COMPTIA CERTIFICATION

COMPTIA CERTIFICATION

Computer Hardware comprises all of the physical parts of a computer, as distinguished from the data it contains or operates on, and the software that provides instructions for the hardware to accomplish tasks.The boundary between hardware and software is slightly blurry—firmware is software that is "built-in" to the hardware, but such firmware is usually the province of computer programmers and computer engineers in any case and not an issue that computer users need to concern themselves with.

Computer Hardware Refers to objects that you can actually touch, like disks, disk drives, display screens, keyboards, printers, boards, and chips. In contrast, software is untouchable. Software exists as ideas, concepts, and symbols, but it has no substance.

Comptia certifications appear to be some of the hottest around at the moment - particularly the A+ certification and Net+ certification. Certainly from an IT entry-level point of view anyhow. Here's my collection of free resources and exam information for the Comptia A+ certification.

I hope there is something here that will help you to become certified, but first, an overview of the A+ certification. The Comptia A+ certification has been around for over 10 years now and boasts nearly 500,000 certified technicians around the world.

By obtaining the A+ certification you are able to demonstrate that you have a broad understanding and knowledge of the basic hardware and operating system technologies. This includes, but is not limited to, installation, configuration, diagnosing, preventive maintenance and basic networking.

In November 2003 the Comptia A+ Certification was upgraded to reflect current technologies and practices. While the changes in themselves are not major (according to Comptia's website) the exam now covers the latest memory, bus, peripherals, operating systems (ME and XP) and wireless in addition to the current requirements that require the candidate to display the knowledge and skills necessary to competently install, build, configure, upgrade, troubleshoot and repair personal computer compatible hardware and PC operating systems, including troubleshooting basic network and Internet connectivity, dial-up, DSL, and cable.

The A+ exams test the following areas of knowledge: · Installation, configuring and upgrading · Diagnosis and troubleshooting · Preventive maintenance · Motherboard, processors and memory · Printers · Basic networking · OS fundamentals and Computer Hardware knowledge.

Networks View the complete 2001 A+ certification core hardware objectives here View the complete 2001 A+ certification core Operating System objectives here View the complete 2003 A+ certification core hardware objectives here (pdf file format, requires Acrobat reader) View the complete 2003 A+ certification core Operating System objectives here (pdf file format) The A+ certification is made up of two separate components.

The 220-221 A+ Core Hardware exam, and the 220-222 A+ Operating Systems exam. There are no pre-requisites for either exam meaning you can study for, and take, these exams without any prior certification or course attendance requirement. The tests are adaptive and the exam is graded on a score of 0 - 1300.

You need a minimum score of 596 to pass the hardware section, and a minimum score of 600 to pass the OS technology section. Don't ask me why the difference.

You have a maximum of 30 minutes to complete each exam, and there are between 20 and 30 questions on each of the A+ exams. As with any adaptive test, you may not be required to complete all questions before your exam is graded.

You can choose to take the tests separately but you won't be A+ certified until you have successfully passed both exams. Tips: Get an old computer that you can practice on. Nothing beats hands on experience.