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V5

ITF+

CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) is a pre-career certification designed to help you explore a tech career by providing foundational knowledge and practical skills. It focuses on essential tech concepts and basic troubleshooting and builds a solid foundation for future learning and growth in the tech industry. If you want to take the newest version of this certification, check out CompTIA Tech+, as ITF+ will retire on July 31, 2025.

Plus ITF+ Certification

ITF+ (V5) exam objectives

IT concepts and terminology (17%)

  • Notational systems: binary, hexadecimal, decimal, ASCII, Unicode.
  • Data types: char, numbers (integers, floats), Boolean, strings.
  • Computing basics: input, output, processing, storage.
  • Value of data: intellectual property, data-driven decisions, security importance.
  • Units of measure: storage (bit, byte, KB, GB, TB), processing speed (MHz, GHz), throughput (bps, Mbps, Gbps).
  • Troubleshooting methodology: identify problems, test theories, implement solutions and document findings.

Infrastructure (22%)

  • Device interfaces: USB, HDMI, Ethernet, Bluetooth, NFC.
  • Peripheral setup: printers, scanners, external drives, plug-and-play vs. driver installation.
  • Internal components: motherboard, CPU, RAM, storage (HDD, SSD), NIC, cooling systems.
  • Internet services: fiber optic, cable, DSL, wireless (cellular, satellite).
  • Storage types: volatile vs. non-volatile, local (RAM, hard drives), network (NAS, file servers), cloud storage.
  • Networking basics: LAN vs. WAN, IP/MAC addresses, routers, switches, firewalls.
  • Wireless network setup: 802.11 standards, encryption (WPA, WPA2), best practices (SSID changes, password updates).

Applications and software (18%)

  • Operating systems: server OS, mobile OS, embedded OS, hypervisors.
  • OS components: file systems (NTFS, FAT32), drivers, utilities, interfaces (GUI, command line).
  • Software types: productivity (word processing, spreadsheets), collaboration (email, conferencing), business-specific (accounting, project management).
  • Application delivery: locally installed, cloud-hosted, network-hosted.
  • Web browsers: cache management, private browsing, add-ons, certificates.
  • Application concepts: licensing (single use, site license), installation best practices, open source vs. proprietary.

Software development (12%)

  • Programming languages: interpreted, compiled, scripting, markup, assembly.
  • Organizational techniques: pseudocode, flowcharts, sequence, branching, looping.
  • Programming concepts: variables, constants, functions, objects, arrays, methods.

Database fundamentals (11%)

  • Database concepts: tables, records, fields, primary keys.
  • Data structures: flat files, relational databases.
  • Database use: queries, reports, data normalization.

Security (20%)

  • Security basics: confidentiality, integrity, availability.
  • Threats: malware, phishing, social engineering.
  • Prevention: firewalls, antivirus, encryption, multi-factor authentication.
  • Secure devices: password policies, software updates, physical security.
  • Wireless security: encryption standards, secure configurations.

Exam details

  • Exam version: V5

  • Exam series code: FC0-U61

  • Launch date: September 4, 2018

  • Number of questions: maximum of 75 questions

  • Types of questions: multiple-choice

  • Duration: 60 minutes

  • Passing score: 650 (on a scale of 900)

  • Languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese

  • Recommended experience: no prior experience is necessary

  • Retirement: July 31, 2025, for English, Vietnamese, and Chinese; November 24, 2025, for Japanese

Skills learned

  • Understand notational systems, computing basics, the value of data, and troubleshooting fundamentals to grasp tech concepts and terminology.

  • Set up and install common peripheral devices and secure basic wireless networks for infrastructure management.

  • Explore application software, operating system components, and application architecture methods to enhance knowledge of applications and software.

  • Apply programming language categories, logic, and foundational programming concepts in software development.

  • Analyze database concepts, structures, purposes, and interfacing methods to understand database fundamentals.

  • Implement best practices for device security, addressing concerns about confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

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