- Who Needs This Book?
- Technician Qualities
- Breaking into IT with the CompTIA A+ Certification
- Basic Skills for This Course
- Types of Computers
- Basic Computer Hardware
- Mice and Keyboards
- Common Peripherals
- 1s and 0s
- Safety Notes
- Chapter Summary
- Key Terms
- Review Questions
- Exercises
- Activities
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Breaking into IT with the CompTIA A+ Certification
Many IT-related jobs require the A+ certification. Even if not required, the certification shows that you have a good understanding of how computers work. This certification does not guarantee you a job, but it does open doors in that a company may interview you if you lack IT experience but have the A+ certification.
A+ certification requires that you take two exams (220-1001 and 220-1002). Each of these exams covers specific material. Table 1.1 shows the major categories for the 220-1001 exam and how they map to information in this book. Table 1.2 shows the same type of information for the 220-1002 exam.
Table 1.1 CompTIA 220-1001 A+ certification topics
Domain |
Percentage of examination |
Chapter(s) |
|---|---|---|
1.0 Mobile Devices |
14% |
10 |
2.0 Networking |
20% |
12–13 |
3.0 Hardware |
27% |
1–9, 11 |
4.0 Virtualization and Cloud Computing |
12% |
12 |
5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting |
27% |
1–13 |
Table 1.2 CompTIA 220-1002 A+ certification topics
Domain |
Percentage of examination |
Chapter(s) |
|---|---|---|
1.0 Operating Systems |
27% |
14–17 |
2.0 Security |
24% |
18 |
3.0 Software Troubleshooting |
26% |
14–18 |
4.0 Operational Procedures |
23% |
19 |
“What are the exams like?” you might ask. The exams include multiple-choice and performance-based questions. Performance-based questions might be a drag-and-drop scenario or ask you to do something specific on a particular device or within a particular operating system environment. Each exam is 90 minutes long and contains a maximum of 90 questions. The testing system allows you to bookmark questions that you might want to return to at the end if you have time. Successful candidates will have the knowledge required to do the following:
> Assemble components based on customer requirements.
> Install, configure, and maintain devices including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, personal computers (PCs), and software for end users.
> Understand the basics of networking and security/forensics.
> Properly and safely diagnose, resolve, and document common hardware and software issues.
> Apply troubleshooting skills.
> Provide appropriate customer support.
> Understand the basics of virtualization, desktop imaging, and deployment.
More information can be found on the CompTIA website (www.comptia.org).
At the beginning of each chapter, you will see a list of the CompTIA A+ exam objectives that are covered in that chapter. At the end of each chapter, I’ve provided some A+ certification exam tips—tips to definitely pay attention to if you plan on taking the A+ exams. By the end of this course, you will have learned all the topics covered on the certification exams; however, before you actually take the exams, I recommend that you dedicate some time to review the chapters in this book thoroughly, study the objectives, and take some practice exams. Pearson IT Certification, the publisher of this book, develops many different certification exam prep resources that suit various study styles. See the back of this book for more information or go to http://pearsonitcertification.com/aplus to browse the options.
