CompTIA A+ is one of leading certification to jump-start an impressive IT career. The syllabus covers installing and configuring operating systems including Linux, Windows, IoS and Android. It also covers the fundamentals of cloud and operational security and professional. CompTIA A+ has preferred certification for operational and technical purposes. It is just not PC repair certification but much more than that.
So what we can learn with CompTIA A+ certification
- IT technician understands a broad issue of operating system and networking in mobile devices and security.
- A+ supports the user connectivity regardless of the devices being used.
- Candidate can better troubleshoot and solve problems.
CompTIA A+ Exam details
- The exam code of CompTIA A+ is 200-902
- There are 90 questions all multiple choice types, may contain single or multiple responses.
- There will be a total of 90 questions
- The passing score is 700 out of 900
- The exam recommends having 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience
- The exam price is USD 211
Skills you will master with CompTIA A+ certification is
- Hardware components
- Operating systems
- Software troubleshooting
- Networking
- Security
- Mobile devices
- Operating procedures
- Other OS and technologies
Exam details
- There will be maximum of 90 questions per exam
- The questions type will be single or multiple response types, drag and drop and performance-based.
- The exam duration is 90 minutes.
- The passing score is 700 on the scale of 900.
- The price of the exam is USD 211 per exam.
Tips to prepare for CompTIA A+ certification exam
Assemble your computer
The CompTIA A+ certification tests your hardware knowledge and the best place to start gathering the knowledge by assembling your desktop. Building a desktop with RAM, HDD, SSD, GPU, MOBO is very essential and will increase your knowledge of hardware components. So take your first step and start assembling your computer.
Follow the sections carefully
The CompTIA A+ certification syllabus is very transparent, and one can start preparing by analyzing the weight of each section.
Following are the sections and its percentage
- Windows operating system – 29%
- Another operating system – 12%
- Security – 22%
- Software troubleshooting – 24%
- Operational procedures – 13%
Take up with YouTube courses There are some free YouTube courses for every topic out there. Choose carefully as you can find superb quality courses for every section. You can follow the YouTube videos, and if there are any doubts, then you can ask the creator. The visualization is an excellent way of learning, and with YouTube, you can learn up to your advantage.
Practice questions are the boon Practicing sample questions is the best way to familiarize with the real world exam and also knowing the weaknesses and strong areas after preparation. You can go back and study the sections where you have failed to score in the practice exam and come back strong in another practice exam. With this methodology, you can master CompTIA A+ and can clear it in the very first attempt.
Don’t panic
The top reason for unsuccessful in certification is not the lack of knowledge but due to panic. There is no reason to panic, and you can always retake the exam anytime and any number of times. So keep calm and give your exam.
By adhering to above tips, you can crack the CompTIA A+.
Training materials
The CompTIA itself has a collection of excellent training materials which you can use to prepare. Their Cert Master tool is a great way to practice your knowledge and verify if there are knowledge gaps in studies and it will test your practice with confidence.
My experience with CompTIA A+
My experience with CompTIA A+ certification was excellent actually, thanks to the experiences that are shared for the exam. I started aiming for this certification for 6 months and followed the syllabus accurately. First and foremost thing I have done is visiting their website and followed the training materials and practice tests they preferred. This certification helps the entry level technician to prove the competency.
I had also learned using excellent videos on YouTube; I realized that nowadays if you have the zeal to learn there are no barriers even Money can’t stop you from doing that. So following my learning regiment for 4 months when I felt that I pretty much covered all parts of syllabi. I decided to give practice test, and there are so many available from CompTIA tool, VCE to many such available. These practice tests are an excellent way to know where you stand. Also, I used to open any desktop, printers and resemble them to testify my theoretical learning to the practical.
When everything was perfect, I decided to register for the exam and went for it. The leading mindset I had was that I would not panic it can be given multiple times, may cost extra money but I don’t want to lose anything. So with this mindset, I cleared the exam in flying colors.
I hope my experience will help you achieving success
Conclusion
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), is well known IT certification and training provider and one such core certification of them is the A+. This certification testifies to the knowledge of entry-level computer technician, and as we seen, it should not be mistakenly referred to simple computer repair. There are so much more to it. By 2014 over 3 million professionals have earned this certification and landed in great jobs. I hope this review will help you in earning this certification and at last, before I forget this certification is valid for 3 years and after that, you need to recertify yourself with the latest. Till then best of luck.
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