The CompTIA A+ training program covers four areas of training; you’re seen as an achiever in A+ when you’ve passed the test for half of them. Because of this, most colleges only have two of the courses on their syllabus. You’ll find that you’re advised to have the training for all four areas as many jobs will require the skills and knowledge of all four areas. It’s not essential to qualify in them all, however we’d advise that you study for all four areas.
Alongside being taught how to build and fix computers, trainees on A+ courses will be shown how to operate in antistatic conditions, how to fault find, to diagnose and to remotely access problems.
You might also choose to consider supplementing the A+ with Network + as you can then also take care of computer networks, and become a more senior IT professional.
Your training program should always include the current Microsoft (or Cisco, CompTIA etc.) authorised exam preparation and simulation materials.
Be sure that your practice exams are not only asking questions on the correct subjects, but ask them in the way that the actual final exam will pose them. This can really throw some trainees if the questions are phrased in unfamiliar formats.
Always request some practice exams so you’ll be able to test your knowledge whenever you need to. Mock exams log the information in your brain – then the real thing isn’t quite as scary.
The area most overlooked by trainees considering a training program is ‘training segmentation’. This basically means the method used to break up the program for drop-shipping to you, which completely controls where you end up.
Many think it logical (when study may take one to three years to gain full certified status,) that a training provider will issue the training stage by stage, as you complete each part. However:
Students often discover that their providers typical path to completion doesn’t suit. You may find that it’s more expedient to use an alternative order of study. Perhaps you don’t make it at the pace they expect?
In a perfect world, you’d ask for every single material to be delivered immediately – meaning you’ll have all of them for the future to come back to – at any time you choose. This allows a variation in the order that you attack each section where a more intuitive path can be found.
Be careful that the certifications you’re considering doing will be commercially viable and are the most recent versions. The ‘in-house’ certifications provided by many companies are often meaningless.
Only fully recognised accreditation from the major players like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe and CompTIA will be useful to a future employer.
Charging for exams upfront and offering an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is common for many companies. But look at the facts:
These days, we tend to be a little more ‘marketing-savvy’ – and most of us grasp that it is something we’re paying for – they’re not just being charitable and doling out freebies!
People who enter their exams one by one, funding them one at a time are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They’re conscious of their spending and prepare more appropriately to be ready for the task.
Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take the exam, and hang on to your cash. You’ll then be able to select where you do your exams – which means you can stay local.
A lot of so-called credible training colleges make huge amounts of money because they’re getting paid for exam fees early then hoping either that you won’t take them, or it will be a long time before you do.
The majority of companies will require you to sit pre-tests and prohibit you from re-taking an exam until you’ve completely proven that you’re likely to pass – which makes an ‘Exam Guarantee’ frankly useless.
Prometric and VUE exams are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in the UK. Why pay exorbitant ‘Exam Guarantee’ fees (often hidden in the cost) – when the best course materials, the right level of support and a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
(C) Jason Kendall. Pop over to LearningLolly.com for superb career tips on Comptia Training and Comptia Network+.
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