I've been going back and forth on this for weeks and everyone online says something different. My goal is eventually Security+ and maybe CySA+ down the line, but I'm starting from basically zero IT background. I work in retail management right now and I'm trying to pivot into a help desk or junior sysadmin role within the next 8 months.
From what I've read, A+ is more hardware and OS-focused while Network+ covers the infrastructure side. Some people say skip A+ entirely if you're not going into desktop support, but the help desk jobs I'm targeting all list A+ as preferred. I've been working through an a+ comptia practice test to get a feel for the material and honestly the questions aren't as intimidating as I expected.
I've got about 2 hours a day I can realistically commit to studying. A+ is two exams (Core 1 and Core 2), which feels like a lot, but I've seen people knock each one out in 6–8 weeks with consistent daily study. Network+ is one exam but the material runs deeper on the conceptual side.
If anyone's gone through this recently, especially without a formal IT background, I'd love to hear how you sequenced things and what actually landed you that first job.
The people saying skip A+ are usually already in IT. For a career changer targeting help desk it's still the clearest signal to employers that you have baseline troubleshooting skills. Just get it done.
2 hours a day is enough if you're consistent. I passed Core 1 in 7 weeks and Core 2 in 6 weeks. Use video courses for concepts and practice exams to drill. That ratio worked well for me.
Do A+ first if help desk is your target. Hiring managers for tier 1 support roles know the cert well and it signals you can troubleshoot hardware and OS issues, which is 80% of the job. Network+ can wait until you're already in a role.
I went A+ then Network+ then Security+ over about 18 months while working full-time. Each one built on the last and I'm glad I didn't skip steps — the conceptual foundation matters more than people admit when you're new to IT.
Honestly I almost bailed on this whole thing around week three of studying for Network+. It felt like I was memorizing random acronyms that didn't connect to anything real and I kept thinking I should've just started with A+. But I'm glad I didn't switch because once it clicked it really clicked. If your goal is Security+, Network+ gives you way more foundational overlap and a lot of the comptia network security fundamentals stuff you need for Sec+ will already feel familiar instead of brand new.
That said, if you've never touched IT at all, A+ first isn't wrong either. It depends on how comfortable you are troubleshooting basic hardware and OS stuff. I came in with zero background like you and Network+ was hard but doable in about three months of serious studying. Just don't do what I did and spend two weeks second-guessing yourself on order instead of just picking one and going.