Today, for no reason other than the simple desire to do it, I took the CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) certification exam. In my version of the test, I had sixty minutes to answer sixty-five questions, and while I passed, the score wasn’t anything to brag about. Passing requires a score of 650, and the highest possible score is 900; yet, I landed at 727, which is closer to the bottom than I had hoped. Even though I’ve spent more than twenty years working professionally in the Information Technology field, I still prepared for this one. I watched a full Learning Path on LinkedIn Learning, completed all the practice questions, and didn’t struggle with any of the concepts. At some point in my career, I’ve passed nearly all of CompTIA’s exams, including several that are no longer offered. I’ve even worked as a contractor for CompTIA, writing A+ exam questions. I understand their process in a way most people never will, and because of that, I genuinely thought I’d walk out with a stronger result than I did.
The real issue, at least for me, is that the ITF+ exam feels far too vague. Several questions on my exam had wording that could easily be interpreted in more than one way, allowing for multiple answers. With certification exams, such ambiguity is a problem. When the context is unclear, it’s easy to rationalize an answer the author didn’t intend to be correct, which creates a frustrating experience for anyone taking the test. Considering how CompTIA builds its exam items, I was genuinely surprised at how many questions felt incomplete or imprecise. I realize I’m not the target audience for the ITF+, and I also recognize that having more knowledge than the average entry-level candidate may actually complicate my ability to answer questions designed for beginners. Even with that in mind, I still believe the exam is too difficult or too underdeveloped for someone with little or no IT experience to navigate successfully. If this is a person’s introduction to the world of Information Technology, I doubt many would walk away feeling hopeful about their chances of building a career in the field.
CompTIA, if you’re reading this, the exam needs another item-writing workshop. The exam objectives themselves are solid, and they create a strong foundation for what the certification should be. The questions, though, feel stale, thin, and lacking the context that learners genuinely need. Including more real-world scenarios would enhance the test and give students confidence that they’re being evaluated on their practical understanding rather than memorization of isolated definitions. With the right improvements, the ITF+ could serve as the accessible and encouraging entry point it was meant to be.