Looking to study A+...No IT background at all

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Hello,

Just a bit of background info on my situation first of all....As mentioned in my intro post, I have been looking into moving into IT for some time now and now have the time to do so. I've looked at the various courses (and the prices ) and decided against it after reading some of the threads here recommending self teaching. I had no idea that the scource materials were so easy to get hold of...tbh though, I had no idea where to start!

About the closest I got to anything remotely IT based was changing the power supply on my PC a few weeks ago after it blew up. The shop I bought the new power supply from wanted to charge me £35 to install it, so I thought "Sod it, I'll try myself" and surprisingly, it worked, lol.

Anyway...After reading thread after thread, it's quite obvious that most people recommend the A+ cert as the best entry level cert to go for and to self teach (I've seen the links for the various books etc)...Due to my completely none IT background, I'm wondering if there is anyone who posts here who was in my position (i.e no IT background at all), who has studied A+, taken the exam and passed.

If so, how was it? How long did it take you? Was it overwhelming? Did you ever think "What have I got myself into?"

Any help and advice would be most appreciated,

Thanks,

Jaymo

 

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I have only just gotten my first IT job although I am doing IT support work along side my proper job which involves no computer support at all, although I use them alot.

It took me a while to do the A+ by self study but not because I was finding it hard but because of financial reasons. It could take you a week or a year that is upto you.

The two books I am going to mention are really easy reading and compliment each other well.

You say you changed the PSU in your computer and didn't have much difficulty in doing so thats great news. If you can get an old pc or don't mind using your current computer get a copy of PC Technician street smarts by James Pyles (Tripwire 45 on CF)and follow the exercises in it.

It will teach you how to install hard drives, reseat the RAM and configure and tweak Windows XP.

Also get a copy of compTIA A+ all in one exam guide 6th edition by Mike Meyers this book will teach you everything you need to know for the two A+ exams you need to be A+ certified, it is a big book 1136 pages but you definetly need it.


You could get an old PC from a recycling centre or from ebay (I got an old PC and both books for £80)

You have to do 220-601 Essentials exam and you choose either 220-602 (IT Technician), 220-603 (helpdesk technician) or 220-604 (depot technician) Most people do 220-602 as the other two are normally done if you are specializing in a specific job role.

The two exams cost £111 + vat and you book the exams through pearsonvue.co.uk and you will find your nearest test centre on that site.

You can buy discount vouchers from www.gractechsolutions.com (make sure you buy international vouchers) and they cost £107 no VAT to pay when you get the vouchers you use them on the pearsonvue site instead of your credit card.

I think that covers everything

Good luck

 

Thank you for your advice, most appreciated .

I'll be starting this up in August when I get back off my hols and no doubt, I'll be asking you good people many, many questions .

 

no problem good luck

 

Hi, I am in a similar position but unfortunately for me considerably older although I have had many encouraging comments from other members of the forum. In my situation it just takes several times longer to sink in.

 

there were plenty on my college course with no experience whatsoever,they needed a lot of extra tuition though,and had to attend for longer than the more experienced students,most of my class mates had about 5 years pc experience.
But if you are attending college it is done at a pace that everyone can understand,and the teachers help those lagging behind.
College price is around £360 for a 4 month course [6 hours a week],and gives you the option of half price exams at the end of the course.
If you are unemployed the the £360 is waived and you pay nothing except exam fees.
The whole course as i've said before is very up and down,one week is fairly easy,next week very difficult to grasp,and it continues like that the whole way through,there are times you want a bit more time to get on top of the subject,and before you fully understand it you are on to the next subject.
There are 10 subjects in quick succession,basically spread over 10 weeks,then 6 advanced topics to finish the course.
The self study route is up to you and others will give you advice on that.

 

Hi There,

I am doing the A+, And i must say that i had heard of both of the books so i decided to buy them. I'm so glad i did. So far they have helped me so much. The Mike Myers books also comes with a cd which has a video tutorial on it.


Hope you do well and good luck!!

Gav.

 

Thanks very much for all the replies, guys.

I'll most definetly be picking up the Meyers book at the end of the month - Amazon have got it for sale at half price at the moment...Bargain

 

If you have a mechanical/electrical/technical aptitude, self-study is your best route. If you're like me and don't innately take to those skill sets, sometimes an in-class experience is best. In my case, I took a two-year course in "Computer Network Support" and earned my A+ and Network+ along the way (actually, my CCNA, too...but I let it lapse for lack of use).

When you say you want to pursue a career in IT, do you have anything in particular in mind (IT can be many different things)? If not, no worries. Once you get into it and start learning and working, your preferences will become clearer. In my case, I discovered a small talent for writing, so rather than working directly in IT, I document it. You never know where you'll end up when you start down this path.

Good luck.

 

i am also considering the A+, but remember what i was like at college and would definitely prefer a classroom based program - even a fast track program. Can anyone recommend a good company that offers this course in the N. London/S. Hertfordshire area? I have found several online but i am really unsure which one would be best as some may only be interested in 'selling' me a course.

Also, with limited IT experience, is the A+ a good start if i wanted to offer residential PC support?

Thanks for any help.

 

It's really best to introduce yourself and ask questions in a seperate thread instead of hijacking someone elses thread, its only being polite.

But to answer your question most training providers are just selling you a course, if you want classroom based then look at your nearest college.

And yes the A+ is a good place to start for IT support.

 

Apologies for 'hijacking' the thread - i was not aware of forum protocol as this my first time.

Thanks for the advise though

 

Nothing in particular in mind at the moment, tbh. I'd just been looking at various websites, courses etc and thought it was all very confusing and just thought "That's all well and good, but where do I actually start?"...And now thanks to you guys, I know that the best place to start is with A+ .

I'll start with that and see where it takes me!

 

Similar to me really, I figure get into the field and see some of the jobs in action, will give a much better feel of where you want to be heading wont it.

 

I've recently decided to take a career change and am going to be going down the self study route too. I think that it all depends on how best you learn but, as said in earlier threads, you can always seek clarification and feedback on this forum.

I'm going to be aiming to take the exams in anything from 3 - 6 months time so I wish the bst of luck to the both of us!

 

I'm at the same position here!! I've been studying for the A+ for 4 months now and I have my exam next week (wish me luck!!). I choose self study in the beginning but now I'm working with a e-learning company that will support me for one year for the N+ and MCDST too, the only reason why I'm with them is because they have a HR consulting department that will help me into my first job, because my last job as a Technician Support was 6 years ago... so I have a lot of dust to clear out!!

The two books mention here are great!! And regards to choose the right path, you will find out when you start to get involved!!

Best of luck!

 

And I bet they're charging an arm and a leg for it arent they? I may be wrong but it sounds like the salesperson sold you good on the idea.

 

Not really!! i have done some really good research around, and the price is really good!! £990.. the course is farly good and the help they give is alright!! At the end, it all depends on you, can't really count on them, but use they as a backup!!!

 

On CF you can get advice and help, so you can get support on here for free.

 

Mmmm... that's an arm and a leg, especially compared to what a couple of books and some quality software costs.