Big Update to the CompTIA Network+ Exam 008 to 009

The new CompTIA Network+ exam version N10-009 is here! With it comes exciting changes, new course materials, and a brand new lab experience.

Every three years CompTIA updates their certifications to a new version to keep their exams relevant with modern technologies.  It can be difficult to understand exactly how these changes affect the exam.  So, we wrote this article to give you a clear understanding of what changed with the new version. 

Version N10-009 of the CompTIA Network+ certification was retired in June 2022.  The current version, CompTIA Network+ N10-008, was introduced in September 2021 and will retire on December 20^th 2024. The brand new CompTIA Network+ was launched on June 20th 2024 to keep up with the latest networking trends and hardware.

The CompTIA Network+ certification effectively prepares candidates for real-world networking scenarios.  It teaches the technical skills essential to secure, maintain, and troubleshoot the important networks that businesses depend on. Network+ is also vendor neutral, which means candidates will be ready to work with any networking technology once they pass their exam.

Exam Format of Network+ N10-009

The exam format has not changed from Network+ N10-008 to N10-009. The exam follows the same time limit with 90 minutes allocated for the exam.  A passing score of 720 out of 900 is required to pass the exam.  Exams will contain a maximum of 90 questions with a combination of multiple choice and performance based questions (PBQs).

The updated version, N10-009, teaches how to implement enterprise-level wired and wireless networking solutions, identify and troubleshoot network security issues, and protect the network against internal and external threats.

Exam Details of the CompTIA Network+ N10-009

Overview of the Changes in Network Plus Exam Domains N10-008 and N10-009

At first glance it doesn’t appear as if the exam has undergone very many changes from the 008 to the 009 version.

 We see that network troubleshooting has increased by two percentage points, network security has decreased from 19 to 14 percent, and there’s a slight change in network fundamentals, which is now networking concepts. We also see a slight change in implementation 19% to 20%.

 So really there’s not a whole lot of change at surface level if you look at just the percentages, but the content and the details of the changes are pretty significant. The Network Plus is always updating from version to version with the latest technology, the latest networking tools, and the latest hardware.

So, we see an increased emphasis on digital tools, tools that are used to assess the network health and network quality of virtual networks, more so than in the 008 version where it was focused on physical networks where you had physical devices, physical testing components. Now a lot of that shift is to digital components, digital tools, network monitoring tools. We also see some of the older protocols on the 008 version have been removed from the 009 version. So, the 009 version is focusing on IPv6 and protocols that are relevant to modern networking.

How Cyberkraft can Help You Earn Your CompTIA Network+ N10-009

Cyberkraft is a CompTIA Authorized Partner and provides Official CompTIA training for the Network+ certification.

Our Award Winning Network+ Bootcamp will teach you everything you need to ace your Network+ certification exam on your first attempt, guaranteed! This class includes:

• 40 Hours of Live Instruction with our CompTIA Trained and Certified Instructors
• Official CompTIA CertMaster Perform (Learn+Labs)
• Official CompTIA Interactive Hands-On Networking Labs
• Practice Quizzes and Five Full Simulation Exams
• Performance-Based Questions
• Exam Voucher
• First Time Pass Guarantee

Official CompTIA CertMaster Perform (Learn+Labs)

Self-Paced Training

Our CompTIA Network+ Self-Paced Course is ideal for students who want to work at their own pace or are comfortable studying without an instructor. This course includes:

• Official CompTIA CertMaster Perform (Learn+Labs)
• Official CompTIA Interactive Hands-On Networking Labs
• Practice Quizzes and Five Full Simulation Exams
• Performance-Based Questions

We also have Practice Tests and Discounted Exam Vouchers available.

If you have questions about the Network+ Exam or if you want to learn how to earn your Network+, sign up for a free 1 on 1 training session with our Head Instructor: Dennis Kraft

We hope this article was helpful! If there’s anything we can do to help you earn your CompTIA Network+ certification, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our elite team of CompTIA instructors and course experts today!