GUYS PLEASE HELP--ADVICE NEEDED FOR A+

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Hi Guys

From the advice I got from you guys ive decided to study for A+ before I tackle the MCDST.

I want to do the compulsory exam (A+ essentials 601) and would like to choose out of the three available the (IT technician 602) Exam

However I have been reading the recommended txt by Mike Myers and I am a little confused. There is so much to cover and I thought this was supposed to be fairly easy and quick.

I am absolutely confused to what parts of the book I am supposed to study in order for me to do the 601 and 602 exam.

The book doesn’t tell you which parts I need to cover. I don’t want to read the whole book and then in the exam not even having a question which I covered ion the book.

Please advise guys....

Thanks

 

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Your supposed to read it all.

Although the book has parts like IT TECHNICIAN or REMOTE DESKTOP TECHNICIAN sections everything that is in the book could be covered in the exam (not everyones exam is the same).

Yes there is a lot to learn, you may have to read the book a couple of times to get all the info in but it'll be worth it.

You may not get a question on every part of the book in the exam that is not the idea, the idea is to learn the concepts in the book so you can be a better technician.

 

It is fairly easy and quick when you know your stuff and material. Its hard work when you dont that why we have to take our time and learn it, just like riding a bike and doing wheelies!

It does not make a diff which order you do afaik.

Read from Chapter 1 until the last chapter. If you don't read, understand and learn the material in the book, then when you take the exam, only then you will know that *that* topic was not mentioned. Its better than not reading the book and having loads of items where you just

Its not easy in the world of IT, especially if you want to become a good tech, what you see on tv and on those ads are imo total bullshit!

The choice is yours, we can only advise and assist to an extent, the rest is down to you!

Hope this helps

 

It may be simple but "easy and quick" I doubt. Simple meaning it's an entry level cert and doesn't require very much experience, but it still has to be earned. Think of it this way, if it were "easy and quick" everybody would be a good tech - and I can tell you everyone is not.

 

... not to mention, if it was 'easy and quick', the certification itself would be devalued and not indicative of the standard and experience required to pass it.

 

Just because a skill set is "entry level" doesn't mean it's a piece of cake. Think about how important the foundation of a building is to the overall structure. The A+ is very much a foundational piece (the skills it represents, anyway) of most IT careers so naturally, it covers a broad range of information. This isn't something you polish off over a long weekend. Just take your time and start working through the material.

 

I agree with the said comments. Just because the A+ is classed as "entry-level" it by no means means that it's a walk in the park. As for MM's book, I agree it covers every subject in more detail than what's required at times, but too much knowledge is better than too little in my opinion. I'd advise that you "skim" through the book once, do the practice exams, identify which areas you'll struggling with and then re-read those chapters taking important notes as you go along. Then invest in James Pyle's (Tripwire45's his profile name on CF) 'PC Technicians Street Smarts' book as this will help you develop the skills that are needed out there in the real world.

Just my 2p worth. Good luck!

- Alex

 

everyones biting my head off lol......but thanks guys. very usful information.

i dont miind reading the whole book but i Just wanted to make sure I don’t read contents which will not help me in the exam and in the real world.

I was thinking about taking a week off work and study this book.

Do u guys think this is rushing it or would you say this time is sufficient.

Thanks again guys

 

If you reading the compTIA A+ all in one exam guide by Mike Meyers then taking a week off work to read the whole book could be pushing it, you could burn yourself out with over studying.

There is no rush to get certified, its not a race.

 

There is very little in that book that isn't usefull somewhere.

Depends on how much you know already. If you know it all then you could get through it very quickly.

I have been in the industry for many years, and I thought A+ would be fairly easy. I was surprised at how many items in that book were either new to me, or contrary to what I had believed.

Harry.

 

I'm stuck in bad job

I'm a systems support analyst for a large telecommunications company. (in house system)

I'm dying to leave this job but I cannot because I do not have any other IT experience apart from my degree.

The job I am in at the moment involves too much politics and mind games. The staff here are very bad. And this ranges from my fellow support analysts to the senior managers.

I need to get out but I cant until I have this qualification. This is the reason why I'm trying to rush through the A+.

I never thought a job can depress and de-,motivate an individual.

Now that ive told you guys my problem I feel a little but better.


I'm just gona try my best to learn and pass the exams really.

 

Um - a "system support analyst" is a very vague description! Some of these titles are just hopeless - I'm a "Telephony Solutions Specialist" at the moment. The company have changed this frequently but my job hasn't changed much in 10 years!

What is it that you actualy do? Is it something that corresponds to the A+? The reason I ask is that when you apply for a job you can show *experience*, which is more than a guy with just the A+ can do!

Harry.

 

Agreed with hbroomhall,

Any experience is better than no experience. If you're taking calls you've learned to handle customers (even the disgruntled ones ); if you've supported proprietary systems and/or apps they probably ran on an recognizable OS.

I can go on, but the point is to identify the transferable skills and have them shine on the resume/CV. Picking up some entry-level certs (like you're doing with the A+) will help your experience show.

 

Nah, they're not biting your head off... they're just setting you straight by giving you accurate information that disagrees with what you said. It's hard to convey a caring emotion in the forum. But I can guarantee you that the folks on CertForums are about as caring as they come.

Everything in that book will be useful in some shape, form, or fashion in your IT career, whether or not it's on the exam. Skim what you know, study what you don't.

I'd recommend NOT taking time off, and reading and studying things in smaller chunks. Give the knowledge time to be absorbed... find practical ways of USING the knowledge you've learned. This isn't school - you're not just studying a bunch of material to pass a test... you're learning things that will ultimately make you a better tech.

It's not a race. If you don't build a solid foundation, you'll find it difficult to learn more advanced things because you'll have to review and re-review concepts that you didn't fully understand the first time through. Study everything until you have a solid understanding of the concepts... then take the exams.

Welcome to the forums!

 

Same here. I took the A+ after being in the IT industry for 5 years (and messing with computers for 23 years), and I learned quite a bit myself.

 

thanks for your advice guys...ims supporting a billing system. this does involves taking calls but only trouble shooting the in house system. Its nothing to do with trouble shooting with xp or any other operating system.

 

Here is a little example why you should read & understand all of the material in the book.

I was always aware of IDE, SCSI and more recently PATA and SATA for hard drives but what I never knew untill I started reading the Mike Meyers AIO 6th edit was that IDE was not the name of those hard drives IDE was the technology employed on those hard drives the actuall name for them is ST406 but I suppose IDE is easier on the tongue.

so the list should go ST406, SCSI and PATA n SATA

 

<Cough> Actualy - not quite right.

The early type was ST506 (not 406) and was called this because that was the Seagate model that effectively introduced it. These drives were plugged into a controller card in the PC.

On later drives the controller was incorporated into the drive, hence Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE). This standard was originaly known as ATA.

So a ST506 is not an IDE drive!

Harry.

 

Interesting. So do I understand that you want to move away from supporting the billing system to general PC support?

One thing - your current job has given you experience of a support role. Make sure this is on your CV as it is valuable!

Harry.

 

Sorry Harry I did actually mean to put 506 and say that ATA was the drive that had the controller built in I should read my posts back before submitting. Anyway it was still something new I learned from the AIO book.