It is thrilling to be at the beginning of any journey. You have the freedom to choose your path, learn from the failures and make your own decisions. CompTIA’s certification A+ is a great starting point for your IT career. It validates your knowledge and skills in maintaining computers, mobile devices, operating systems, printers, and other IT equipment.
Why A+?
A+ is a basic industry certification. Here are some great news:
No need to pay for expensive classes or study materials. You can find almost everything online, on a budget, and study on your own. This will allow you to do well on the exams. It’s more than possible.
A+ certification is your ticket to entry-level positions in IT/help desk. It opens up the door to CompTIA Network+ and Security+. Why are we telling you this now? Keep reading.
It is worth noting that CompTIA’s current reputation is rising all time high with their certifications being required both by leading companies and US Government bodies including the Ministry of Defense.
Get Certified
CompTIA A+ 220-801 (A+ Essentials), and CompTIA A+ 220-802 (A+ Practical Application) are the two exams you need to pass in order to obtain A+ certification.
CompTIA A+ Essentials covers fundamentals of computer technology, including installation and configuration of computers and related hardware. It also covers basic networking.
CompTIA A+ Practical Application tests your ability to install and configure operating systems on a PC, as well configuration of common features (e.g. Mobile operating systems Android and Apple iOS offer network connectivity and email.
Each exam has a maximum of 90 questions. All of the questions are either multiple-choice or performance-based. Each exam lasts 90 minutes so you can expect to spend around 1 minute per question. Although this may sound daunting, many people who have passed both exams claim they are very easy. You have plenty of room for errors with the very generous passing score margins. The 220-801 has the passing score 675 on a scale of 1000, while the 220-802 requires you to score at least 700 out 900.
CompTIA offers the exams in several languages, including Spanish, Japanese, and German. Simplified Chinese is expected to be added soon (it’s already been announced).
What is the deal with CompTIA certifications
CompTIA has grown from a non-profit IT-certifying organization to a leading industry certification trendetter over the years. The top industry manufacturers such as Dell, Intel, and Lenovo recognize their certifications. CompTIA certifications have a major advantage: they are all vendor neutral, unlike Cisco, Microsoft, and others. They provide the knowledge you need to become a professional, including the technology and approaches.
A+ is a great place to start, especially at the beginning of your journey, when it can be difficult to know where you will end up in the IT world. If you are interested in routing and networking, you can choose to take either CompTIA’s Network+ (we have already discussed the differences between them) or Cisco’s CCNA Routing & Switching. We believe that CompTIA certifications are universally applicable, with A+ being the most popular. This will allow you to enter the world of IT careers.
