Training for your CompTIA A+ has four specialist sections – you need to pass exams in just two sectors to be seen as competent in A+. Because of this, most colleges only offer two of the four in the syllabus. To us, this is selling you short – of course you can gain accreditation, but knowing about the others will give you a distinct advantage in industry, where knowledge of all four will be necessary. So that’s why you deserve training in all 4 specialities.
Passing the A+ exam without additional courses will give you the ability to mend and maintain stand alone Macs, computers and laptops; ones which are usually not part of a network – which means the home or small business market.
Should you be thinking of being responsible for networks of computers, add the very comprehensive Network+ to your A+ course. Including Network+ will enable you to get a higher paid position. Alternatively, you may prefer the route to networking via Microsoft, in the form of MCP’s, MCSA or the full MCSE.
It’s essential to have the current Microsoft (or relevant organisation’s) authorised exam preparation packages.
Often students can be thrown off course by practicing questions for their exams that aren’t recognised by official boards. Quite often, the question formats and phraseology can be completely unlike un-authorised versions and it’s vital that you know this.
You should make sure you check your depth of understanding by doing quizzes and mock ups of exams to get you ready for the proper exam.
Traditional teaching in classrooms, utilising reference manuals and books, can be pretty hard going sometimes. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, look for learning programmes that are on-screen and interactive.
Our ability to remember is increased when we use multiple senses – learning experts have been saying this for many years.
Programs are now found via DVD-ROM discs, where your computer becomes the centre of your learning. Utilising the latest video technology, you can sit back and watch the teachers showing you precisely how to do something, with some practice time to follow – via the interactive virtual lab’s.
It’s imperative to see examples of the study materials provided by any company that you may want to train through. They have to utilise instructor-led video demonstrations with virtual practice-lab’s.
Select CD and DVD ROM based physical training media wherever available. You can then avoid all the difficulties of broadband ‘downtime’ or slow-speeds.
Chat with a practiced advisor and they can normally tell you many worrying experiences of salespeople ripping-off unsuspecting students. Ensure you only ever work with an experienced industry advisor who quizzes you to find out what’s right for you – not for their bank-account! It’s very important to locate the right starting point of study for you.
It’s worth remembering, if you have some relevant previous certification, then you will often be able to start at a different point than someone new to the industry.
Consider starting with a user-skills course first. This can set the scene for your on-going studies and make the learning curve a a little easier.
Incorporating examination fees as an inclusive element of the package price and offering an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is popular with many training course providers. Consider the facts:
They’ve allowed costings for it one way or another. It’s definitely not free – it’s just been rolled into the price of the whole package.
The honest truth is that when trainees fund their relevant examinations, one after the other, the chances are they’re going to qualify each time – as they’ll be conscious of the cost and so will prepare more thoroughly.
Isn’t it in your interests to go for the best offer at the time, instead of paying a premium to a training course provider, and to do it locally – rather than in some remote centre?
Big margins are netted by a significant number of organisations who get money for exam fees in advance. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don’t get to do their exams but the company keeps the money. Surprising as it sounds, there are providers that rely on that fact – as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from.
It’s also worth noting that exam guarantees often have very little value. The majority of organisations will not pay for you to re-take until you can prove to them you’re ready to pass.
Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are in the region of 112 pounds in the UK. Why pay exorbitant ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (most often hidden in the package) – when good quality study materials, the proper support and a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
(C) Jason Kendall. Try LearningLolly.com for smart ideas. Comptia Certification or A+ Courses.
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