CompTIA A+ performance-based questions (PBQs)

Try an A+ PBQ

Two tasks from the free Domain 1, one from each core: a Core 1 symptom sort and a Core 2 command match. Place each item, then check your answer to see which you got right and why.

The five kinds of PBQ in the course

CompTIA doesn't publish a list of PBQ formats. The 189 in APlus Mastery come in five, and every example below is from the free Domain 1.

• MatchPair each item with what it does or what it is. Core 1 has you match USB-C, Lightning, NFC, Bluetooth and a hotspot to their descriptions, and Core 2 does the same with Windows commands like whoami and winver.
• CategorizeSort items into groups. One Core 1 task sorts statements under corporate-owned or BYOD, and a Core 2 task splits commands into the ones that only report and the ones that change something.
• OrderPut the steps of a procedure in sequence, such as replacing a sealed laptop battery or doing a clean install from USB media.
• ConfigurePick the right option from a list for each requirement, like the accessory each mobile user needs or the Settings category for each request.
• HotspotSelect everything on the screen that fits, such as each Windows edition that can join an Active Directory domain, or read ipconfig /all output to tell whether an address came from DHCP.

How to handle PBQs on exam day

• Read every requirement first. A PBQ usually has several parts to get right. Read all of them before you move anything, so you answer the task that's actually on the screen.
• Skip a long one and come back. CompTIA lets you skip a simulation PBQ and return to it later. If one is eating minutes, answer the multiple-choice questions and come back with the time that's left.
• Check the time before you start one. CompTIA's A+ exam guide says you won't see a clock while you work on a PBQ. Note the time first, so one task can't take ten minutes without you noticing.
• Never leave one blank. Partial credit may be given, and CompTIA doesn't say on which questions. A half-finished task may still earn points. An empty one won't.
• Use Reset on purpose. It clears everything you've done on that question. Your other answers stay as they are.

Questions about A+ PBQs

• What is a performance-based question on the A+ exam?

  A PBQ is a task to complete rather than an answer to choose. CompTIA uses the term simulations for the A+ ones; these are like stand-ins for tools or screens where you perform the task described in the question. Both A+ exams mix them in with multiple-choice questions.
• How many PBQs are on each A+ exam?

  There's no published number. Each exam has up to 90 questions in total, and CompTIA states that most PBQs appear at the beginning. The free practice exam starts with four of them.
• Do A+ PBQs give partial credit?

  Some can. CompTIA says partial credit might be given for simulation PBQs (the kind A+ uses), but it keeps the scoring of each question secret. Since there's no way to know which ones offer partial credit, try to complete as much as possible of every PBQ.
• Can I skip a PBQ and come back to it?

  Yes. CompTIA allows you to skip a simulation PBQ and return to it later, so a longer one doesn't have to eat up your time at the start. Its Reset button clears your work on that one question and nothing else.
• Where can I practice A+ PBQs for free?

  Start with the two on this page. After that, the free Domain 1 in APlus Mastery has 9 PBQs in Mobile Devices on Core 1 and 33 in Operating Systems on Core 2, each with the lesson that teaches it. Each core's practice exam is free too, and it opens with four.