Taking the A+ certification tests soon...suggestions!?!

[msi1337]

going to be taking the A+ hardware test on 8/15 and the software test 8/22

my company has paid for both tests.

I am pretty certain that I will do fine.. I have been in this industry quite a while now...

anyone give me some suggestions on focus areas?
UPDATE: PASSED THE CORE TEST IN 24 MINUTES!

 

[Vette73]

suggestions!?!

Don't fall asleep and you should be fine.
Then come back and tell us what they are asking and how ya did.

 

[jlbenedict]

Originally posted by: msi1337
do they still test for knowledge on SCSI, ISA, Win95, WinNT, older outdated things of that nature?

I took it back in 2002; which I believe is before it was revised again. I do know that generally if it is in a book or study guide, then there is a good chance that CompTIA will slip a few questions on the tests.

Just to be on the safe side, see if you can get your hands on an All-In-One study guide and glance through it real quick.

 

[msi1337]

I have a 2006 book on the tests and I am reading through it.. I guess if I can get all that info digested I should be okay

 

[Scarpozzi]

When I took it in 2000 or so, they had just revised it. (maybe it was '01?) Anyhow, they didn't have the adaptive one so I had to take the long version of the exam. It still only took me like an hour and a half to finish both tests. It should be pretty simple if you know your stuff about IRQs, static, and basic PC components... Sadly, I haven't had much use for my certification, but I still got like $400 in bonuses from my job and reimbursement when I successfully completed it.....and I didn't even study.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Taking the A+ certification tests soon...suggestions!?!

Now this is very important, VERY important. When you get out of bed on the morning of the test, do this one critical, utterly CRUCIAL thing:

Check for your own pulse

That is all.

 

[Spineshank]

I took the 2003 version, isnt that hard. But its harder than the 2000 version.

 

[Megadeth]

You should do fine, it's an easy exam. I would suggest you at least do a couple practice tests....
MCMCSE.com
techexams.net
http://www.free-tests.com/comptia.shtml

 

[Wapp]

Like the other guy said: brush up on your IRQs.

 

[BKLounger]

Coffee! Drinks Plenty of it before hand. It is boring and useless. The a+ is as useful to a computer tech as a jackhammer is to a neurosurgeon.

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: msi1337
do they still test for knowledge on SCSI, ISA, Win95, WinNT, older outdated things of that nature?

When did SCSI become outdated? Yeah, FC and even iSCSI are out there pretty heavily but SCSI is far from outdated.

 

[msi1337]

sorry.. I should have made mention that those are things I personally never have to use... but yes, still active

 

[msi1337]

took the A+ Core Hardware today... took me 24 minutes..was a lot easier than I expected.

 

[FoBoT]

i suggest you study and i suggest you pass


good luck

 

[Philippine Mango]

Originally posted by: msi1337
going to be taking the A+ hardware test on 8/15 and the software test 8/22

my company has paid for both tests.

I am pretty certain that I will do fine.. I have been in this industry quite a while now...

anyone give me some suggestions on focus areas?

do they still test for knowledge on VESA, ISA, Win95, 286,386,486, older outdated things of that nature?

You want to pass the test? Get a 486 machine, a sound blaster sound card, SCSI II controller card with HDDs and optical drives, ATI mach 64 graphics card, and get them ALL WORKING on a Windows 3.1 machine. That means installing 3.1 on a SCSI HDD, installing drivers for all of those devices and configuring IRQs, Interrupts, I/O range, Etc.

If you can get this machine to work at 800X60032bit or 1024X768 Resolution16bit, the sound card that actually HAS SOUND, a CDROM drive that works, on a SCSI bus, and play a game like mechwarrior Mercenaries, then I'd say you're good to go.