Most people who fail the CompTIA A+ don't fail because the material is too hard — they fail because they studied the wrong things with too little practice testing. Jason Dion built his CompTIA A+ courses specifically around that problem, and the enrollment numbers reflect it: his Core 1 and Core 2 courses combined have over 600,000 students on Udemy, making him the most widely-used CompTIA A+ instructor working today.
This review breaks down what you actually get in a Jason Dion CompTIA A+ course, how the practice exams compare to the real thing, what the course misses, and whether it's worth your money versus free alternatives.
Who Is Jason Dion and Why Does It Matter for CompTIA A+?
Jason Dion is a retired U.S. Navy veteran and former college IT professor who holds more than 20 CompTIA certifications — including A+, Network+, Security+, CySA+, and PenTest+. He's not a YouTuber who pivoted to courses; he taught at community college level before moving to Udemy full-time.
That background shows up in how his courses are structured. Most of his video time is spent on conceptual explanation before moving to memorization, which is the correct order for passing performance-based questions (PBQs). Instructors who teach CompTIA A+ as pure flashcard content tend to produce students who blank on scenario-based questions, which are worth more points and harder to cram.
Dion also updates his courses when CompTIA revises exam objectives. The current exams — 220-1101 (Core 1) and 220-1102 (Core 2) — replaced the older 1001/1002 versions, and his courses reflect the current objectives rather than recycled slide decks from previous exam cycles.
What the Jason Dion CompTIA A+ Course Covers
Core 1 (220-1101): Hardware, Networking, and Mobile Devices
The Core 1 course runs roughly 14–16 hours of video and covers all five exam domains: mobile devices, networking, hardware, virtualization/cloud computing, and hardware/network troubleshooting. The hardware sections are particularly strong — Dion uses diagrams and real component photos rather than just slides, which helps if you haven't physically worked inside a PC.
Networking gets substantial coverage including TCP/IP fundamentals, wireless standards, and basic cable types. For someone who has never worked in IT, this is more depth than you strictly need to pass, but understanding the "why" behind subnetting beats memorizing CIDR notation tables cold.
Core 2 (220-1102): OS, Security, and Troubleshooting
Core 2 covers operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS), security fundamentals, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. This is the exam most candidates find harder, and Dion spends proportionally more time here on Windows-specific content — Group Policy, registry edits, command-line tools — because those topics appear heavily in PBQs.
The security section is useful but introductory. If you're planning to pursue Security+ after A+, don't expect Core 2 security content to carry over — it's enough to pass the A+ exam, not enough to skip Security+ study later.
Practice Exams: The Real Differentiator
Dion's practice exams are consistently rated the closest approximation to real CompTIA exam difficulty available on Udemy. Each course includes multiple full-length timed practice tests (usually 4–6), and the question style — including scenario-based questions with drag-and-drop and fill-in elements — closely mirrors the actual exam format.
One honest caveat: CompTIA does not publish official practice questions, so no third-party practice exam is "leaked" material. Dion's questions are written to match the style and difficulty curve of the real exam based on objective weighting, not insider access. Students who score consistently above 80% on his practice exams tend to pass the real exam. Below 75% on his tests typically means you're not ready yet.
Jason Dion CompTIA A+ Course: What It Gets Right
- Explanation before memorization. Each topic is contextualized before Dion asks you to remember it. This helps on PBQs where you're given a scenario and have to reason through it.
- Consistent updates. Exam objectives change. Dion's courses are updated within weeks of CompTIA publishing revisions, not months.
- Reasonable runtime. 14–16 hours per exam is enough to cover everything without padding. Some competitor courses run 30+ hours by repeating the same content in multiple formats — that's study time you don't have.
- Practice exam quality. The practice questions are harder than the real exam, which is intentional. Better to struggle in practice than fail on exam day.
- Price. On Udemy, both courses regularly drop to $15–$20 during sales. At that price point, the quality-to-cost ratio is hard to beat.
What the Jason Dion CompTIA A+ Course Misses
- No hands-on labs. Dion's courses are video + quizzes. There are no virtual lab environments where you actually configure devices, run commands, or troubleshoot simulated problems. If you've never worked in IT, you should supplement with free labs (Professor Messer's free labs, or TryHackMe for the security domains).
- Limited Linux coverage. Linux appears on Core 2, but CompTIA A+ is Windows-heavy and Dion's coverage reflects that. If you're planning to work in a Linux environment, add supplemental material.
- Passive learning risk. The video format makes it easy to watch without retaining. Students who struggle with Dion's course usually watched all the videos but didn't stop to take the end-of-section quizzes or review wrong answers on practice tests. The course works if you use it actively.
Top Courses for CompTIA A+ Prep
CompTIA A+ Core 2 Full Course & Practice Exam
Covers all 220-1102 domains including OS management, security, and troubleshooting with full-length timed practice exams built to match the real exam's difficulty curve. The Core 2 exam is where most first-time candidates get caught — this course addresses that directly.
CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) Full Course & Practice Exam
The logical next step after A+ if you're targeting a networking or sysadmin role. Covers subnetting, network protocols, and troubleshooting at a depth that A+ only introduces. Structured similarly to Dion's A+ courses — same approach, harder material.
CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) Certification Training
Required or preferred by DoD and most federal IT contractors. If your target role involves any security responsibility — and increasingly most IT roles do — Security+ is the cert after A+ that meaningfully raises your salary ceiling.
CompTIA A+ vs. Going Straight to Network+ or Security+
A common question from career-changers: do you actually need A+ first, or can you skip it?
A+ makes sense if: you have no hands-on IT experience, you're targeting a help desk or desktop support role specifically, or your employer requires it (DoD 8570 baseline requires A+ for certain roles).
You can skip A+ if: you already have 1–2 years of hands-on experience building PCs, managing Windows environments, or working a help desk job in any capacity. In that case, go straight to Network+ or Security+ — the material in A+ won't challenge you, and employers rarely require it above entry-level positions.
The honest market reality: A+ gets you in the door for help desk roles averaging $38,000–$48,000/year depending on location. It's a starting point, not a destination. Budget your study time accordingly — A+ is worth roughly 6–8 weeks of focused effort, not 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jason Dion CompTIA A+
Is Jason Dion's CompTIA A+ course enough on its own to pass?
For most students, yes — if you complete all the videos, take the chapter quizzes, and score above 80% on the practice exams before booking the real test. Students who fail after using Dion's course typically skipped the practice exams or booked the test before they were consistently passing practice tests. The course material is comprehensive; exam readiness comes from the practice testing.
How long does it take to complete Jason Dion's A+ courses?
The video content alone is roughly 28–32 hours across both Core 1 and Core 2. Add study time for quizzes, practice exams, and review of wrong answers and you're looking at 60–80 hours total per exam if you're new to IT, or 30–40 hours if you already have some experience. Most working adults spread this over 6–10 weeks per exam.
Are Jason Dion's practice exams harder than the real CompTIA A+ exam?
Intentionally, yes. Dion writes his practice questions to be slightly harder than the real exam so that test-day feels easier by comparison. If you're consistently scoring 80%+ on his practice tests, you're likely ready. Scoring 75% or below is a sign you need more review before booking.
Does Jason Dion update his CompTIA A+ courses when the exam changes?
Yes. When CompTIA updated from the 1001/1002 exams to the current 1101/1102 objectives, Dion released updated course versions. Udemy purchases include lifetime access, so you get updates without paying again. Check the course's "Last updated" date on Udemy to confirm you're on the current version before starting.
What's the difference between Jason Dion's course and Professor Messer's free A+ materials?
Professor Messer offers free CompTIA A+ study notes and videos on his website, which are genuinely good and cover all exam objectives. The tradeoff: Messer's free content has shorter, more reference-style videos versus Dion's more structured course with built-in quizzes and full-length practice exams. Many successful candidates use both — Messer's notes for quick review, Dion's practice exams for test simulation. If budget is a constraint, Messer's free materials plus a standalone practice exam package is a legitimate alternative to buying Dion's full course.
Is CompTIA A+ still worth getting in 2026?
For entry-level IT support roles, yes — it's still the most widely recognized baseline credential, and many job postings explicitly list it as preferred or required. For anything above help desk, the ROI drops: employers in networking, cloud, and security roles care more about Network+, Security+, or vendor-specific certs (AWS, Azure, Cisco). Think of A+ as the credential that gets you your first IT job, not your third.
Bottom Line
Jason Dion's CompTIA A+ courses are the right choice for most people preparing for the 220-1101 and 220-1102 exams. The video instruction is clear, the practice exams are the best available outside of CompTIA's own official materials, and at Udemy sale prices the value is straightforward.
The one thing to be clear-eyed about: no video course substitutes for hands-on practice. If you've never opened a PC case or configured a Windows network, you should supplement Dion's course with free lab environments — not because the course is deficient, but because the exam includes performance-based questions that test whether you can actually do tasks, not just recognize correct answers in multiple choice.
Buy the Core 1 and Core 2 courses together during a Udemy sale (they go down to $15–$20 each regularly), work through them in order, use the practice exams as your readiness benchmark, and don't book the real exam until you're passing practice tests consistently. That's the path most people who pass on the first attempt follow.