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Anyone in here with A+ certification

B

BigCoolJesus

Banned
OK, so this is my last year of high school and i plan on going to college to study computer engineering/science.

I am taking AP Computer Science this year, and since i will most likely be going to college in my city (the University of Toledo) i want to get a decent job as well.


Now, i know some have thier opinions about Best Buy, but since thier Geek Squad is somewhat trained and good (despite ridiculous prices'), i want to apply to be on it, but it requires A+ certification.

Before i go and even think about taking the test, i want to review/study.


So, what are some very important things i should study/review/know, and how hard was the test?
 
I have the book from 2003. Was going to get certified, but soon realized that what I had learned on my own in the last 3-4 years was well beyond what A+ certification could get me besides that piece of paper saying your certified. Grab the book, its quite large! and do some reading. If you have been around pc's and have built them for some time, you might be suprised how much you already know thats covered in the book. As for job qualifications, A+ certification is a + to most employers.
 
I would recommend the Michael Meyers A+ Certification Exam Guide, you should be able to find this at your local public library if you don't want to buy it. The test is two parts, a hardware portion and an OS portion. I found the hardware portion to be easier at the time I took it (about 4 years ago). I also used the Meyers book for the Network+ and I passed it on the first try as well.
 
To be perfectly honest Kensai is right. The A+ cert is a joke, but some workplaces require it as part of the job. Interestingly enough for a institution to be A+ certified only 1/2 of it's techs need to have A+.

As to whats on the test, if you google it there are some free ones you can look at. They are actually quite sad, the only difficulty to them is that they are based on a OS you might never have used. Depending on ur age. The questions are based on Windows NT and DOS. For the most part. But seriously google it and do and old test.
 
Thanks

Ive been around computers for a while, and the hardware part i have upmost confidence in. But the OS part is where i start to fall behind (im not a software type of guy)

and i know A+ certification is a joke (i tried talking to my friend about my new PC build, and half the things i rattled off he had no idea what they were, espacially a RAID 0 array. And he has A+ certification) but if it will land me a good job ($15 an hour starting at my best buy for the geek squad) then ill do it
 
A+ is an absolutly worthless cert.

Its so simple anyone can pass it. You dont even need to know much about PCs.
 
Whether some consider it a joke or not, having a certification(of any type) is better than not having it. It doesn't matter if you know the material that the A+ covers but don't have the certification -- that won't help you past the first round of HR people. 😉

I used the same book tbooth linked, plus a couple others that I picked up at a "Bargain Books" store for some variety. Having been a tech for quite awhile though, yes, most of what was covered in the book was mostly just review.

I'm studying for both Network+ and the MCP in 2000 now. One nice point about A+/Network+ is that having both of these will exempt you from the elective that Microsoft has for the Windows 2000 MCSA certification, so A+ is not worthless or a joke.
 
I read the A+ Cert book and I was very very suprised to see how much I knew in the book, while I can read beginners computer books and know about everything, I still think they're useful because I may pickup something I didn't before but the A+ cert book was very sad because there wasn't a single thing I could find that I didn't know. Now MCSE certification, now thats something with some worth in it😉
 
As for how hard the test was.. I took the hardware and software sections seperately. I'm one of those folks that just can't read a book or take a class and then pass a test; I've got actually DO the job and put the knowledge to use before I can hope to pass an exam.

That said, I passed both exams on the first try. I had to study a little more for the software side than for hardware, but that's mostly because I prefer working with hardware and am most comfortable with it. I was surprised at the number of Windows NT questions that came up on the software side of the exam - I didn't think they'd be covering that much anymore.
 
ya, really, give this guy a break. He said the job he was applying for wants it. If it makes him eligible for the job, then how is it worthless. Maybe some of you should get English+ certified or is that a joke, too?

sheesh,

BFonnes
 
At your age I would do it. Some people here may laugh at it, but an HR department will merely toss your application aside if you don't have it listed on your resume and it was called for on the job listing.
 
well then i guess the studying begins

I wont be taking the test until early next year, so my plan is to first get a review of eveything i need to know, then slowly knock off what im confident i know, and then what im weak out (mostly software) ill review and read up on, then in a couple of months check a review list again and see where im at.

Its not like im gonna waste countless hours on it, maybe 1 or so a night (god knows im on the internet for lamer reasons anyways)
 
Not to mention the A+ Certification Guide book itself is a damn good book, with lots of useful information. I use it as a reference quite a bit...
Tas.
 
Originally posted by: bfonnes
ya, really, give this guy a break. He said the job he was applying for wants it. If it makes him eligible for the job, then how is it worthless. Maybe some of you should get English+ certified or is that a joke, too?

sheesh,

BFonnes
Click to expand...
QFT.
 
Don't let these guys tell you that A+ isn't worth a damn. Without my A+ I would not be working where I am today, as a PC Technician. It will help you get your feet in the door more often than not. The only thing is you can't expect a good paying job with only your A+. I think you should stick with your goal of going to school as well as obtaining certificates on the side as an added bonus to your education.

As far as reviewing and studying, I suggest any books by Mike Meyer. I used his All in One 5th edition as well as his 2nd edtion Passport book for my A+.
 
Good luck with the A+ exam. Why is it every thread I look at here has some worthless drivel from Kensai? And its usually like the first or 2nd reply. the guy must do nothing all night but reply to every post here. Give the kid a break. He needs the cert. to get the job.
 
For software test: Know about ALL windows operating systems. Yes, even all the way back to DOS. Be sure you know how they:
A: boot
B: manage memory

Hardware: Memory is important. I was glad I memorized the default IRQ's for the 95/98 era. Otherwise, just know what a ZIF socket is and you'll be fine.

The A+ exam asks a lot of trivia questions, also. They're easy if you've been around computers for a while. For instance, What is the folder name windows 95 puts its files in?

 
It is worth getting it. Besides giving a person a better handle on the fundamentals, most advanced certs tell you to start with A+.

Here is another plug for the Mike Meyers A+ and Network+ books. I read both books cover to cover and passed both tests.

Redbeard= A+, Network+, Server+
 
Originally posted by: redbeard1
It is worth getting it. Besides giving a person a better handle on the fundamentals, most advanced certs tell you to start with A+.

Here is another plug for the Mike Meyers A+ and Network+ books. I read both books cover to cover and passed both tests.

Redbeard= A+, Network+, Server+
Click to expand...
And best of all, you've got the Reality+ cert as well 😉 (knowing which SCA adapters work well, for instance)

 
Its worth taking. expecially for a start. A lot of the certificatons require A+ and Network + as prerequisites. You can also use some of these certs to bypass or test out of some college classes.
Bye the end of year i will take and pass A+, Network+ and MSDST - Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician.
From there it would be nice to have the experience of taking technology test when you go for some of the Advanced MS test for your career. Depending on your curriculim sometimes you will have to take an MCSE etc while in school. Most people in school for finance will be forced to take a Series 7 to become a "licensed stock broker" - Its along the same line. Good luck. Some say its worthless but how many "Techs" on this forum have one?
 
No disrespect but that's bull. I have A+ and am a PC Tech and although I have advanced far beyond A+ now, I can tell you that nobody without good computer skills and knowlenge would have a chance of passing and the average pc user would not even understand the questions much less have a chance in hell of passing and to be honest I think everybody here is underestimating the level of this test and most people would not pass it without some hard studying. It is a good thing to have. Also if somebody with A+ does not know what RAID 0 is they must of forgot what they learned for the test because that is part of the test material.
 
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