A+ Cert

[TheGiant89]

Is it difficult? Its two tests 100 questions total right, completely multiple choice? Do they make you actual do any work on a physical computer? Any topics you would suggest putting extra study time into?

[Cantii]

No actual work on a computer, all multiple choice. Two parts: Practical Application and Hardware. Brush up on laser printers and customer service.

Also of note: Know how many pins are on the different DRAM modules, bus speed of PCI and PCI-Express, the difference between DVI, DVI-D, D-Sub as well as the difference between SATA and EIDE as well as PATA and Serial. That's what came up most commonly on my tests.

If it helps at all, the current A+ Exam is the 2009 exam.

[Cyanotical]

also, forget what you know to be true about computers, CompTIA lives in its own little world, i'd suggest Jean Andrews book, reading it you will laugh at the stupidity, but that is how the test is

here's the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Managing...xp_grid_pt_0_0

it's expensive though

* Mod edit: Let's just leave it there, shall we?

[TheGiant89]

also, forget what you know to be true about computers, CompTIA lives in its own little world, i'd suggest Jean Andrews book, reading it you will laugh at the stupidity, but that is how the test is

here's the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Managing...xp_grid_pt_0_0

it's expensive though

That was actually the text book for my computer repair course

[Keller]

No actual work on a computer, all multiple choice. Two parts: Practical Application and Hardware. Brush up on laser printers and customer service.

Also of note: Know how many pins are on the different DRAM modules, bus speed of PCI and PCI-Express, the difference between DVI, DVI-D, D-Sub as well as the difference between SATA and EIDE as well as PATA and Serial. That's what came up most commonly on my tests.

If it helps at all, the current A+ Exam is the 2009 exam.

That's the most absurd and idiotic thing i've heard - they want you to remember how many pins DRAM modules have?
I dont see much reason in knowing the bus speed either - it's just an interface. (You're a fucking technician, not a PCB and/or IC designer.)
The DVI differneces are good to know but that's pretty much it.
Also, on SATA's standards - there's only so much you can know - how the different cables look, it's been made idiot proof with that missing pin. Why would you want to know the speeds as nothing can utilize even the first generation SATA.

[Cantii]

That's the most absurd and idiotic thing i've heard - they want you to remember how many pins DRAM modules have?
I dont see much reason in knowing the bus speed either - it's just an interface. (You're a fucking technician, not a PCB and/or IC designer.)
The DVI differneces are good to know but that's pretty much it.
Also, on SATA's standards - there's only so much you can know - how the different cables look, it's been made idiot proof with that missing pin. Why would you want to know the speeds as nothing can utilize even the first generation SATA.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. No need to get your panties in a bunch, sunshine. The guy wanted some advice, so I gave him what I personally went through with my A+ exam. On my A+ Exam, there were numerous questions about pin-counts on DRAM modules, various serial pin-outs, a few questions about SATA vs. EIDE and so forth. The rest was laser printers and customer care with a little bit of everything else peppered throughout. But those were the bulk of my exam.

Not every A+ exam is the same, there is a pool of 1000 questions that the exam pulls from, so you're very unlikely to get the same questions as someone else.

Also, nothing can utilize even the first generation of SATA? Uhhh... there's this fancy new-fangled thing called a Solid State Drive. They seem to be doing a pretty good job of maxing out SATA I, SATA II and even SATA III.

[Cyanotical]

That's the most absurd and idiotic thing i've heard - they want you to remember how many pins DRAM modules have?
I dont see much reason in knowing the bus speed either - it's just an interface. (You're a fucking technician, not a PCB and/or IC designer.)
The DVI differneces are good to know but that's pretty much it.
Also, on SATA's standards - there's only so much you can know - how the different cables look, it's been made idiot proof with that missing pin. Why would you want to know the speeds as nothing can utilize even the first generation SATA.

as a A+ technician, you are supposed to be able to work on all computers, which is why the different RAM standards are taught, even ISA slots are still on the test

you need to know IDE and SATA including the 40 pin and 80 connectors as well as the bandwidth for all the various kinds of cables and connections, literally all of them, from db-25 parallel to USB 3.0, and even SCSI

you also need to know how to troubleshoot and fix various kinds of printers

and minor networking

differences between CD-R and CD+R

differences in form factor from AT, ATX, and BTX

and thats just what i can think of atm, there is TONS more

[Keller]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. No need to get your panties in a bunch, sunshine. The guy wanted some advice, so I gave him what I personally went through with my A+ exam. On my A+ Exam, there were numerous questions about pin-counts on DRAM modules, various serial pin-outs, a few questions about SATA vs. EIDE and so forth. The rest was laser printers and customer care with a little bit of everything else peppered throughout. But those were the bulk of my exam.

Not every A+ exam is the same, there is a pool of 1000 questions that the exam pulls from, so you're very unlikely to get the same questions as someone else.

Also, nothing can utilize even the first generation of SATA? Uhhh... there's this fancy new-fangled thing called a Solid State Drive. They seem to be doing a pretty good job of maxing out SATA I, SATA II and even SATA III.

Sorry for that outburst, but I really found it strange, as the only differences are in the form factor of the cables, sure they have different technical specs, but putting together a computer, is not exactly rocket science, the main things you need to worry about is not being rough on components and pretty much wiring everything so that the final product is great.
I just reacted that way because I find it useless for a technician to know the BUS speed of a PCI-E16x interface, as they probably wont need to know that (Aside from mabye in the future, getting 2 optimum graphics cards on 2x8xPCIE slots as to prevent capping.
And yeah, It was completely offtopic, i just got a ragestrike, good luck with your 'test' OP!

I can see how the speed limitations and pin quantity and sockets would be of great importance to the engineer, but not to the guy assembling the thing, as most components are largely idiot-proof these days. (Aside from maybe a discharge via your skin)

[Fuzzykins]

Hnnngh. We're talking about A+ Certification here. Whether or not you think it's stupid, that's the way the test works. "What interface has x pins and x transfer rate?"
I passed both sections of the test without courses on my own time. It was a simple test and there were very few I didn't know. Most of the time, an educated guess on a problem I had trouble with yielded good results.

[Deleted]

Hnnngh. We're talking about A+ Certification here. Whether or not you think it's stupid, that's the way the test works. "What interface has x pins and x transfer rate?"
I passed both sections of the test without courses on my own time. It was a simple test and there were very few I didn't know. Most of the time, an educated guess on a problem I had trouble with yielded good results.

This guys got it right, it's not a hard exam, just memorize the facts on hardware and have common sense for customer service and you will do fine, I got 89% on 701 and 85% on 702.

[Cyanotical]

Sorry for that outburst, but I really found it strange, as the only differences are in the form factor of the cables, sure they have different technical specs, but putting together a computer, is not exactly rocket science, the main things you need to worry about is not being rough on components and pretty much wiring everything so that the final product is great.
I just reacted that way because I find it useless for a technician to know the BUS speed of a PCI-E16x interface, as they probably wont need to know that (Aside from mabye in the future, getting 2 optimum graphics cards on 2x8xPCIE slots as to prevent capping.
And yeah, It was completely offtopic, i just got a ragestrike, good luck with your 'test' OP!

I can see how the speed limitations and pin quantity and sockets would be of great importance to the engineer, but not to the guy assembling the thing, as most components are largely idiot-proof these days. (Aside from maybe a discharge via your skin)

your rage is quite justified, i argued with my instructor almost every day, CompTIA is not meant for enthusiast or gaming computers, its meant for basic troubleshooting and IT work, overclocking for example, which 90% of consumer shelf products are based around, is only covered by 1 question on the test, and in only one paragraph in jean andrews' book

this is what i tell students that raise these concerns (i work at a tech college): A+ is less about custom computers, and more about building and trouble shooting normal computers, like dell, gateway, or HP. the person with the custom computer probably built it themselves and doesn't need your help.

so why all the crap in the A+ test? I would say it's to perpetuate the myth of "The Technician" technicians are supposed to be the master of their field, they should know all the answers and be able to solve any problem, so by putting all this old and irrelevant info into the cert, they try to make sure that technicians are beyond good, most of the time, i've seen some idiots get certified

although, the average geek squad employee does a pretty good job of this too, they make even the dumb technicians look like computer gods