A+ 4 weeks

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Hi

Sitting my A+ exam in 4 weeks, 24th February. Thing is I havent started studying yet. I am getting the Meyers All in One Book hopefully in a couple of days.

What do you think with regards to my chances. I dont work in the IT industry at the minute. I have studied computing a bit at college but left after a year due to lack of funds.

Thanks
Alan

 

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4 Weeks, No experience, and No study?

I'm sorry to say this, but if you pass you must be Bloody good at IT.

Why have you scheduled the exam if you haven't prepared for it?

 

err is that all the material you are using?

sorry to burst the bubble but its going to take you longer.. so much to know and practice i would say you taking a risk booking it now!

 

I had a voucher to get 25% off. Had to be used by end of February.

I decided last week to get into IT. So I just went full steam ahead. I called today and got a couple of interviews for IT Helpdesk roles.

I passed all my exams at college studying only the week before, never turned up at class much. I thought i'd be able to do the same with A+.

Now im thinking A+ might be trickier than I thought.

I have access to other material. An A+ course that is taught at colleges, its by Mindleader. Anyone used it?

Thanks for the input

 

See thats the thing. I think I could do a Level 1 Help Desk Role at the minute. I know a bit about computers through basically 20 years of use and some years of study. I dont mean playing games, I mean real use.

I have worked in many a place and the Help Desk Guys and even the IT techs that I have encountered have had little or no IT knowledge.

Is braindumps those mindmap things cause I was thinking i'd draw one of them up. Do people have a problem with this? I didnt think it would be cheating, just a study plan.

 

Here are some web definitions for the word "braindump":

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=define:+braindump&btnG=Google+Search

Basically, a test taker (A+ or any cert test you'd like) comes out of the test and writes down everything they can remember about the questions and what answers they gave (whether correct or not). They then have that information posted to the web in direct violation of the non-disclosure agreement they signed when they took the exam.

Braindumpers are at least cheaters if not actual criminals. Using braindump websites to study just supports this shoddy practice and we here at CertForums do *not* support the use of dump sites at all.

 

I've been studying for about 8 months like arroryn, my background was in engineering but same as you have used pc's for 20 years+, there is no way you will learn all the material in four weeks there is just too much to learn. Even if you do use braindumps and such all you need is one badly worded question ( and the a+ is full of them ) and your screwed.

I think you maybe underestimating the role of an IT Tech or Helpdesk assistant. I recently started work as an IT TECH and the theory doesn't always fit the practical, you have to be prepared to continue learning even when you've passed this first hurdle.

BUT GOOD LUCK ANYWAYS

Edit: Well said trip (took too long correcting my spelling)

 

God I hope not!

Seriously though, Mindmaps are a good revision tool, Braindumps won't get you any where.

 

Ahh I see the difference now. So I will use mindmaps. Braindumps i'll leave well alone. (Sound stupid anyway the person could know less than me and not even remember half of the answers)

Is there anywhere except the cd that comes with the book where I could test myself see where im at before I start studying?

I have tried a few of the free sites around the net and im typically hitting 60 odd percent. But the questions dont seem right to me. Too easy. Plus they repeat themselves.

 

You can purchase mock testing software from companies such as transcender but of course, it tends to be pricey. On the other hand, free testing sites on the Internet tend to be of a lesser quality.

 

If you can afford it, get the trancender test mentioned by Tripwire. Yes you can study for and pass the A+ in a short period of time if you have allot of experience with the subject matter already. I took both A+ exams after only a few weeks of training but I have had hands on experience of nearly all the topics it covered over a long period of time.

Check the material out and if you find it's more like a refresher than actually learning stuff from new then you should be ok. If it's concepts you haven't come across before etc.. then you may struggle to take it all in, in such a short period of time.

Transcender tests are the closest to the real thing you can try before hand (in my opinion). If you are hitting 80%+ on the real exam sims on there then you will be fine & dandy for the real exams.

 

Well I have had a good look over the stuff now. I recognise all the terms and the basics of what everything does. A fair bit of it I know in detail. Just through years of using computers. Also I have higher physics and computing, and I studied computing at University level. SO its a case of nailing down what I dont know really.

So what is the pass mark for A+?

Its out of 900 if im correct isn't it.

Alan

 

if you want to have a look HERE for the pass marks and these are the Objectives

 

Cheers Zimbo.

Is that 515 out of 900? I thought the pass mark was 80% thats only around 57% unless im mistaken.

 

thats right 515 out of 900 on the Hardware,505 on the O/S

 

Well that certainly is interesting. The Meyers book has arrived today so I better get cracking on with my studies. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

Yes the pass mark is 515.

I just passed my Core Hardware exam on Tuesday 14th Feb with a score of 680. Not the highest score, but considering I've come through a serious illness and am studying on my own at home unsupported I'm happy with it. So if I'm insufferable you know why.

Btw, I used the Meyers book and lots of self testing software plus the Exam Cram 2, but I have also built and upgraded at least 20 computers over about 5 years and have 4 of my own and am rebuilding 2 others. Plus I help moderate a tech forum attached to a Mmorpg forum, so I get to have fun helping to troubleshoot pc problems. Basically I never have my nose out of a computer.

 

Congrats on the pass

 

LOL. Comptia sure has changed these tests. When I took the A+ I scored just under 1000 on the hardware test, and just over 1000 on the OS test. Now a perfect score doesn't even reach those numbers....