let it lapse?

After the 30-day grace period ends, you must retake both 220-1201 and 220-1202 exams to regain certified status.

Do I need to retake the exam?

No, unless you choose that renewal method or let your certification expire beyond the grace period.

Can I transfer CEUs from other certs?

Earning non-CompTIA IT certifications may count toward your CompTIA renewal if they meet timing and relevance requirements. Check CompTIA's qualifying activities chart for specific details.

What if I'm deployed (military)?

Contact CompTIA support about accommodations for deployed service members.

Can my employer pay for renewal?

Yes. Employers can purchase CE tokens in bulk or directly pay your renewal fees through CompTIA's organizational programs.

What happens to my certification during renewal review?

Your certification remains active while CompTIA processes your renewal. You'll receive an email confirmation when approved.

How many CEUs can I earn from one training course?

You earn one CEU per hour of training, with no maximum limit for education activities.

Do CEUs from one renewal cycle carry over to the next?

No. Each three-year cycle starts fresh at zero CEUs.

After renewal: What's next

Update your professional profiles. Refresh these items to reflect your active certification:

• Resume with a new expiration date
• LinkedIn certification section
• Email signature
• Professional networking profiles

Explore career opportunities. Visit our CompTIA A+ jobs outlook guide to understand current market trends and salary ranges.

Consider your next certification step. Review these career planning resources:

• Entry-level cybersecurity certifications guide
• Cybersecurity salary guide

Network+ builds on A+ knowledge with deeper networking concepts. Security+ opens doors to cybersecurity roles and automatically renews your A+ when you earn it.

Maintaining your CompTIA A+ certification through proper IT credential renewal demonstrates an ongoing commitment. Start planning your renewal strategy today to ensure uninterrupted certified status.