Certifications & Exams > CompTIA Certifications > Certification Renewal Policy

CompTIA Certification Renewal Policy

As of January 1, 2011, CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ certifications are valid for three years from the date the candidate becomes certified. A “valid through” date will appear on all certificates and certificate holder CompTIA ID cards. You can read CompTIA President and CEO Todd Thibodeaux's message on the certification renewal policy here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this change affect individuals who were certified prior to 2011?

No, those individuals certified on or before December 31, 2010 in CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ will retain their "certified for life" status. No valid through date will appear on certificates and certificate holder CompTIA ID cards.

My certificate has a CE notation. Why is that?

To comply with the new certification renewal policy beginning January 1, 2011, CompTIA will launch new American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited versions of our CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, and CompTIA Security+ certification programs. The new programs will have a notation on the certificates: CompTIA A+ _CE, CompTIA Network+ _CE and CompTIA Security+ _CE. The content of the respective certification exam(s) will not change, nor will the associated objectives, but the name change will denote the new continuing education requirement associated with these programs. This new CE designation signifies these certifications will expire three years from the date certified.

CompTIA has always said its certifications are good for life. Why have you changed your policy?

The certifications affected by this change – CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ - are accredited by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), an international body which approves the procedures used by personnel certification bodies. ISO requires that individuals have a way to renew the currency of their certification on a regular basis. In CompTIA's case, that renewal will occur every three years.

This change in policy is in line with the practice of other major providers of certifications for IT professionals, such as Cisco, Microsoft and Oracle. In today's IT environment it’s important for IT professionals to demonstrate that their knowledge and skills are current. CompTIA's new renewal program is a way to assist those individuals who would like to take advantage of it. Our certification renewal program includes a continuing education component that gives eligible certification holders a range of ways to keep their CompTIA certifications current without necessarily having to take a new exam.

Isn’t this just another way for CompTIA to make more money?

As a not-for-profit association for the IT industry, CompTIA reinvests the money it earns into new programs that serve the industry and the people who work in IT. This is certainly true for our certification programs. The process of developing and delivering high-stakes certification exams carries with it significant costs in time and resources. Likewise, the development and ongoing management of our new continuing education program has costs associated with it. The dollars paid for our certification exams are rolled back into the industry in the form of new and updated certification offerings and continuing education options for the IT workforce.

Who is affected by the certification renewal policy?

The new certification renewal policy is applicable to all individuals who earn CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and/or CompTIA Security+ certifications on or after January 1, 2011. Other CompTIA certifications are not affected by the new policy at this time.

Can I keep my certification current without taking a new exam?

Yes. Our certification renewal policy includes a continuing education component that allows eligible individuals to renew their certifications by earning continuing education units.

Who is eligible to participate in the continuing education (CE) program?

The program is available to those individuals who are certified in any version of CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, or CompTIA Security+.

What are the guidelines for continuing education (CE) program participation?

If you are CE certified on or after 1/1/11 you are not “certified for life” and will have a certificate expiration date of three years from the date certified.
If you are CE certified on or after 1/1/11 you will automatically be enrolled into the CE program and you will have three years from the date certified to successfully complete your CE units.
Candidates who participate in the CE program and comply with its policies will also be certified under the new ISO accredited certifications upon completing their CE program requirements.
A candidate may also attain this certification by successfully completing the new exam(s).
Upon completion of the CE program, the candidate's certification expiration date will be increased by three years. CE activities may only be submitted for units when they occur or are completed within the program's 3-year window. Consequently, a candidate may only submit CE units and be recertified once in any three year period.
A candidate's certification will expire if they do not complete or comply with the CE program requirements and policies.
Candidates who allow their certification to expire must retake and pass the current exam(s) in order to opt back into the CE program.

Do I have to participate in the continuing education program if I’m considered “certified for life”?

No you do not have to participate in CE. You hold a valid certification that will not expire. However, please check with your employer as some employers will require recertification.

If I’m “certified for life,” why would I want to participate in continuing education?

In today's IT environment it's important for IT professionals to demonstrate to employers that their knowledge and skills are current. The continuing education program provides individuals a variety of relevant methods of exhibiting that knowledge and skill without requiring retesting.

If I’m considered “certified for life” and want to participate in continuing education (CE) what do I need to know?

For those certified on or before December 31, 2010 individuals must enroll in the continuing education (CE) program on or before December 31, 2012.
You have three years from the date of enrollment in the CE program to complete the appropriate level of continuing education units to receive a new CE designation. For example, if you were previously CompTIA A+ certified, you will retain that certification for life upon completion of the A+ CE program, and you will also receive a CompTIA A+_CE certification.
By enrolling and completing your CE program you will obtain this new CE certification. You will be held to the policies related to certification renewal and the CE program. Therefore, this new CE certification would expire three years from the date of achieving it through the CE program.
If you do not enroll in continuing education on or before December 31, 2012, or do not comply with CE program policies, or do not complete your CE units within the three year period, you will be required to retake and pass the current exam(s) in order to be certified and opt back into the CE program. Note: If applicable, you will retain any previous “certified for life” status.
Qualified CE activities can be submitted for units if they occurred or were completed within 90 days prior to enrollment into CE.

What types of activities are eligible for continuing education units?

Among activities that will qualify for continuing education units are passing the most current exam for their CompTIA certification; teaching, lecturing or presenting on relevant industry topics; participating in non-degree courses or computer-based training; attending relevant industry conferences and events; participating in a CompTIA exam development workshop; publishing articles, whitepapers, blogs or books on relevant topics; obtaining other industry certifications; or completing industry-related college courses from degree-granting institutions.

How many continuing education units are required to renew my certification?

For a candidate to renew CompTIA A+ requires 20 CEUs; to renew CompTIA Network+, 30 CEUs; and to renew CompTIA Security+, 50 CEUs.

The following chart details the requirements for continuing units:

Activity	Credits	Required Submission
Teaching, lecturing or presenting industry content relevant to the highest level CompTIA certification achieved	Each hour of material creation: 2 CEUs Each hour of delivery: 1 CEU	Proof of session participation, completion of session detail form (topic, date, time venue, attendee details)
Participating in non-degree courses or computer-based training using CAQC-approved materials	1 CEU per hour of validated training	Proof of completion of class or Web-based session, including proof of vendor, training description, number of hours completed and assessment score achieved
Attendance at relevant industry event, seminar or conference	1 CEU per hour spent in relevant sessions	Proof of attendance, with brief submission of of sessions attended and summary of primary information gained (100 word minimum per session)
Participation in relevant CompTIA exam development workshop	10 CEUs per workshop completion	Form submitted from development session coordinator confirming full completion To submit your resume for a workshop, click here.
Publishing a relevant industry article, white paper, blog or book	Article or white paper: 4 CEUs Blog: 1 CEU Book: 20 CEUs	Reference to published work; work must be credited to candidate. Articles and white papers, minimum 4 pages; blog on technical site, minimum 1,000 words; book, minimum 150 pages
Obtaining an industry certification relevant to the highest level CompTIA certification achieved	15/20/40 CEUs for CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+, respectively	Proof of certification from certification body
Completing industry-related college courses from degree-granting institution	10 CEUs per completion of 3-4 credit hours	Transcript, including class taken, timeframe grade and number of credits

*Activities and continuing education requirements are subject to change.

How can I submit my units and keep track of them?

The program will be a Web-based system linked to the existing database that CompTIA certification holders use. Program participants will submit their continuing education units and track their status online as they work toward their target.

Is there a cost associated with the certification renewal program?

Yes. Participants will pay annual maintenance fees that will be used to offset the costs associated to the administration and hosting of the continuing education program and system. There will be an annual fee of $25 if they are CompTIA A+ certified, or $49 if they are CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certified. On or before the CE program expiration date, their full CE program fees must be paid in full, along with completing their required continuing education units (CEUs).

Individuals will be responsible for paying the minimum of $25 or $49 on an annual basis or will have the option of paying in full at one time for the full program duration.

	Total fee for 3-year program	Continuing Education Units required
CompTIA A+	$75	20
CompTIA Network+	$147	30
CompTIA Security+	$147	50

I hold multiple CompTIA certifications. Am I required to renew each of them?

No. Individuals with multiple CompTIA certifications will be prompted to renew at their highest level of certification held. For example, someone who holds CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ certifications would be required to meet only the continuing education requirements for CompTIA Security+. Completion of CE for CompTIA Security+ would grant the participant with a CompTIA Security+_CE, and simultaneously grant a new CompTIA A+_CE and CompTIA Network+_CE.

If I hold multiple CompTIA certifications can I choose which one I want to get recertified in through CE?

Yes. The system will allow the participant to select which of the exams they would like to enroll into for earning a recertification through CE. If they have two certifications and they choose to enroll in the highest level of certification, their lower-level certification will be tied to the program and upon completion of the CE program they would be granted both new CE certifications. CompTIA Security+ is considered the highest-level certification of the three, followed by CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA A+, respectively.

So for example, a person holding both CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ certifications could fulfill CE requirements for both by completing the CompTIA Network+ CE program, but not by completing the CompTIA A+ CE program.

When will the continuing education part of the program launch?

We expect the continuing education program to launch in late 2010. For the latest CE program information, bookmark this page for updates.

Will CompTIA allow any special considerations or exemptions from the certification renewal program?

An underlying premise of the program is for candidates to demonstrate current and relevant skills. The integrity of the program would be compromised if exceptions were made.

Does the certification renewal program only apply to individuals who reside in the United States?

The program is worldwide in scope.

If the CompTIA A+ certification is considered a foundational level certification, why do I need to renew this certification?

As technology continues to evolve, it is important that a candidate's skills are both current and relevant even at the foundational level. Our certification programs are updated with new content that is developed in conjunction with subject matter experts from across the industry.

What if I have a question that is not addressed here?

Please submit a ticket to http://support.comptia.org with your question and we will respond to you as soon as possible.