Quick Question

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Hey, I'm pretty knowledgeable with PC's, I just would like some insight on how much or hard would I have to study to pass. I learned on my own how to install memory, cpus, HDD, basically everything in computers. I fixed many computer problems, upgraded computers, and I'm currently in the process of building my own. I did all this not by the book, I just learned it by experimenting. I just have a knack for fixing problems. So I would like to know, how far am I along to taking the test? Any books recommended for me?

 

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How long is a piece of string?

Seriously, how long it takes you to be ready for the A+ exams cant be decided by us in as little as 3 lines of text. You are talking about a fair amount of topics for the A+, and you are a complete unknown to us, this being your first post.

Some people could take only a couple of weeks. Some could take a year or more. Some could never pass. It all depends on timescale available to study, the resources available to you, and you ability.

For reference, the ability to mess around and fix problems, whilst standing you in good stead, does not mean that you are able to easily study the materials required to pass the exams. They are almost two different skillsets - one: the ability to tinker until you find the solution (a very good ability without doubt, dont get me wrong) and the other: the ability to study and absorb knowledge about the subject at hand.

I'm not saying you cant do it, but you have to understand that we cant just give you a timescale based on what you have given us so far. Hell, even if you'd been contributing here for months/years - like GreenBruceLee, we still couldnt really hazard a good guess as to when you would be ready.

I would suggest getting the Meyers All-In-One A+ for a start. You could also pick up some of the test exams (Transcender perhaps?) and take one or two of those, see how you fare.

 

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

 

Thanks. Were can I get one of these test exams?

 

If you mean the test prep practice guide then Sybex book for the A+ cert and Mike Myers should be suffice as they also have practice test at the end of each chapter.

You purchase this of Amazon or eBay, but preferably Amazon. Best wishes and welcome to CF

 

Hi Welcome

You can buy practice exams from Trancender.

 

Isn't the A+ Essentials available from Boson now as well?

 

not sure, I am the list to evaluate them when they are ready but havent had an email yet.

 

Ah... OK. I am sure Michael said it's soon. I think Josh is leading the team doing the Technician (602) as well.

If they're anything like the 620 and the 622 (and I am sure they will be) then they'll be excellent.

 

cool

 

Thanks guys. I just ordered A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide from Amazon.com.

 

If a person takes the test and fail it, do they have to buy a whole new voucher?

 

compTIA A+ all in one by Mike Meyers ? (hopefully you bought the 6th edition) its a good book, make sure you read it all as some people tend to think they are only supposed to read some of it,

 

Yes I've done research before buying any CompTIA book, so I can get my dollars worth. Do you only get one shot with a voucher?

 

A friend of mines just came over with the book PC Technician Street Smarts, luckly I didn't order that with the Mike Meyers AIO one, because I know everything in that book. I'm a little pump now because all I have to study is the AIO book. I'm going to put 100% of all my free time in to studying.

 

if you can build a pc,it doesn't mean you can pass the exam,building a pc is only part of the A+,the exam covers a wider area than just pc building.
I'm sure there will be subjects asked about in the exam you haven't looked at yet, because they don't normally come up for a home user,but they do come up in a work enviroment,which is what the A+ is about,work enviroment,rather than home.

For instance do you know the names of all the types of batteries,laptop batteries,cmos etc.and which batteries last the longest?.
Can you look at a power supply and tell by the colour of the wires how many volts each wire carries and whether it is a positive or a negative?
They mention all the irqs in the course,but i never saw them in the exam,they may come up in my second exam,but do you know all your irqs at the moment?
And also all your DMAs?
Remembering the mhz speed of every single device is a huge amount to remember too,and there are abbreviations galore in the course.
Do you know about chemicals,and disposal of chemicals?
Do you know the difference between one fire extinguisher and another,which fire extinguisher do you pick up to put out a certain type of fire?
Do you know all your health and safety procedures?,you also need quite a bit of networking knowledge.
All of this is in the exam.
You need to know every printer technology,from the oldest printers to the newest ones,including the inside workings of printers,and how they move the ink onto the paper.
Printers is an individual subject covered in the A+.
Have you taken a laptop apart,do you know all the parts of a laptop and the measurements of some of those laptop parts,including the inverter and the backlight?
Mobile phone and pda technology is also covered in the course.
So too is networking via satellite and home plug.
Everything i've mentioned is part of the course,and the majority of this stuff is in the exam.

They do expect you to pay again for the exam if it's failed.
Overall i'm just trying to say what is covered in the course,and in the exam,i could build pcs years before i went on the A+ course, but i'm sure i would have failed slightly in the exam without the extra knowledge i got from studying the course.
I got a surprise when i first went to college as i hadn't thought they needed me to know about all the health and safety,and much of what i've mentioned above,i was so used to being a home user i wasn't thinking in terms of companies.

 

Isaiah, what you need is the Comptia A+ objectives. You can go to the link I have provide below fill out their form and then you can download it. This will tell you what they expect you know when you sit their exam. The writer of the PC Technician Street Smarts is one of the admins here. Tripwire45. Welcome to CF and good luck with your studies.

http://certification.comptia.org/resources/objectives.aspx

 

It is, indeed!

 

We're chasing down a deadline on some CCNP exams. Afterwards, I'll have some free time to get another batch of testers going.

 

cool, let me know when your ready and I'll do a thourough review