Is CompTIA ITF+ Worth It? Honest Answer

Not sure whether IT is actually for you?

That question alone tells you a lot about whether the CompTIA IT Fundamentals+ (ITF+) certification makes sense. This isn’t a certification for people who’ve already committed to an IT career. It’s a low-stakes way to test the waters before investing serious time and money into more advanced credentials.

But here’s where it gets complicated: ITF+ is retiring in July 2025 and being replaced by CompTIA Tech+. The new certification covers more ground, including AI, cloud computing, and IoT. So the question isn’t just “is ITF+ worth it?” anymore—it’s “should you bother with either of these, or just go straight to A+?”

Let’s cut through the noise.

Who ITF+ Was Actually Designed For

The ITF+ certification wasn’t created for people who already know they want careers in IT. It was built for a specific group of people:

Complete career changers with zero tech background. If you’ve spent 10 years in retail, teaching, or healthcare and want to know whether you’d even enjoy working with technology, ITF+ gives you a structured way to find out. The certification covers hardware basics, software concepts, security fundamentals, and networking—just enough to help you decide if diving deeper sounds appealing or exhausting.

High school and early college students. For teenagers exploring career options, ITF+ can demonstrate initiative on college applications or internship resumes. It signals you’ve put in effort to understand IT, even without job experience.

“Tech-adjacent” professionals. Office managers, administrative assistants, and project coordinators who work alongside IT teams sometimes want to understand what those teams actually do. ITF+ covers enough ground to make those conversations easier.

If you don’t fit into one of these categories, you probably don’t need ITF+. And honestly, that’s most people reading this.

The Cold Reality: What ITF+ Gets You

Let’s be direct about what this certification does and doesn’t do for your career.

What ITF+ Actually Provides

• A structured learning path. The exam objectives force you to learn a little about a lot—hardware, software, databases, networking, security. It’s IT 101.
• A confidence check. Passing the exam (650 out of 900, with 75 questions in 60 minutes) proves you can learn technical material and perform under test conditions.
• Something for your resume. It’s not nothing. In entry-level job markets where everyone has similar experience (none), any certification can help you stand out.

What ITF+ Does Not Provide

• A direct path to employment. Most help desk jobs don’t list ITF+ in their requirements. They list A+. Or they list no certification at all but want demonstrated troubleshooting skills.
• Significant salary impact. ITF+ holders work in roles that pay roughly $38,000 to $63,000—but so do people without ITF+ who landed the same jobs.
• Employer recognition. Ask most hiring managers what they think of ITF+, and you’ll get blank stares. A+ is the certification they actually know and respect.

This isn’t a knock on the certification. It’s just the reality of what it was designed to do. ITF+ was never meant to be a job-ready credential. It’s a stepping stone.

ITF+ vs A+: The Decision That Actually Matters

Here’s the question most people should be asking: should you get ITF+ first, or skip straight to CompTIA A+?

The Case for Skipping ITF+ Entirely

You’re already comfortable with technology. If you build your own PCs, troubleshoot your family’s Wi-Fi issues, or have set up a home lab, you probably don’t need ITF+. You’ve already demonstrated the aptitude it’s designed to test.

You’re committed to an IT career. If you’ve already decided IT is your path, why pay for two certifications when you could put that money toward A+ study materials?

You need a job soon. ITF+ won’t get you hired faster than A+. In fact, the time spent on ITF+ delays when you could be studying for a credential employers actually look for.

You’re watching your budget. At $134 for the ITF+ exam, you’re spending money on a certification that most employers won’t care about. The A+ costs more, but at least it opens doors.

The Case for Getting ITF+ First

You genuinely don’t know if IT is right for you. This is the main valid reason. If spending 20-30 hours studying IT fundamentals sounds tedious rather than interesting, you’ve learned something valuable about yourself—before investing 60-80 hours in A+ prep.

Technical concepts intimidate you. Some career changers feel overwhelmed by the scope of A+. ITF+ provides a gentler on-ramp, building confidence before tackling harder material.

You’re a student with time to spare. High schoolers and early college students have the luxury of taking a slower path. Building credentials over time isn’t a problem when you’re not trying to pay rent.

Your employer is paying. If someone else foots the bill, the ROI calculation changes completely.

Factor	Skip to A+	Get ITF+ First
Tech comfort level	Already comfortable	Intimidated by tech
Career certainty	Committed to IT	Still exploring
Timeline	Need job quickly	No rush
Budget	Limited	Employer-paid or flexible
Study time available	60-80 hours ready	Want to start smaller

The Tech+ Transition: What’s Changing

Here’s where timing matters. CompTIA is retiring ITF+ on July 31, 2025. The replacement, CompTIA Tech+, expands the scope significantly.

What Tech+ Adds

The new certification includes topics that weren’t in ITF+:

• Artificial intelligence concepts (AI chatbots, generative AI, AI-generated code)
• Cloud computing and virtualization
• Internet of Things (IoT) devices
• Virtual and augmented reality systems
• More hands-on troubleshooting scenarios

Tech+ aims to produce candidates who understand modern technology, not just legacy concepts. That’s a reasonable evolution given how much workplaces have changed.

What This Means for You

If you’re considering ITF+ right now: You have until July 2025 to take the exam. After that, ITF+ no longer exists.

If you’re reading this after July 2025: Your option is Tech+, which covers more material but serves the same purpose—testing whether IT fundamentals interest you before committing to A+.

If you already have ITF+: Good news. Both certifications are valid for life and don’t require renewal. You don’t need to upgrade to Tech+.

What the ITF+ Exam Actually Covers

If you’re going to evaluate whether ITF+ makes sense, you should know what you’re signing up for. The exam tests six domains:

IT Concepts and Terminology (17%) covers computing basics—binary, hexadecimal, the difference between RAM and storage. If you’ve ever explained to a relative why their computer is “slow” (usually full storage or too many browser tabs), you probably understand most of this already.

Infrastructure (22%) gets into hardware components—motherboards, CPUs, graphics cards, peripherals. This is PC building territory. If you’ve ever installed RAM or swapped a hard drive, you’re ahead of the curve.

Applications and Software (18%) covers operating systems, application types, and basic software concepts. The difference between word processors and spreadsheets, why you need updates, what SaaS means.

Software Development (12%) introduces programming concepts—variables, loops, conditionals. You won’t write code on the exam, but you should understand what code does at a high level.

Database Fundamentals (11%) covers data organization, basic SQL concepts, and why databases matter. Again, conceptual understanding rather than hands-on skills.

Security (20%) addresses threats, best practices, and basic security concepts. Password hygiene, malware types, the importance of backups.

Notice something? Almost all of this is conceptual. The exam tests whether you understand IT terminology and concepts—not whether you can actually do IT work. That’s exactly why ITF+ is a stepping stone rather than a job-ready credential.

If you want hands-on skills that employers actually care about, you’re better off building a home lab or working through practical Linux exercises.

What Employers Actually Think

Let’s talk about the uncomfortable truth: most employers don’t think about ITF+ at all.

When hiring for entry-level IT positions, most job postings specify:

• CompTIA A+ (the gold standard for entry-level)
• Relevant experience (even just a home lab)
• Customer service skills

ITF+ rarely appears. When it does, it’s usually alongside A+ as an “or” option, not a standalone requirement.

That said, there’s nuance here. Nine out of ten employers say certifications matter when evaluating candidates. ITF+ shows you’ve invested time in learning IT fundamentals. It demonstrates commitment. For career changers with no technical background, that signal isn’t worthless.

But it’s also not worth much without A+ following behind it. Think of ITF+ as a warm-up, not the main event.

The Real Cost Analysis

Here’s what you’re actually looking at:

Expense	ITF+ Path	Direct to A+ Path
Exam fee	$134	$0 (skipped)
Study time	20-30 hours	0 hours
A+ exam fees	$404 (two exams)	$404
A+ study time	60-80 hours	60-80 hours
Total investment	$538 + 80-110 hours	$404 + 60-80 hours

The ITF+ path costs an extra $134 and 20-30 hours. Is that worth the confidence boost and career exploration? For some people, absolutely. For others, it’s a waste of resources.

Here’s a better way to think about it: could you use that $134 and 20-30 hours more effectively?

• $134 could buy you a year of Professor Messer’s course notes or a Udemy A+ prep course on sale
• 20-30 hours is enough time to build a basic home lab that would impress hiring managers far more than an ITF+ certification

Full disclosure: not everyone learns the same way. If you need the structure of an exam to force you through material, ITF+ provides that. Self-directed learning doesn’t work for everyone.

A Better Alternative: Test Yourself Without the Exam

Here’s something most ITF+ guides won’t tell you: you can get most of the benefits without taking the exam.

Study the material. CompTIA publishes the exam objectives for free. Work through them. Use free resources like Professor Messer’s videos or CompTIA CertMaster (trial version). See if you enjoy learning this stuff.

Build something. Set up a virtual machine. Configure a home network. Practice basic Linux commands using Shell Samurai or a local VM. Hands-on learning reveals whether IT feels like work or play.

Take practice tests. Multiple sites offer ITF+ practice questions. If you can pass those consistently, you’ve proven the same aptitude the exam would test—without spending $134.

Skip the exam, keep the knowledge. Put the skills on your resume anyway. “Studied CompTIA ITF+ curriculum” is honest and still demonstrates initiative. Then move on to A+.

This approach only fails if you specifically need the credential (employer requirement, academic program, personal motivation). For most career changers, it’s a smarter path.

The Bottom Line: Three Scenarios

Scenario 1: Get ITF+ (or Tech+)

You should pursue this certification if:

• You’ve never worked with technology and feel intimidated
• You’re genuinely uncertain whether IT interests you
• You’re a student with no time pressure
• Someone else is paying
• You need a formal credential for an academic program

Scenario 2: Skip to A+

You should jump directly to A+ if:

• You’re already comfortable with basic technology
• You’ve committed to an IT career
• You’re watching your budget
• You need a job in the next 6-12 months
• You’d rather spend those 30 hours on hands-on practice

Scenario 3: Study Without the Exam

Consider this hybrid approach if:

• You want to test your interest in IT
• You don’t need a formal credential yet
• You’d rather save the $134 for A+ exam fees
• You learn well independently

Most people reading this fall into Scenario 2 or 3. The ITF+ certification has its place, but that place is narrower than CompTIA’s marketing suggests.

What to Do Next

If you’ve decided ITF+ (or its replacement, Tech+) makes sense for you:

1. Download the exam objectives directly from CompTIA
2. Choose study resources: CBT Nuggets, Pluralsight, or free YouTube content
3. Set a timeline: 20-30 hours of study over 2-4 weeks is typical
4. Schedule your exam before the July 2025 retirement date (if taking ITF+)

If you’ve decided to skip ITF+ and go directly to A+:

1. Read our CompTIA A+ guide for a complete roadmap
2. Check out the best A+ study materials
3. Build a home lab for hands-on practice
4. Consider the 90-day study method for structured prep

If you’re still deciding whether IT is right for you at all:

1. Read about what entry-level IT actually looks like
2. Explore different IT career paths
3. Check out realistic salary expectations (spoiler: they vary wildly)
4. Talk to people actually working in IT—not just certification vendors selling courses

The certification itself won’t decide your career for you. What matters is whether you enjoy the work once you get there.

FAQ

Is ITF+ harder than A+?

No. ITF+ is significantly easier than A+. The ITF+ exam gives you 60 minutes for up to 75 questions and covers foundational concepts. A+ requires two separate exams, each with 90 minutes and up to 90 questions, covering more advanced troubleshooting and hands-on skills. Most people need 20-30 hours to prepare for ITF+ versus 60-80 hours for A+.

Should I get ITF+ if I already have experience with computers?

Probably not. If you’re comfortable building PCs, troubleshooting common problems, or working with basic networking concepts, you already have the aptitude ITF+ is designed to verify. Skip directly to A+ or consider whether you even need certifications at all—some employers value demonstrated skills over credentials.

Does ITF+ count toward A+ requirements?

There are no prerequisites for A+. You can take the A+ exam without any prior certifications. ITF+ doesn’t unlock anything or provide exemptions. It’s entirely optional.

How long does ITF+ certification last?

ITF+ (and its replacement, Tech+) is valid for life and never expires. Unlike most CompTIA certifications, it doesn’t require continuing education or renewal fees. Once you have it, you have it forever.

Is ITF+ or Tech+ recognized internationally?

Yes. CompTIA certifications are vendor-neutral and recognized globally. However, the same caveats apply internationally: most employers don’t specifically look for ITF+ or Tech+. They look for A+ or higher-level credentials. The “stepping stone” nature of ITF+ doesn’t change based on geography.