CompTIA Tech+ Independent Study

CompTIA Tech+ is an important certification for anyone interested in a career in technology. It gives you the basic knowledge and hands-on skills you need to work with today’s digital tools. With this certification, you’ll gain the confidence to start a tech career. CompTIA Tech+ focuses on practical, real-world skills that help you understand key tech ideas, solve common problems, and build a strong foundation for learning more and growing in the tech industry.

Tech Concepts and Terminology (13%)

• Computing basics: How input, processing, output, and storage work.
• Number systems: Binary, decimal, hexadecimal, and octal.
• Units of measure: Storage (bit, byte, KB, GB, TB), speed (MHz, GHz), and network throughput (bps, Mbps, Gbps).
• Troubleshooting: How to identify problems, test solutions, fix issues, and document what you did.

Infrastructure (24%)

• Devices: Smartphones, tablets, laptops, servers, IoT devices, and gaming consoles.
• Internal parts: Motherboard, CPU, RAM, storage (HDD, SSD, NVMe), NIC, and GPU.
• Storage types: Volatile vs. non-volatile, local, network, and cloud storage.
• Peripherals: Setting up printers, scanners, monitors, and installing drivers.
• Connections: USB, HDMI, Ethernet, Bluetooth, NFC.
• Virtualization & cloud: Hypervisors, SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, hybrid and on-site setups.
• Networking basics: LAN vs. WAN, IP and MAC addresses, routers, switches, firewalls.
• Wireless: Wi-Fi standards, speeds, and interference.

Applications and Software (18%)

• Operating systems: Mobile, desktop, server, and embedded systems.
• OS parts: File systems (NTFS, FAT32), interfaces (GUI, command line), utilities, and drivers.
• Software types: Productivity, collaboration tools, web browsers, remote support apps.
• Web browsers: Private browsing, add-ons, password managers, clearing cache.
• Artificial intelligence: Chatbots, virtual assistants, and AI that helps create content or make predictions.

Software Development Concepts (13%)

• Programming languages: Interpreted, compiled, scripting, markup, and assembly languages.
• Data types: Characters, strings, numbers (integers, floats), Boolean.
• Programming ideas: Variables, constants, arrays, functions, objects.
• Organization techniques: Pseudocode, flowcharts, object-oriented methods, branching, looping.

Data and Database Fundamentals (13%)

• Why data matters: Decisions, reports, and making money from data.
• Databases: Relational vs. non-relational, tables, rows, fields, primary and foreign keys.
• Using databases: Queries, reports, cloud vs. local storage, scaling.
• Backups: File and system backups, local vs. cloud storage.

Security (19%)

• Security basics: Confidentiality, integrity, availability, authentication, and authorization.
• Device protection: Anti-malware, firewalls, updates, physical security, safe browsing.
• Passwords: Length, complexity, privacy, not reusing, password managers.
• Encryption: Protecting data at rest and in transit, HTTPS, VPNs, and mobile device security.

Recommended Student Knowledge Level Prior to taking the CompTIA Tech+ course:

• Create, manage, and organize files and folders in Windows
• Use web browsers to search for information and navigate websites
• Use email and basic productivity tools like Word and PowerPoint
• Join and participate in video meetings using tools like Zoom or Teams
• Follow basic online safety practices

Other Recommended Prior Learning:

• High school–level math skills, including basic arithmetic and logic
• High school–level reading and comprehension skills
• General curiosity about technology and how computers work
• Regular experience using personal computers or mobile devices

Recommended Prerequisite CompTIA Certifications (or Analogous Learning):

• No prior certifications are required
• This certification is designed for complete beginners
• It is an ideal first step for students with no background in technology

Pre- Assessment

If you want to assess your basic digital literacy knowledge to see if you're ready to take the CompTIA Tech+, please take the assessments here. Only complete Basic Computer Skills, Internet Basics, and Windows 11. If you do not pass, it would be a good idea to start with our essential courses.

Course is offered as a MTFS scheduled virtual instructor led, virtual independent study or virtual independent study on demand (includes a CompTIA instructor). 

For our independent study and on-demand CompTIA courses, there is no set start date. These courses are offered all year long. Students can begin as soon as their enrollment is complete.

When we post these courses on CareerForce, we are required to enter a start date. This date is only for the posting and does not mean the class starts on that day.

Course must be completed within three months of receiving materials and the exam is to be completed a month after completing the course. If an exam retake is needed, it must be taken within two months of the previous exam. Both the course materials and exam vouchers have expiration dates with no extensions.

Certification renewal - no certification renewal for CompTIA Tech+.

Must have basic digital literacy knowledge before taking this course.

Course Level: Beginner

After you complete our course and pass the exam, we offer career exploration and job support through our MTFS Gather Program.