A+ Certification

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Who here has their A+ certification? the library is sending me to a 3 day training session this week (starting tomorrow) on the hardware side of the exam, and if it's a good class, the library will send me in the spring for the software half of the class.

How did you prepare for the test? Did you study on your own, take a class, or something else? I'm really hoping this is a good class, not just 3 days of "This is how to take the test". The description says it is hands on, but who knows how much hands on it will actually be.

 

[RuminDange]

Not sure about the A+ Cert exam, but I can say the MCSE 2003 was almost a year long course with books, study guides, practice tests, cram sessions, and it still ate a lot of people's lunch and sent them home crying. On a different note, the MCAD.NET was all that hard to study for, but it the structure was about the same. Still working on the MCDBA and MCSD.

Personally it depends on how well you pick things up. The 3-day course should help, but depends a lot on personal study habits, your current knowledge level, and some it may depend a lot on the teacher's style. Also it wouldn't hurt to look for other study guides/aids that are out there so that you cover a lot more ground than what can be offered in 3-days. Look at places like TestKing, Transcender, and few other place test prep sites.

Good Luck.
RD

 

[cybertalus]

I am A+ certified, but I took the test six years ago, so anything I have to say probably won't be of much use to you.

That being said, back then the printers section had the reputation as being the hardest part of the hardware half, and it lived up to that. I lucked up and didn't get too many questions about pre-IDE hard drives. Hopefully they've dumped them from the test entirely by now.

I didn't take any classes, just studied from a book. A+ is (or was anyway) the entry level of certifications. It wasn't terribly hard, and wasn't meant to be. If you already know your way around the inside of a PC chances are you'll do just fine with a little bit of study. I don't remember much about the OS part of the test, but I do remember taking both parts in the same sitting, since at the time the nearest testing center was an hour away.

 

[XCorvis]

Go find a sample test online. If you've been doing IT work for more than a year, you probably won't need a class. This is the easiest IT cert there is. High school students routinely pass it without studying.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Go find a sample test online. If you've been doing IT work for more than a year, you probably won't need a class. This is the easiest IT cert there is. High school students routinely pass it without studying.

I've taken a few tests online, and done pretty well. I'm not paying for it, my job is. So I'm taking advantage of whatever money they want to throw my way for training. I know it's the easiest IT certification, but I've got to start somewhere.

 

[ergeheilalt]

I took a class at High School for the A+ - it's pretty much cake. I'd recommend the Test King Study Guides. Note that the test itself is adaptive - so if you are given a tough problem and you get it right, you'll get a tougher problem next and if you get it wrong, it will be a little easier.

G'Luck.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Note that the test itself is adaptive - so if you are given a tough problem and you get it right, you'll get a tougher problem next and if you get it wrong, it will be a little easier.

Actually, I found out today that they are no longer using the adaptive testing. Now it's a pool of questions randomly generated for each person taking the test, and its a mix of tough and easy ones from each of the concepts that you are expected to know. Apparently, the adaptive tests didn't live up to expectations.

 

[Krieg]

Actually, I found out today that they are no longer using the adaptive testing.

That is correct.

BTW be prepared to look at their diagram of a MoBo and think to yourself "what in the hell is that?!".

 

[talmar]

I also took the A+ many years ago. I had already been working in IT for many years though and took it just to take it. I was pretty easy and as already stated when I took it the Printer section was indeed the only part I had a problem with. I've found most of the CompTIA are good gateway certs to start on some kind of path.

The Network+ has also been my easiest network cert as well as the Inet+ and Server+. To date my Cisco Cert have by far been the most difficult.

Also as already stated there are many practice tests and exams online. These would be a great resource before taking the test.

What software platform are they currently testing on? W2K? XP? When I tested it was all 95.

 

[Krieg]

FWIW CompTIA no longer provides an A+ practice exam.

If you are looking for study guides/books you can't go wrong with Mike Meyer's Passport books or the Exam Cram series.

The biggest thing for someone taking the A+ now is to make sure you are still knoweledgeable about old and/or obscure stuff...

Know your IRQs, they will definitely be on the test.

Remember fun stuff like ISA, Micro Channel & VL Bus.

Know the old Mobo form factors (there was life before ATX ).

Know the number of pins for old connectors (DIN etc).

On the software side make sure you are proficient with DOS, Autoexec.bat, Config.sys etc etc.

What software platform are they currently testing on? W2K? XP? When I tested it was all 95.

Everything up through and including 2K.