The A+

[lithium726]

Alright, id just like to know how hard this thing is... ive been dealing with computers and troubleshooting/ building/configuring ect for a while now, and i need to get this cert to get an actual job in this type of feild. i was wondering... do i really have to know what all the IRQ's do? or how windows 95 acts under specific conditions? i would think that since microsoft isnt even supporting windows 95 anymore, no one who HAS it is gonna want help with it... anyway, any pointers would be helpful, im planning on taking soon.. and it costs 300 freakin dollars

 

[redbeard1]

They still ask the IRQ questions, they just may not have as many of them as they used to. After last November they implemented a new test to add Win ME and XP, so I think some of the older stuff was bumped. I linked to the book that I used to pass the test. It was right on for what was needed to pass.

While I think I could have possibly passed the test without reading it, it does prep you for all the little things you might not know, or how they want the answers to be phrased. I would also say to go right for the Network+ book and test. There is a fair amount of basic stuff that crosses over for both. I did both within a couple of months and it helped me through the Network+ test to have just done the A+.

A+ Book

Network+

 

[nanaki333]

i just took the A+ about a month or so ago. it isn't that hard at all. there's quite a bit of win9x questions, not that many IRQ questions though. In fact, i don't remember any at all when i took it. no 2 tests are the same though. there were quite a bit of scsi questions on there. a couple if wireless questions, nothing that isn't common sense though. asks what you need to do when troubleshooting. like if the mouse doesn't work, how do you switch between the tabs, easy stuff like that. oh, they also make you label some components on a motherboard diagram in the hardware part. like where the ram goes, which part is the PCI, etc. you should pass it no prob.

 

[lithium726]

well thats great to hear, and 9x= no prob.. i got 98 and ME to fool with, will have to brush up on scsi tho, thanks!

 

kinda of a hijack, but what about the N+. I read through most of the book redbeard linked to, but I'm not sure I remember much. (When you spend >1/4 of your time watching movies and the book is photocopied, its hard to really care about a class)

 

[metrocka]

So i look up that book on Barnes and Noble.com... great 41.99 ... sweet. I call up the local Barnes and Noble, the price is 59.99... its 2004, they can't sync up prices. geesh

 

[imported_raybay]

If you know your stuff you will be OK, but you cannot fake it. You cannot know HP and Compaq desktops and get through it. You need to know more than the hobbyist who has built a couple. You can find many sample tests online. If you want to pass it, read a book or two. All the A+ preparation manuals I have seen are preparation enough. I know a lot of skilled technicians who did not pass it the first time through. You should know SCSI, and the concepts behind IRQ's. You need to know the nomenclature, and have experience with motherboards, pci cards, isa cards, modems, and power supplies going back to 1994. You must have a good working knowledge of 98SE, ME, W2K, and XP. You should be able to recognize components in a drawing. Be able to discuss memory from 70 pin DIMMS to DDR. Some guys get an easy test, but not so many lately. The test has been revised to test you where it senses you have weaknesses. These changes that occurred last fall have given people trouble. Before, you could get lucky and have enough general and technical knowledge to pass overall, even though you had some lapses. Now the test takes a closer look at your lapses to see if they are knowledge gaps.