If you are a business professional in charge of small or medium projects, an excellent option to advance your career is the CompTIA Project+ certification. Such an accomplishment on your resume indicates to potential employers that you have the necessary ability and knowledge to manage a project in its entirety, including resource management, communication, and documentation. Additionally, it shows you are qualified to assist and support larger projects. In order to take the exam, you must have accumulated at least one year of experience in project management. This article will delineate what you need to study to be successful in earning the Project+ certification.

CompTIA Project+ Exam Overview

The CompTIA Project+ exam is a multiple-choice and performance-based test with a 90-question maximum. You’ll have 90 minutes to complete the test. Here’s the topic breakdown:

  1. Project Management Concepts: 33%
  2. Project Life Cycle Phases: 30%
  3. Tools and Documentation: 19%
  4. Basics of IT and Governance: 18%

1.0 Project Management Concepts

This domain focuses on foundational project management knowledge and methodologies.

Study how to:

  • Define core project characteristics

  • Compare traditional (waterfall) and agile approaches

  • Apply change control processes

  • Manage risks and issues

  • Oversee schedules, communication, quality, and performance

  • Coordinate resources, teams, and vendors

You should understand not just terminology, but how these concepts apply in real-world project scenarios.

2.0 Project Life Cycle Phases

This domain covers the progression of a project from beginning to end.

Be prepared to understand:

  • Project initiation and stakeholder identification

  • Planning scope, schedule, resources, and risks

  • Executing tasks and managing deliverables

  • Monitoring budgets and resolving conflicts

  • Closing projects and archiving documentation

Knowing what happens in each phase — and why — is critical for scenario-based questions.

3.0 Tools and Documentation

Project+ tests your familiarity with common project tools and documentation.

Focus on:

  • Planning and tracking tools (e.g., Gantt charts, PERT charts, burndown charts)

  • Maintaining logs and registers (risks, issues, changes)

  • Using dashboards and collaboration tools

  • Understanding key project documents such as charters and schedules

  • Interpreting quality and performance reports

You should be able to recognize when and why a specific tool or document would be used.

4.0 Basics of IT and Governance

Because many projects operate in technical environments, this domain introduces IT and governance fundamentals.

Study:

  • Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations

  • Basic IT concepts (infrastructure, cloud, software environments)

  • Security, compliance, and privacy impacts

  • IT change control practices

  • How governance policies influence project work

This section ensures project managers understand the broader organizational and technical context of their projects.

In addition to these topics of study, be sure to review the acronyms that you will encounter on the CompTIA Project+ exam. You can find the list on the CompTIA Project+ Certification Exam Objectives. Utilize this list and this article as a study guide to ensure you are well-prepared to advance your career with a CompTIA Project+ certification.