Search any IT subreddit or Discord server for CompTIA A+ advice and the same name appears in nearly every reply: Professor Messer. His free video series has been the default starting point for A+ candidates for over a decade — and if you've spent any time in IT communities, you've probably already heard someone say "just use Professor Messer." That's good advice, but it's incomplete. This guide covers exactly what's in the Professor Messer CompTIA A+ content, how to use it without falling into the passive-viewing trap that fails most people, and where you'll need to supplement before you sit the actual exams.
What the Professor Messer CompTIA A+ Videos Actually Cover
Professor Messer — his real name is James Messer — built his reputation by mapping his video content directly to CompTIA's official exam objectives. That's not marketing language; it's literally how the playlists are structured. His current A+ series covers both required exams:
- 220-1101 (Core 1): Mobile devices, networking fundamentals, hardware, virtualization, cloud computing, and hardware troubleshooting
- 220-1102 (Core 2): Operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile), security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures
Each playlist is organized by exam objective number. If you're stuck on a specific topic — say, RAID configurations or the differences between TCP and UDP — you don't need to scrub through a 15-hour bootcamp recording. You pull up the specific Professor Messer CompTIA A+ segment tagged to that objective and you're done in eight minutes.
The videos live on YouTube and at ProfessorMesser.com. The YouTube versions are identical to the site versions. ProfessorMesser.com organizes content by exam objective domain more clearly, which makes it more useful for structured review. Either works for initial watching; the site is better when you're doing targeted review before the exam.
Total video runtime for Core 1 runs roughly 15–18 hours. Core 2 is similar. This is substantial, but it's lean compared to some commercial courses that pad content with slow walkthroughs and filler exercises.
Professor Messer CompTIA A+ Free Content vs. What Costs Money
This is where a lot of candidates get caught off guard. The videos are free. Everything else on ProfessorMesser.com requires payment.
Paid items include:
- Study groups: Recorded sessions where Messer walks through exam objectives with live audience Q&A. These aren't live for most buyers — you're watching recordings.
- Practice exams: Multiple timed question sets designed to simulate exam conditions. Priced around $15–20 per exam set depending on current promotions.
- PDF study notes: Condensed, printable summaries of each objective domain. Useful for final review but not a substitute for the videos.
None of the paid materials are strictly required, but skipping practice exams is one of the most consistent reasons candidates fail. CompTIA A+ exams include performance-based questions (PBQs) — scenario simulations where you configure a network, interpret a diagram, or troubleshoot a hardware setup. Messer's videos explain the concepts behind PBQs thoroughly, but if you haven't practiced the exam format specifically, the PBQs at the start of the exam will burn time and confidence you can't recover.
The practice exam investment is small relative to the cost of a retake ($246 per exam as of 2024). If you're going to cut anywhere in your study budget, don't cut the practice questions.
How to Actually Use Professor Messer CompTIA A+ Without Failing
Most people watch the videos passively, feel confident, and then score 60% on their first practice exam. Video lectures are cognitively passive by design — you feel like you're learning because the content is clear and well-explained, but recognition is not the same as recall. Here's a structure that produces better outcomes:
Phase 1 — First pass through the videos
Watch the full Core 1 playlist from start to finish, taking notes by hand or in a doc. Don't try to memorize everything — you're building a mental map of what topics exist and how they connect. For each objective, pause and write a one-sentence summary in your own words before moving on.
Phase 2 — Active recall after each domain
After finishing each exam domain (not each video), close your notes and try to list every concept you just covered from memory. Write them down. This is uncomfortable, which is exactly the point — retrieval practice is the most evidence-backed study technique available for certification exams, and it's free.
Phase 3 — Practice exam before you feel ready
Run a full timed practice exam before you think you're prepared. The goal is to identify specific gaps, not to score well. Wrong answers become your study list for Phase 4. A score of 60–65% at this stage is completely normal and useful.
Phase 4 — Targeted review in the Professor Messer A+ playlists
Go back into the videos specifically for the topics you missed. Messer's objective-based structure makes this efficient — you're not rewatching content you already know. Focus on the objective numbers that showed up in your wrong answers.
Phase 5 — Second and third practice exam passes
Run at least two full practice exams under timed conditions before scheduling. The 90-minute window for 90 questions is tighter than it sounds, especially with PBQs at the front. Getting comfortable with the pacing under pressure is a skill separate from knowing the material.
Where Professor Messer CompTIA A+ Falls Short
Messer's content is genuinely strong within its scope. These aren't criticisms of his teaching — they're constraints of the format that matter for your study plan.
No hands-on labs. The A+ exam tests practical troubleshooting knowledge. If you haven't physically handled RAM, configured BIOS settings, or set up a Windows 10/11 environment, you're going into the exam with theoretical knowledge and no operational feel. Build a basic home lab with a spare machine, or use a free VM environment to practice OS installation and configuration.
Passive format creates false confidence. This isn't unique to Messer — it's a video-course problem generally. The clarity of his explanations makes it easy to feel competent after watching. That feeling is not a reliable indicator of exam readiness. Practice exams are the only reliable indicator.
Performance-based questions require more than video prep. PBQs simulate real tasks. Watching someone explain how to configure IP settings is not the same as doing it yourself under time pressure. Supplement with hands-on practice or at minimum scenario-based question banks that force you to work through troubleshooting steps.
No live Q&A for most users. The study groups are recorded. If you have a question about why a specific answer is correct, you're on your own unless you can find the answer in forums or pay for access to current group sessions.
The practical formula that works: Professor Messer CompTIA A+ videos as the content backbone, a dedicated practice exam bank for format familiarity, and some hands-on time with real or virtual hardware for PBQ readiness.
Top Courses
If you want to extend your skills beyond the A+ certification track, here are some well-rated courses worth considering:
Photoshop Professor Notes - Volumes 1–5
A structured walkthrough of core Photoshop workflows delivered in the same notes-based format that works well for self-paced learners. Rated 8.6 on Udemy, making it one of the higher-rated Adobe skill courses available.
Innovation That Works with Professor Jagdish Sheth
A Coursera course from a well-regarded marketing scholar covering innovation frameworks used in real business contexts. Worth considering if you're pairing technical certifications with business or management development.
Photoshop Professor Notes - Adobe Camera Raw and Bridge
Covers the Adobe Camera Raw workflow specifically, which is often skipped in broader Photoshop courses. Practical for anyone working with raw image files in a technical or creative role.
How to Write Emails and Engage Professors
A short Coursera course focused on professional academic communication. Useful for anyone navigating instructor-led programs or trying to build academic references alongside certification work.
Customer Centricity with Professor Jagdish Sheth
A business strategy course covering customer-focused decision-making frameworks. Relevant for IT professionals moving into customer-facing or consulting roles where technical skills need business context.
FAQ
Is Professor Messer's CompTIA A+ course actually free?
The video content is completely free on YouTube and ProfessorMesser.com. Paid materials — practice exams, study notes, and recorded study groups — are separate purchases. You can pass the exam using only the free videos if you supplement with other practice question sources, but Messer's own practice exams are well-regarded and inexpensive relative to retake costs.
Is Professor Messer enough to pass CompTIA A+ on its own?
For many candidates, yes — but only if you combine the videos with serious active recall and a full practice exam bank. Passively watching the videos without practice questions leaves most people underprepared for the PBQs and the exam's specific question format. The videos cover the content; they don't replicate exam conditions.
How long does it take to get through Professor Messer's A+ videos?
The Core 1 and Core 2 playlists combined run roughly 30–36 hours of video at normal speed. Most candidates spread this over 4–8 weeks depending on availability. Rushing through it to hit a deadline typically results in poor retention — budget time for the active recall and practice exam phases separately.
Does Professor Messer cover the current A+ exam version (220-1101/1102)?
Yes. Messer consistently updates his content when CompTIA releases new exam versions. His current series covers the 220-1101 and 220-1102 objectives. If CompTIA releases a new version, check ProfessorMesser.com directly to confirm which version the current playlist addresses before starting.
What's the difference between CompTIA A+ Core 1 and Core 2?
Core 1 (220-1101) focuses on hardware, networking, mobile devices, and virtualization. Core 2 (220-1102) focuses on operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. Both exams are required for the full A+ certification. You can take them in any order, but most candidates start with Core 1 since the hardware content is more approachable for beginners.
Are Professor Messer's practice exams worth buying?
For most candidates: yes. They're priced around $15–20 per exam set, which is low relative to the cost of a failed retake ($246 per exam). The question style is similar to actual CompTIA exams, and the explanations for wrong answers are detailed enough to use as study material on their own. If budget is a hard constraint, free practice questions exist on platforms like ExamCompass and Quizlet, though the quality is inconsistent.
Bottom Line
Professor Messer's CompTIA A+ series is the most efficient free content available for the 220-1101 and 220-1102 exams. The videos are well-produced, precisely mapped to exam objectives, and maintained across exam version updates. For most candidates, it's the right place to start and the right backbone for a full study plan.
Where people go wrong is treating the videos as the entire plan. If you watch passively without active recall, skip practice exams, and don't get any hands-on time with hardware or virtual machines, you will likely fail — not because Messer's content is insufficient, but because watching is not the same as knowing under exam conditions.
The most practical A+ study setup: free Professor Messer videos for content, Messer's paid practice exams or a comparable question bank for format prep, and a VM or spare machine for hands-on troubleshooting practice. That combination handles the content knowledge, the exam format, and the practical tasks that PBQs test. Budget somewhere between $30–60 total for practice materials and you have a complete preparation path for a $492 certification (both exams) that carries real weight in entry-level IT hiring.