What Happens If I Fail the CompTIA Network+ Exam? Retake Guide 2026

Failing CompTIA Network+ means a 14-day wait and $369 retake fee. Network+ validates your understanding of networking concepts, infrastructure, operations, security, and troubleshooting. With a 720/900 passing score and complex performance-based questions involving subnetting and network configuration, many candidates need a second attempt. This guide provides your complete recovery roadmap.

Network+ is CompTIA's intermediate networking certification, positioned between A+ and Security+ in the CompTIA pathway. It's vendor-neutral, meaning it tests networking concepts that apply across Cisco, Juniper, and other platforms. This makes it broadly valuable but also means you need to understand networking at a conceptual level, not just memorize vendor-specific commands.

Network+ Retake Policy

CompTIA's standard retake policy applies to Network+: 14-day waiting period between attempts, $369 per attempt, and unlimited retakes. The exam contains up to 90 questions in 90 minutes. Unlike AWS or Google Cloud, CompTIA does not escalate waiting periods — every retake requires the same 14-day wait regardless of how many times you've failed.

The 720/900 passing score translates to approximately 80% correct answers. While this seems achievable on paper, the exam's depth in subnetting calculations, protocol analysis, and real-world troubleshooting scenarios makes it deceptively challenging. Performance-based questions can involve configuring network devices, analyzing Wireshark captures, or troubleshooting connectivity issues step by step — and they're worth more points than standard multiple-choice questions.

Check for bundle deals before purchasing a standalone retake voucher. CompTIA and authorized training providers offer packages that include course materials plus an exam voucher with retake, often at a lower total cost than buying everything separately. Academic and military discounts may also apply to retake vouchers.

Network+ Domain Breakdown for Retake Planning

Use your score report to identify weak domains. Here's what each domain covers:

• Networking Fundamentals (24%): OSI model layers and their functions, TCP/IP model, common protocols and their ports (HTTP/80, HTTPS/443, DNS/53, DHCP/67-68, SSH/22, SNMP/161-162, RDP/3389, FTP/20-21, SMTP/25, IMAP/143, POP3/110), IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, subnetting, CIDR notation, and network topologies (star, mesh, ring, bus, hybrid).
• Network Implementations (19%): Routing concepts (static routes, dynamic routing protocols — OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, RIP), switching concepts (VLANs, trunking, STP, port mirroring), wireless standards (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be), wireless configuration (SSID, channels, security protocols), and WAN technologies (MPLS, SD-WAN, broadband types).
• Network Operations (16%): Network documentation (diagrams, baseline configurations, policies), monitoring tools (SNMP, NetFlow, syslog), high availability concepts (load balancing, NIC teaming, failover clustering), and organizational processes (change management, incident response, disaster recovery).
• Network Security (19%): Security concepts (CIA triad, zero trust, defense in depth), common attacks (DoS/DDoS, MITM, social engineering, DNS poisoning, ARP spoofing), security devices (firewalls, IDS/IPS, proxy servers, UTM), wireless security (WPA2-Enterprise, WPA3, RADIUS, 802.1X), and access control (ACLs, MAC filtering, port security).
• Network Troubleshooting (22%): CompTIA troubleshooting methodology (identify, theory, test, plan, implement, verify, document), cable testing tools (cable tester, TDR, OTDR, tone generator), software troubleshooting tools (ping, traceroute, nslookup, dig, netstat, arp, ipconfig/ifconfig, tcpdump, Wireshark), and common network issues (duplicate IP, incorrect subnet, DNS failure, DHCP exhaustion).

Why Candidates Fail Network+

Subnetting weakness. Subnetting is the single most common reason candidates fail Network+. You need to quickly calculate subnet masks, network addresses, broadcast addresses, and valid host ranges for any given CIDR notation. If you cannot subnet confidently and quickly (under 30 seconds per question), you will struggle with both direct subnetting questions and scenario questions that assume subnetting knowledge.

Protocol confusion. Network+ tests dozens of protocols across the OSI model. Candidates often confuse similar protocols (TCP vs UDP use cases, IMAP vs POP3 differences, RADIUS vs TACACS+ differences, OSPF vs EIGRP vs BGP use cases) or fail to remember which port numbers map to which services. Creating a comprehensive port and protocol reference sheet and drilling it daily is essential for exam success.

Lack of hands-on experience. Candidates who study only from books and videos without building actual networks frequently fail. Network+ PBQs require you to demonstrate practical skills — configuring IP addresses, setting up VLANs, troubleshooting connectivity using command-line tools, and analyzing network traffic. If you have never configured a VLAN, set up a DHCP scope, or troubleshot a DNS resolution failure in a real environment, the performance-based questions will be extremely difficult.

Underestimating troubleshooting. At 22%, Network Troubleshooting is the second-largest domain. These questions present complex multi-layered scenarios requiring systematic analysis. You need to understand the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology and apply it methodically under time pressure. Many candidates jump to solutions without following the proper diagnostic process.

Wireless networking gaps. The exam tests wireless standards, security protocols, channel configuration, and troubleshooting in detail. Many candidates focus on wired networking and treat wireless as an afterthought. You need to know the differences between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, non-overlapping channels (1, 6, 11 for 2.4 GHz), wireless security evolution (WEP → WPA → WPA2 → WPA3), and enterprise wireless authentication with 802.1X and RADIUS.

14-Day Recovery Study Plan

1. Days 1-2: Score report analysis and subnetting boot camp. Review your score report to identify weak domains. Then spend intensive time on subnetting. Practice until you can subnet Class A, B, and C networks in under 30 seconds per question. Use the "magic number" method (256 minus the interesting octet value) for speed.
2. Days 3-4: Protocol and port memorization. Create flashcards for all Network+ protocols with their port numbers, OSI layer, transport protocol (TCP/UDP), and primary use case. Include common protocols: HTTP(80), HTTPS(443), DNS(53), DHCP(67/68), SSH(22), Telnet(23), FTP(20/21), SMTP(25), POP3(110), IMAP(143), SNMP(161/162), RDP(3389), LDAP(389), LDAPS(636), NTP(123), and SIP(5060/5061). Drill these daily.
3. Days 5-7: Hands-on lab time. Set up a home lab using Packet Tracer (free from Cisco), GNS3, or physical equipment. Practice configuring switches (VLANs, trunking, STP), routers (static routes, DHCP relay), wireless access points (SSID, security protocol, channel selection), and DHCP/DNS servers.
4. Days 8-9: Network security deep dive. Study firewall rules (implicit deny), ACLs (standard vs. extended), VPN types (site-to-site, remote access, SSL/TLS, IPsec), wireless security protocols (WPA2-Personal vs. Enterprise, WPA3, 802.1X with RADIUS), and common network attacks with their mitigations.
5. Days 10-11: Troubleshooting scenarios. Practice methodical troubleshooting using command-line tools: ping (connectivity), traceroute (path analysis), nslookup/dig (DNS resolution), netstat (active connections), arp (MAC address resolution), ipconfig/ifconfig (interface configuration), and Wireshark (packet analysis). Work through practice scenarios from weakest domain to strongest.
6. Days 12-13: Full practice exams. Take two complete practice exams under timed conditions (90 questions in 90 minutes). Review every wrong answer thoroughly. Understand why each incorrect option is wrong, not just what the correct answer is. Target 85%+ before scheduling your retake.
7. Day 14: Light review and exam. Quick review of port numbers, protocols, subnetting formulas, and the troubleshooting methodology. Rest well and take your retake with confidence.

Mastering Network+ Subnetting

Subnetting proficiency alone can make or break your Network+ attempt. You need to master CIDR notation (/24, /26, /28, etc.), calculate the number of hosts per subnet (2^host_bits - 2), determine network and broadcast addresses, and identify valid host ranges. Practice with both IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, as the exam tests both.

Use the "magic number" method for quick subnetting: subtract the interesting octet value from 256 to find your increment. For example, a /26 mask (255.255.255.192) has an increment of 64 (256-192). Subnets begin at .0, .64, .128, and .192 in the last octet. For a host IP of 192.168.1.100/26: the subnet is 192.168.1.64, broadcast is 192.168.1.127, and valid hosts are .65-.126. Practice this method until it becomes second nature.

Do not neglect supernetting (route aggregation/summarization) and VLSM (Variable Length Subnet Masking). These advanced subnetting concepts appear on the exam and are often tested in performance-based questions requiring you to design efficient IP addressing schemes for multi-site networks with different host count requirements per subnet.

For IPv6, you need to understand the 128-bit address format, link-local addresses (fe80::/10), global unicast addresses (2000::/3), multicast addresses (ff00::/8), and EUI-64 interface ID generation. IPv6 subnetting is simpler than IPv4 once you understand the format — the standard /64 prefix length means the first 64 bits are the network portion and the last 64 bits are the interface ID.

Essential Network+ Command-Line Tools

The exam expects proficiency with networking command-line tools across both Windows and Linux. Master these tools and understand when to use each one:

• ping: Basic connectivity testing. Use to verify if a host is reachable and measure round-trip time. Understand ping -t (continuous), ping -n (count), and interpreting results (TTL, packet loss, latency).
• traceroute/tracert: Path analysis showing every hop between source and destination. Use to identify where in the network path a connectivity problem occurs. Each hop's latency helps pinpoint bottlenecks.
• nslookup/dig: DNS troubleshooting. Use to verify that DNS names resolve correctly, check which DNS server is responding, query specific record types (A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, NS, PTR, TXT, SOA), and diagnose DNS propagation issues.
• netstat: Connection monitoring showing active TCP/UDP connections, listening ports, and routing tables. Use netstat -an to see all connections with numeric addresses, netstat -b (Windows) to see which process owns each connection.
• arp: MAC address resolution table showing IP-to-MAC mappings. Use arp -a to display the ARP cache, helpful for troubleshooting duplicate IP issues or ARP poisoning attacks.
• ipconfig/ifconfig: Interface configuration showing IP addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, and DNS servers. ipconfig /release and /renew for DHCP troubleshooting. ifconfig or ip addr on Linux.
• Wireshark: Packet analysis for detailed network traffic inspection. While you don't need to be an expert, understand how to filter captures by protocol (tcp, udp, http, dns), IP address (ip.addr ==), or port number (tcp.port ==), and how to identify common issues like TCP retransmissions, DNS failures, or ARP anomalies.

Wireless Networking Essentials

Wireless questions are a significant portion of the exam. Master these key concepts:

• Standards: 802.11a (5 GHz, 54 Mbps), 802.11b (2.4 GHz, 11 Mbps), 802.11g (2.4 GHz, 54 Mbps), 802.11n/Wi-Fi 4 (dual-band, 600 Mbps), 802.11ac/Wi-Fi 5 (5 GHz, 6.9 Gbps), 802.11ax/Wi-Fi 6 (dual-band, 9.6 Gbps), 802.11be/Wi-Fi 7 (tri-band, 46 Gbps).
• Channels: Non-overlapping channels for 2.4 GHz: 1, 6, 11. The 5 GHz band has many more non-overlapping channels. Proper channel assignment prevents co-channel interference.
• Security: WPA2-Personal (PSK), WPA2-Enterprise (802.1X with RADIUS), WPA3-Personal (SAE), WPA3-Enterprise (192-bit encryption). Understand the evolution from WEP (broken) through WPA3.
• Troubleshooting: Signal strength issues (move AP, add APs, check for interference), co-channel interference (change channels), roaming issues (ensure overlapping coverage, consistent SSID/security settings), and authentication failures (verify RADIUS configuration, check certificates).

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to wait to retake Network+?

14 calendar days after each failed attempt. No escalation — every retake has the same 14-day wait.

What does a Network+ retake cost?

$369 USD per attempt. Check for bundle deals with retake vouchers from CompTIA or authorized training providers.

What is the Network+ passing score?

720 out of 900, approximately 80% correct. Both multiple-choice and performance-based questions contribute to the score.

How many questions are on Network+?

Up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, including multiple-choice and performance-based questions (PBQs) that simulate real network configurations.

Is Network+ harder than A+?

Yes. Network+ goes significantly deeper into networking protocols, subnetting, network design, routing, switching, and troubleshooting than the networking content covered in A+. It requires more specialized knowledge and hands-on skills.

Should I get Network+ before Security+?

CompTIA recommends it. Network+ builds the networking foundation (protocols, ports, topologies, subnetting) that Security+ assumes you already know. Understanding network architecture makes security concepts like firewalls, ACLs, and VPNs much easier.

What labs should I practice for Network+?

Practice subnetting (under 30 seconds per problem), configuring VLANs and trunking, setting up wireless networks with proper security, troubleshooting connectivity with command-line tools, and using Wireshark for basic packet analysis.