Tech+ is a short exam as CompTIA exams go — up to 70 questions, all multiple-choice (single and multiple response), in a 60-minute window. You need a scaled score of 650 out of 900 to pass, and it’s delivered through Pearson VUE, either at a test center or via OnVUE remote proctoring.
One thing that genuinely sets Tech+ apart from CompTIA’s other entry points: it doesn’t include performance-based questions. A+, Network+, and Security+ all throw simulation-style PBQs at you; Tech+ doesn’t. That makes it more of a straight knowledge check than a hands-on skills test, which also means cramming terminology actually works better here than it does for CompTIA’s higher-level exams.
This is also the only mainstream CompTIA certification that’s good for life. There’s no three-year renewal cycle, no continuing education requirement, no recertification fee. Once you pass, you’re done — which matters when you’re deciding how much time to sink into prep versus just moving on to A+ or Network+.
Domain | Weight | Focus |
|---|---|---|
1.0 IT Concepts and Terminology | 13% | Computing basics, notational systems (binary/hex/decimal/octal), units of measure, troubleshooting methodology |
2.0 Infrastructure | 24% | Computing devices, internal components, peripherals, storage types, networking basics, installation |
3.0 Applications and Software | 18% | Application concepts, software management, operating system types, application architecture |
4.0 Software Development Concepts | 13% | Programming logic, data structures, programming languages, software development phases |
5.0 Data and Database Fundamentals | 13% | Database concepts, data structures, database interaction methods |
6.0 Security | 19% | Confidentiality/integrity/availability concepts, device and data security, social engineering, security best practices |
Infrastructure is the single heaviest domain at nearly a quarter of the exam, with Security close behind — together they’re over 40% of your score, which is worth knowing if you’re tempted to spend most of your study time on programming concepts because that feels like the “harder” material.
Notational systems. Converting between binary, hexadecimal, decimal, and octal shows up more than people expect for what looks like a “soft” IT-literacy exam. If you haven’t done base conversion since a long-ago math class, it’s worth dedicated drilling rather than assuming intuition will carry you.
Troubleshooting methodology as a named process. CompTIA tests the specific ordered steps (identify the problem, establish a theory, test the theory, implement a solution, verify and document) as a formal sequence, not just general problem-solving instinct. Questions will ask you to identify which step comes next in a described scenario.
Software development concepts for non-programmers. A meaningful chunk of Tech+ candidates are coming from a non-technical background specifically because this is the “ground floor” cert, and Domain 4 — covering programming logic, data structures, and language types — is where that group loses the most points relative to their overall score.
Because there are no performance-based questions, practice tests here are unusually close to the exam experience — what you see in a well-built FC0-U71 practice set is structurally similar to what you’ll see on test day, just with different specifics. That means repetition matters more than it does for a PBQ-heavy exam: drilling Infrastructure and Security questions repeatedly, since they carry the most combined weight, pays off directly.
Don’t just memorize which answer is correct — for terminology-heavy domains like Concepts and Terminology, make sure you understand why the wrong answers are wrong, since CompTIA likes to test adjacent terms that sound similar (e.g., volatile vs. non-volatile storage, local vs. cloud storage) as distractors.
Underestimating Infrastructure because “hardware basics” sounds easy, then missing storage-type and component-function questions that go slightly deeper than expected.
Skipping binary/hex conversion practice entirely, assuming it won’t come up on what’s billed as a beginner exam.
Treating Security as an afterthought — at 19% it’s nearly as heavily weighted as Infrastructure, and it covers more than just “don’t click phishing links.”
Going in without ever having timed a practice run; 60 minutes for up to 70 questions is roughly 51 seconds per question, tighter than it first sounds for a “beginner” exam.
Beginner (little to no IT background, including high school students): 3–5 weeks of casual study. CompTIA designed Tech+ explicitly for this audience — no prior experience is assumed — so the pace can be relaxed, but don’t skip the notational systems and troubleshooting methodology sections just because the rest feels intuitive.
Has related experience (some hobbyist or helpdesk-adjacent exposure): 1–2 weeks, focused mainly on filling terminology gaps and running a couple of timed practice exams to get comfortable with the pace.
Retaking: Since there’s no PBQ component to analyze separately, a retake usually comes down to one or two domains where terminology or conversions tripped you up — pull your practice-test history by domain and drill specifically there rather than redoing the whole blueprint.
Tech+ is the rebrand of CompTIA’s older IT Fundamentals+ (ITF+, exam code FC0-U61) credential — the current FC0-U71 version launched July 16, 2024, and vouchers for the old ITF+ exam are not valid for it. If you find study material still referencing “ITF+” or FC0-U61, it’s outdated and may not match the current domain weightings or objectives.
Last updated on Oct, 22 2026
