TL;DR: CompTIA launched the current Data+ exam, DA0-002 (V2), on October 14, 2025. The earlier DA0-001 (V1) retired in English on April 14, 2026, with no exceptions for first attempts or resits, according to a training provider quoting CompTIA, which was 190 days ago today. If you are searching “DA0-001 vs DA0-002”, the practical answer is that DA0-002 is the only English exam you can sit. CompTIA’s page lists a maximum of 90 questions (multiple-choice and performance-based), 90 minutes, a 675 passing score on a 100 to 900 scale and no formal prerequisites. Domain weights are 20% data concepts and environments, 22% acquisition and preparation, 24% analysis, 20% visualization and reporting, and 14% governance. The biggest shift is that data mining became a “data acquisition and preparation” domain, and AI concepts now appear in the first domain. CompTIA’s page gives no price. A reseller lists EUR 250 plus VAT. Anything you read that still describes DA0-001 as the live exam is out of date.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
| Current exam | CompTIA Data+ DA0-002 (V2) |
| V2 launch | October 14, 2025 (CompTIA’s page), 372 days ago |
| DA0-001 (V1) status | Retired in English April 14, 2026, reported (190 days ago) |
| DA0-001 in Japanese and Thai | Available until July 16, 2026, reported by one study guide |
| Questions | Maximum of 90, multiple-choice and performance-based |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 675 on a scale of 100 to 900 |
| Languages | English and Japanese |
| Prerequisites | None formal. Recommended: 18 to 24 months in a data analyst or similar role |
| Domains | 20% / 22% / 24% / 20% / 14% (five domains) |
| Price | Not stated by CompTIA. A reseller lists EUR 250 excluding VAT |
| Accreditation | ISO accredited by ANAB; mapped to the NICE Framework Data Analyst work role |
| Estimated V2 retirement | “Usually three years after launch (estimated 2028)” |
| Salary figures | Omitted: no source isolates Data+ holders from the wider analyst workforce |
Timeline: From V1 to V2
| Date | Event | Source type |
| October 14, 2025 | DA0-002 (V2) launches, with learning content the same day | CompTIA’s page; a CompTIA Instructors Network administrator also gave this date beforehand |
| Q2 2026 | V1 expected to retire | CompTIA Instructors Network forum administrator (not an official announcement) |
| April 8, 2026 | A candidate reports passing DA0-002 | CompTIA Instructors Network thread (anecdotal) |
| April 14, 2026 | DA0-001 retires in English; “no exceptions” after this date | Training provider quoting CompTIA; repeated by two study guides |
| July 16, 2026 | DA0-001 availability ends in Japanese and Thai | One study guide, unverified |
| Today (October 21, 2026) | 372 days since V2 launched; 190 days since V1 retired in English | Our count |
| About 2028 | Estimated V2 retirement | CompTIA’s page |
One wrinkle in the sources. A training provider’s notice says CompTIA is “updating Data+ in April 2026,” which reads as if the new version arrives then. CompTIA’s own page shows the V2 launch as October 14, 2025, and a forum administrator gave the same date. The April 2026 date is best read as the V1 retirement. If you see “new Data+ in April 2026,” that wording is stale.
DA0-001 vs DA0-002 Side by Side
CompTIA’s current page describes only V2 and does not mention V1. The V1 figures below come from a third-party study guide and a prep site, so treat them as reported.
| Domain | DA0-001 (V1, reported) | DA0-002 (V2, CompTIA) | Change |
| Data concepts and environments | 15% | 20% | +5 |
| Data mining / data acquisition and preparation | 25% (Data Mining) | 22% (Data Acquisition and Preparation) | -3, and reshaped |
| Data analysis | 23% | 24% | +1 |
| Visualization / visualization and reporting | 23% | 20% | -3 |
| Governance | 14% (Data Governance, Quality and Controls) | 14% (Data Governance) | 0 |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
Both columns add to 100, which we checked. The format reportedly stayed the same: a maximum of 90 questions, 90 minutes, multiple-choice plus performance-based items and a 675 passing score on the same scale.
What the weights suggest:
- More weight on foundations. Data concepts and environments grew by five points and now includes AI concepts.
- Mining became acquisition and preparation. The domain moved from “mining” to gathering, exploring and transforming data, which is what most analysts spend their time doing.
- Reporting joined visualization. The domain now covers delivering dashboards and validating reporting accuracy, not only creating charts.
- Governance is unchanged at 14%.
One training provider says about 85% of the content is unchanged and the format is the same. That is a vendor estimate with no breakdown behind it. A prep site describes the change as a reorganization with more emphasis on modern data environments, preparing data, selecting methods, communicating results and managing data responsibly, and says that is its own characterization, not CompTIA’s wording.
What Each DA0-002 Domain Tests
These topics come from CompTIA’s own objectives summary.
1. Data concepts and environments (20%)
- Explain data concepts: database types, data structures, file extensions and data types
- Identify data sources: databases, APIs, website data, files, logs and repositories
- Recognize infrastructure concepts: cloud, on-premises, storage and containerization
- Identify data tools: coding environments, BI software and analysis platforms
- Understand AI concepts: AI models, natural language processing and robotic automation
2. Data acquisition and preparation (22%)
- Use data acquisition methods: data integration and queries to gather and combine data
- Perform data exploration: find missing values, duplication, redundancy or outliers
- Apply data transformation: cleansing, merging, parsing and formatting data
3. Data analysis (24%)
- Communicate analysis results by selecting methods for different audiences
- Select statistical methods and apply basic statistical techniques
- Troubleshoot analysis issues with tools and resources
4. Visualization and reporting (20%)
- Create effective visuals with charts, maps, tables and design elements
- Deliver reports as dashboards or summaries using appropriate methods
- Validate reporting accuracy through validation and review
5. Data governance (14%)
- Explain data management practices: documentation, versioning and data lineage
- Summarize compliance requirements: retention, audits and regulations
- Compare privacy and protection strategies: access control, encryption and masking
- Implement quality assurance: profiling, monitoring and testing for data quality
CompTIA’s page gives only this summary. We could not find a link to the full objectives document on it, and the document is where the detailed acronym list and the tools you must recognize would be. Download it from CompTIA before you finalize a study plan.
If You Held or Studied DA0-001
| You are | What it means | What to do |
| Studied DA0-001 but have not tested | You cannot sit DA0-001 in English any more | Switch to DA0-002 and map your notes to the five V2 domains |
| Booked DA0-001 with a voucher | The English exam retired April 14, 2026, so the booking is no longer valid | Contact CompTIA or your voucher provider about your options |
| Passed DA0-001 earlier | We found no CompTIA statement on V1 holders in the pages we could read | Check your certification’s expiry in your CompTIA account |
| Studying in Japanese | One guide says DA0-001 stayed available in Japanese and Thai until July 16, 2026, which has passed | Use DA0-002, which is offered in English and Japanese |
| Starting now | You only need DA0-002 materials | Check that any practice set says DA0-002 |
On older study material: a prep guide that is still titled for DA0-001 says in its own text that English DA0-001 has retired and tells English candidates to prepare for DA0-002. If a practice set mentions Data Mining as a 25% domain, it is V1.
Exam Format and Cost
| Item | Detail | Source |
| Questions | Maximum of 90 | CompTIA |
| Question types | Multiple-choice and performance-based | CompTIA |
| Duration | 90 minutes | CompTIA |
| Passing score | 675 on 100 to 900 | CompTIA |
| Languages | English and Japanese | CompTIA |
| Price | Not on CompTIA’s page. Reseller listing: EUR 250 excluding VAT | Global Knowledge (reseller) |
| Retake | A bundle labeled “Retake Assurance” exists. Policy details not stated | CompTIA’s page |
| Delivery | Not stated on the page we read | Not stated |
| Renewal | Not on the V2 page. A V1 study guide says every three years through continuing education | Reported |
| Recommended experience | 18 to 24 months, plus exposure to databases, analytical tools, basic statistics and data visualization | CompTIA |
Note that the reseller price is not CompTIA’s. Check CompTIA’s store for your region before you plan a budget.
Where Guides Disagree
| Question | Version A | Version B | Our read |
| When was V2 launched? | Provider notice: CompTIA “updating Data+ in April 2026” | CompTIA’s page: October 14, 2025 | October 14, 2025. April 2026 is the V1 retirement |
| When did V1 retire? | Q2 2026 (forum administrator) | April 14, 2026 (provider, two guides) | April 14, 2026 in English, reported |
| Content overlap | “About 85% unchanged” (one provider) | “Reorganized” with different domain names (a prep site) | Unquantified. Use domain weights instead |
| V1 domain weights | 15 / 25 / 23 / 23 / 14 (one guide, unsourced) | Not on CompTIA’s V2 page | Reported only |
| Price | EUR 250 plus VAT (reseller) | Not on CompTIA’s page | Check the store |
| Difficulty | One candidate: V2 “much easier” than V1 | No data from others | Anecdote |
| Retirement of V2 | “Usually three years after launch (estimated 2028)” | No fixed date | An estimate, not a promise |
One Candidate’s Report
A CompTIA Instructors Network member who already held DA0-001 posted on April 8, 2026 that they passed DA0-002 without reading the objectives. They reported one performance-based question and 79 multiple-choice questions, a few AI-related questions, and said V2 felt “much easier” than V1.
This is one person with a prior pass and decades of data experience, so treat it as color, not evidence. Two takeaways are worth keeping: the AI items appear to be few and conceptual, and performance-based questions may be rare. Neither is confirmed by CompTIA.
How to Study for DA0-002
Build the plan around the five domains and the heaviest weights first.
- Download CompTIA’s full objectives. Your syllabus is that document.
- Start with analysis (24%) and acquisition and preparation (22%). Together they are 46% of the exam. Practice finding missing values, duplicates and outliers, and cleansing, merging and parsing data.
- Learn the statistics CompTIA calls basic. The objective is selecting and applying them, so know when to use each one.
- Practice visual and report choices. Know which chart suits which message and how to validate a report.
- Cover governance in one focused pass. Lineage, versioning, retention, access control, encryption, masking, profiling and quality testing. It is 14%.
- Spend a short block on AI concepts. Models, natural language processing and robotic automation appear under the first domain.
- Use hands-on tools. The exam is performance-based in part, and the domain list names queries, BI software and coding environments.
A sample 6-week plan:
| Week | Focus |
| 1 | Domain 1: data types, sources, infrastructure, tools and AI concepts |
| 2 | Domain 2: acquisition, exploration and transformation with a real dataset |
| 3 | Domain 3: statistics and analysis methods |
| 4 | Domain 4: visuals, dashboards and report validation |
| 5 | Domain 5: governance, privacy and quality assurance |
| 6 | Timed full practice, weak-domain review |
If you have no data job yet, add two to four weeks for hands-on practice, since CompTIA recommends 18 to 24 months of experience. That is a recommendation, not a requirement.
Who Should Take Data+, and Where It Fits
CompTIA describes Data+ as an early-career data analytics certification that shows practical skills to turn raw data into insights. It is mapped to the NICE Framework Data Analyst work role and ISO accredited by ANAB.
| You are | Data+ fit |
| New to analytics, with no certification | Strong starting point, since there are no formal prerequisites |
| An IT professional moving into data | Useful as a vocabulary and fundamentals check |
| A working analyst with years of experience | Probably low value unless an employer or contract asks for it |
| Looking for a deep technical credential | Look elsewhere. Data+ is introductory |
Within CompTIA, our CompTIA certification roadmap lists DataSys+ and DataX, with DataX shown as coming in 2026. We have not confirmed DataX’s status here. Our stackable certifications guide explains how CompTIA credentials combine, and the IT certification roadmap puts them in a broader career order. For other CompTIA decisions, see Network+ vs Security+, A+ vs Network+ and Security+ SY0-701 vs SY0-801. CompTIA’s other recent version change is covered in what’s new in CompTIA Linux+ XK0-006, and the full vendor catalog is on our CompTIA vendor page.
We also leave out salary figures. We found no source that separates Data+ holders from the wider analyst workforce.
Five Hands-On Practice Projects, One Per Domain
Reading is not enough for a certification that includes performance-based items. These projects use free public datasets and tools you likely already have. Each one maps to a CompTIA domain objective.
| Project | Domain | What you practice | Output to keep |
| 1. Catalog a data source | Data concepts and environments (20%) | Identify the database or file type, the data types in each column, and whether the source is a database, API, log or file | A one-page data dictionary |
| 2. Clean a messy file | Data acquisition and preparation (22%) | Find missing values, duplicates and outliers; cleanse, merge, parse and reformat columns; combine two sources with a query | A before-and-after table with the number of rows fixed |
| 3. Answer one business question | Data analysis (24%) | Select a basic statistical method, run it, and write the result for a non-technical reader | A three-sentence summary for an executive and a short note for a colleague |
| 4. Build a one-page dashboard | Visualization and reporting (20%) | Choose charts for a trend, a comparison and a composition; add a summary; check totals against the source | A dashboard and a short validation checklist |
| 5. Write a governance note | Data governance (14%) | Document lineage and versioning, list retention and audit needs, choose masking or encryption for sensitive fields, define two quality checks | A half-page governance note |
If you finish all five, you have touched every domain in CompTIA’s summary with something you can show a hiring manager. That portfolio matters at least as much as the badge for an early-career candidate, and it makes the exam’s scenario questions easier.
Key Terms to Know Cold
These terms come straight from CompTIA’s objectives summary. Be able to explain each in one plain sentence.
| Term | What to be able to say |
| Structured vs unstructured data | Whether data fits rows and columns or not |
| API | A way for one system to request data from another |
| Data lineage | Where data came from and every change made to it |
| Versioning | Keeping dated copies so you can compare or roll back |
| Data profiling | Scanning a dataset to learn its shape, ranges and gaps |
| Outlier | A value far from the rest that may be an error or a real event |
| Data transformation | Cleansing, merging, parsing and formatting data into a usable shape |
| Masking | Hiding part of a value, such as showing only the last digits |
| Encryption | Scrambling data so only a key holder can read it |
| Retention | How long data must be kept, and when it must be deleted |
| Dashboard | A single view of key measures for an audience |
| Natural language processing | Software that works with human language text or speech |
| Robotic automation | Software that repeats rule-based tasks without a person |
| Containerization | Packaging software and its dependencies so it runs the same everywhere |
| Data quality assurance | Profiling, monitoring and testing to keep data trustworthy |
Pacing Your 90 Minutes
CompTIA lists a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes. We did the arithmetic: if you get the full 90, that averages one minute per question. Performance-based items usually take longer, so you need to bank time on the quick ones.
| Step | Suggestion |
| First pass | Answer what you know right away and flag the rest |
| Performance-based items | If one appears, give it a fixed block of time and move on if you stall |
| Second pass | Return to flagged items with whatever time remains |
| Last five minutes | Check that every question has an answer |
This is a planning approach, not a CompTIA rule. We also do not know how many questions are performance-based. One candidate reported a single performance-based item, but CompTIA does not publish a count in the pages we read.
What Data+ Maps To in the Job Market
CompTIA says Data+ is mapped to the NICE Framework Data Analyst work role (IO-WRL-001) and is ISO accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board. What that means in practice:
- NICE mapping shows employers and training programs which tasks the credential is meant to cover. It is useful when you write a resume line or a training request.
- Accreditation speaks to how the exam is built and maintained, not to the job you will get.
- Entry-level fit. CompTIA calls it an early-career certification, so it fits the first analyst role or a move from IT support into data.
We do not quote salary figures because we found no source that separates Data+ holders from the wider analyst workforce.
Are You Ready? A Domain-by-Domain Self-Check
Use this before you book. Each line comes from CompTIA’s objectives summary, turned into a question you should be able to answer without notes. If you hesitate on more than two lines in a domain, that domain needs another study week.
| Domain (weight) | Can you do this without looking it up? |
| Data concepts and environments (20%) | Name the difference between a relational and a non-relational database. Say which file extension and data type fits a given dataset. Explain when you would pull data from an API versus a log file. Describe what cloud, on-premises and containerized storage change for an analyst. Define NLP and robotic automation in one sentence each |
| Data acquisition and preparation (22%) | Join two tables with a query. Spot missing values, duplicates and outliers in a dataset. Choose between removing and filling a missing value and defend it. Merge, parse and reformat a messy column |
| Data analysis (24%) | Pick a basic statistical method for a given question. Explain the same result to an executive and to an engineer. Find out why two analyses of the same data disagree |
| Visualization and reporting (20%) | Choose the right chart for a trend, a comparison and a composition. Build a dashboard for a named audience. Check that a report’s totals match the source |
| Data governance (14%) | Explain lineage and versioning with an example. Name a retention rule and who audits it. Tell masking from encryption and say when each applies. Describe a data quality check you would run on a new feed |
A quick scoring rule: if you can answer most lines in every domain, move to timed practice. If analysis or acquisition feels weak, fix those first, since together they carry 46% of the exam.
Common Mistakes When Moving From V1 to V2
- Studying “data mining” as its own big topic. In V2 the weight sits in acquisition and preparation, so practice cleansing, merging and parsing, not mining theory.
- Skipping AI concepts. It is a short objective under the first domain, but it is new enough that V1 notes will not cover it.
- Using V1 practice sets. If a set lists Data Mining at 25%, it was built for the retired exam.
- Treating visualization as only chart design. V2 adds delivering reports and validating their accuracy.
- Assuming the price you saw on a reseller is the price you will pay. CompTIA’s page lists none. Check its store for your region.
- Waiting for a retake plan until after you fail. CompTIA’s page mentions a “Retake Assurance” bundle but not its terms, so read the terms before you buy.
- Forgetting the recommendation is not a rule. CompTIA recommends 18 to 24 months in a data role, but lists no formal prerequisite. Newcomers can sit the exam, they just need more hands-on practice.
FAQS
Is CompTIA Data+ DA0-001 still available?
Not in English. DA0-001 retired in English on April 14, 2026, according to a training provider quoting CompTIA and two study guides. One guide says Japanese and Thai versions ran until July 16, 2026.
What is the current Data+ exam code?
DA0-002, also called V2. CompTIA’s page shows a launch date of October 14, 2025.
How many questions are on DA0-002?
A maximum of 90, mixing multiple-choice and performance-based questions.
How long is the exam and what is the passing score?
90 minutes, and 675 on a scale of 100 to 900.
How much does Data+ cost?
CompTIA’s page does not state a price. A reseller lists EUR 250 excluding VAT. Check CompTIA’s store for your region.
Are there prerequisites?
No formal prerequisites. CompTIA recommends 18 to 24 months in a data analyst or similar role.
What are the DA0-002 domains?
Data concepts and environments 20%, data acquisition and preparation 22%, data analysis 24%, visualization and reporting 20%, and data governance 14%.
What changed between DA0-001 and DA0-002?
Reported changes: data mining became data acquisition and preparation, data concepts grew from 15% to 20% and now includes AI concepts, and visualization became visualization and reporting. A provider says about 85% of the content is unchanged, which is unquantified.
Does Data+ include AI questions?
CompTIA lists “Understand AI concepts” under data concepts and environments. One candidate reported a few AI-related questions.
Is DA0-002 easier than DA0-001?
One candidate said so. It is a single anecdote from someone who held V1 and had extensive experience, so we cannot confirm it.
Do I need the full CompTIA objectives to study?
Yes. CompTIA’s page gives a summary only. The full document is the best syllabus.
Do I need to know SQL or Python for Data+?
CompTIA’s summary mentions queries to gather and combine data, coding environments and BI software, but it does not name a specific language in the summary we read. Learn basic query logic, and check the full objectives for tools by name.
When will DA0-002 retire?
CompTIA’s page says “usually three years after launch (estimated 2028).” That is an estimate, not a promise.
