CompTIA's own data shows that roughly 40% of A+ test-takers fail on their first attempt. Most of them weren't unprepared — they used the wrong prep material. If you've been researching study options, you've probably landed on Jason Dion's CompTIA A+ course more than once. It's hard to miss: 300,000+ students, 4.7-star averages, and a constant presence on Udemy's IT bestseller lists. But bestseller status doesn't automatically mean it's the right fit for how you learn.
This review breaks down what Jason Dion's CompTIA A+ courses actually contain, where they're strong, where they fall short, and how to decide if they're worth your time and money.
What Jason Dion's CompTIA A+ Courses Include
Dion splits his A+ prep into two separate courses — one for each exam domain:
- CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) — covers mobile devices, networking, hardware, virtualization, and cloud computing
- CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1102) — covers operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures
Each course runs approximately 14–16 hours of video content. Together, they give you 28–32 hours of structured instruction, which is on the longer end for A+ prep. Dion records in a lecture-style format: slides, diagrams, and occasional hardware demonstrations. He doesn't lean heavily on labs or simulations, which is something to factor in if you're a hands-on learner.
Practice exams are bundled in. The Core 1 and Core 2 packages typically include 3–4 full-length practice tests each, simulating the 90-question, 90-minute format CompTIA uses. These are solid — questions are written at the right difficulty level, and the explanations for wrong answers are detailed enough to actually teach you something rather than just telling you the correct letter.
Dion's Teaching Style
Dion is methodical. He follows the exam objectives almost point-for-point, which is useful if you like knowing exactly where you are in the curriculum relative to the test. The downside is that the videos can feel dense — he covers a lot of ground per session, and there's minimal humor or storytelling. If you've watched Professor Messer's free content and found it dry, Dion is similar but more polished.
His explanations of abstract concepts — like the difference between RAID levels, or how to read a subnet mask — are genuinely good. He has a talent for making technically intimidating material feel approachable without dumbing it down.
Jason Dion CompTIA A+ vs. Other Prep Options
Dion isn't the only name in this space, and depending on your background, another resource might actually be a better fit.
Jason Dion vs. Professor Messer
Professor Messer offers free A+ study notes and videos on his website, plus paid practice exams. If budget is your primary constraint, Messer's free videos combined with his $30 practice exam package is a serious alternative. The videos are shorter and more modular than Dion's, which works better for people who prefer studying in 10-minute bursts. Dion's paid course, however, is more cohesive as a single learning path — you don't have to hunt for content or decide what to watch next.
Jason Dion vs. Mike Meyers
Mike Meyers (Professor Mike) takes a more story-driven, scenario-based approach. If you've ever felt like you could pass a multiple choice test but still not know what to actually do when a computer breaks, Meyers' method builds stronger practical intuition. His Total Seminars A+ books are the industry standard for a reason. That said, Dion's practice questions are generally considered harder and better calibrated to the actual exam difficulty, which matters in the final weeks of prep.
Jason Dion vs. CompTIA's Official CertMaster
CompTIA sells its own prep tool (CertMaster Learn) for around $350 per exam domain. It's adaptive, tracks your weak areas, and includes performance-based question simulations. For the price, it's hard to justify over Dion's Udemy courses unless your employer is reimbursing you and you want something that looks official. Dion's courses regularly go on sale for $15–20 each.
Top Courses for CompTIA A+ Preparation
If you're building a study plan, here are the courses worth serious consideration:
CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) Complete Course & Practice Exam — Jason Dion
Covers all eight Core 1 domains with a systematic approach to exam objectives and includes multiple full-length practice exams. The hardware identification sections are particularly thorough for visual learners who need to recognize physical components.
CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1102) Complete Course & Practice Exam — Jason Dion
The stronger of the two Dion A+ courses — his treatment of Windows troubleshooting, malware removal processes, and scripting basics is more detailed than most competing resources. The practice exams here closely mirror the real test difficulty.
CompTIA A+ Certification Exam — Mike Meyers & Total Seminars
Scenario-heavy and conversational, this is the best option for learners who find pure lecture formats hard to retain. Meyers builds toward exam objectives through real-world troubleshooting narratives, which makes the content stick differently than Dion's method.
CompTIA A+ Complete Course — ITProTV
Structured as a live-class recording with two instructors, which adds a question-and-answer dynamic that single-instructor courses lack. Good supplemental content for topics where you want a second explanation with different framing.
What Jason Dion's A+ Course Doesn't Cover Well
Being straightforward about the gaps matters more than a promotional summary:
- Performance-based questions (PBQs): The actual A+ exam starts with several drag-and-drop, simulation, and fill-in-the-blank style questions before the multiple choice section. Dion's practice exams are mostly multiple choice. You'll want to supplement with Professor Messer's PBQ practice or CompTIA's own CertMaster Practice specifically for this.
- Hands-on labs: Dion doesn't provide a virtual lab environment. If you've never physically built a PC, partitioned a drive, or configured a router, his videos describe these processes without letting you practice them. TryHackMe has some A+-relevant labs, and building a cheap lab VM on VirtualBox fills this gap at no cost.
- Linux coverage: The A+ exam tests basic Linux command-line skills. Dion covers this, but briefly. If you have zero Linux background, budget additional time with a dedicated Linux fundamentals resource before the exam.
Who Should Use Jason Dion's CompTIA A+ Course
Dion's A+ courses are well-suited for:
- Career changers coming from non-technical backgrounds who need a structured, guided path rather than assembling their own curriculum from scattered resources
- People who've failed the A+ once and need a methodical review of exam objectives to identify gaps
- Visual learners who do better with diagrams and annotated slides than with textbook reading
- Anyone studying on a tight budget — the courses go on sale regularly and represent strong value per hour of content
They're less ideal for people who already have working experience in desktop support or help desk roles, since much of the Core 1 content in particular will feel like review. In that case, jumping straight to Professor Messer's practice exams to identify weak spots is more efficient than watching 30 hours of material you mostly know.
FAQ
Is Jason Dion's CompTIA A+ course enough to pass on its own?
For most people, yes — but with a caveat. The video content and practice exams are sufficient to cover the exam objectives. The gap is performance-based questions. Add a PBQ-focused resource (Messer's or CompTIA's own practice tool) in the final two weeks before your exam and you'll have the bases covered.
Which Jason Dion A+ course should I buy first, Core 1 or Core 2?
Core 1 first, because it covers foundational hardware and networking concepts that Core 2 assumes you know. CompTIA also recommends taking Core 1 before Core 2, though there's no enforcement mechanism — you can sit for either exam in any order. Most people who fail one while passing the other fail Core 1.
How current are Jason Dion's CompTIA A+ courses?
Dion maintains his Udemy courses with periodic updates when CompTIA revises exam objectives. The current A+ exams are 220-1101 and 220-1102 (the "1100 series"), which CompTIA plans to retire in favor of a new version in the mid-2020s. Check Dion's Udemy course page directly and look at the "Last updated" date before purchasing — if it's more than 18 months old without any noted updates, verify it still aligns with the active exam version.
Is Jason Dion's A+ course better than Professor Messer's free videos?
Different, not categorically better. Messer's free videos are more modular and well-organized for quick topic lookup. Dion's paid course is more structured as a full learning path with bundled practice exams. If you want to spend nothing, Messer's free content plus his paid practice exams gets you a comparable outcome. If you prefer a single integrated resource with more lecture depth, Dion's course justifies the cost — especially at sale prices.
Does Jason Dion offer a money-back guarantee?
Udemy has a 30-day refund policy that applies to all courses on the platform, including Dion's. This is platform-level, not specific to Dion. If you complete less than 30% of the course and request a refund within 30 days, it's generally approved automatically.
How long does it take to complete Jason Dion's CompTIA A+ courses?
The two courses combined are approximately 28–32 hours of video. Most people spread this over 6–10 weeks, studying 1–2 hours per evening. Add time for practice exams, review of wrong answers, and PBQ practice, and a realistic full prep timeline is 8–12 weeks for someone starting with minimal IT background.
Bottom Line
Jason Dion's CompTIA A+ courses are genuinely solid exam prep — not because of the star ratings, but because the content is well-structured, the practice questions are harder than the actual exam (which is what you want), and Dion explains technically dense material without glossing over the important details.
The courses are not perfect. The PBQ coverage is thin, labs are absent, and people with existing help desk experience will find significant portions redundant. But for someone starting from scratch or coming from a non-technical background, these courses represent one of the more efficient paths to passing both A+ exams on the first attempt.
Buy both Core 1 and Core 2 courses during a Udemy sale (which runs almost constantly), supplement the practice exams with Professor Messer's PBQ content, and budget time for hands-on practice in a virtual machine environment. That combination addresses the gaps and builds the kind of understanding that holds up under real exam pressure.