In total, there are 4 A+ examinations and areas of study, but you only need to achieve certification in two to be considered A+ competent. This is why many educational establishments restrict their course to just 2 areas. Yet learning about all 4 will help you to build a more confident perspective of your subject, which you'll find vital in the commercial world.
Passing the A+ exam by itself will set you up to fix and maintain computers and Macs; ones that are most often not part of a network - this generally applies to home use and small companies. Should you decide to add Network+ to your CompTIA A+ training course, you'll additionally be equipped to look after networks, meaning you're in a position to move further up the career path.
Making the right career choice is hard enough - so which sectors are important to investigate and what questions do we need to be asking?
Don't listen to any salesman that recommends a training program without a decent chat so as to understand your abilities and also your level of experience. Always check they have access to a generous array of training from which they could solve your training issues. If you have a strong background, or perhaps a bit of work-based experience (some certifications gained previously perhaps?) then it's more than likely the level you'll need to start at will be quite dissimilar from someone who is just starting out. For those students embarking on IT studies from scratch, you might like to ease in gradually, kicking off with some basic user skills first. This can easily be incorporated into any study program.
Be careful that the accreditations you're studying for will be commercially viable and are current. Training companies own certificates are usually worthless. Unless your qualification is issued by a big-hitter like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco, then chances are it will be commercially useless - as it'll be an unknown commodity.
Most trainers typically provide a bunch of books and manuals. This can be very boring and isn't the best way to go about achieving retention. Where possible, if we can study while utilising as many senses as possible, then the results are usually dramatically better.
Find a course where you'll receive a selection of CD and DVD ROM's - you'll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, with the facility to use virtual lab's to practice your new skills. All companies must be pushed to demo some simple examples of their courseware. You should hope for instructor-led videos and a wide selection of interactive elements.
It doesn't make sense to opt for on-line only training. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across most broadband providers, make sure you get actual CD or DVD ROM's.
Quite often, students have issues with one area of their training usually not even thought about: The breakdown of the course materials before being delivered to your home. Individual deliveries for each training module one piece at a time, according to your exam schedule is the normal way of receiving your courseware. This sounds logical, but you should consider these factors: What could you expect if you didn't actually complete each and every module within the time limits imposed? Sometimes their preference of study order won't be as easy as some other structure would for you.
To provide the maximum security and flexibility, many trainees now want to make sure that every element of their training is posted to them in one go, with nothing held back. You can then decide at what speed and in which order you want to go.
Proper support is incredibly important - find a program offering 24x7 direct access to instructors, as not opting for this kind of support could impede your ability to learn. Find a good quality service with help available at all hours of the day and night (irrespective of whether it's the wee hours on Sunday morning!) Make sure it's always access directly to professional tutors, and not a message system as this will slow you down - waiting for tutors to call you back - probably during office hours.
Top training providers utilise a web-based round-the-clock system utilising a variety of support centres from around the world. You're offered an easy to use interface that accesses the most appropriate office no matter what time of day it is: Support on demand. Unless you insist on online 24x7 support, you'll quickly find yourself regretting it. You may not need it during the night, but you may need weekends, early mornings or late evenings.
One crafty way that course providers make more money is via an 'exam inclusive' package and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. This looks like a great idea for the student, but is it really:
Thankfully, today we tend to be a bit more aware of hype - and generally we grasp that we are actually being charged for it (it's not a freebie because they like us so much!) Qualifying on the first 'go' is what everyone wants to do. Progressively working through your exams in order and paying for them just before taking them has a marked effect on pass-rates - you take it seriously and are conscious of what you've spent.
Don't pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you at the time, and save having to find the money early. You also get more choice of where you sit the exam - so you can choose somewhere closer to home. Huge profits are netted by many companies who take the exam money up-front. Many students don't take them for one reason or another and so the company is quids-in. Astoundingly enough, there are training companies that actually rely on students not sitting all the exams - as that's very profitable for them. You should fully understand that re-takes via training companies with an 'Exam Guarantee' are monitored with tight restrictions. They'll insist that you take mock exams first till you've proven conclusively that you can pass.
Exams taken at local centres are around 112 pounds in this country. Why pay exorbitant 'Exam Guarantee' fees (usually wrapped up in the course package price) - when the best course materials, the right level of support and a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
How can job security truly exist anymore? In the UK for example, where business constantly changes its mind at alarming speeds, we'd question whether it does. However, a sector experiencing fast growth, where staff are in constant demand (as there is a big shortage of trained staff), opens the possibility of real job security.
The computing Industry skills-gap across the United Kingdom is standing at around 26 percent, as shown by the most recent e-Skills analysis. It follows then that for every four jobs that are available in computing, organisations can only locate certified professionals for three of the four. Properly qualified and commercially accredited new employees are therefore at a resounding premium, and it seems it will continue to be so for many years to come. Actually, seeking in-depth commercial IT training during the next few years is most likely the best career direction you could choose.
Passing the A+ exam by itself will set you up to fix and maintain computers and Macs; ones that are most often not part of a network - this generally applies to home use and small companies. Should you decide to add Network+ to your CompTIA A+ training course, you'll additionally be equipped to look after networks, meaning you're in a position to move further up the career path.
Making the right career choice is hard enough - so which sectors are important to investigate and what questions do we need to be asking?
Don't listen to any salesman that recommends a training program without a decent chat so as to understand your abilities and also your level of experience. Always check they have access to a generous array of training from which they could solve your training issues. If you have a strong background, or perhaps a bit of work-based experience (some certifications gained previously perhaps?) then it's more than likely the level you'll need to start at will be quite dissimilar from someone who is just starting out. For those students embarking on IT studies from scratch, you might like to ease in gradually, kicking off with some basic user skills first. This can easily be incorporated into any study program.
Be careful that the accreditations you're studying for will be commercially viable and are current. Training companies own certificates are usually worthless. Unless your qualification is issued by a big-hitter like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco, then chances are it will be commercially useless - as it'll be an unknown commodity.
Most trainers typically provide a bunch of books and manuals. This can be very boring and isn't the best way to go about achieving retention. Where possible, if we can study while utilising as many senses as possible, then the results are usually dramatically better.
Find a course where you'll receive a selection of CD and DVD ROM's - you'll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, with the facility to use virtual lab's to practice your new skills. All companies must be pushed to demo some simple examples of their courseware. You should hope for instructor-led videos and a wide selection of interactive elements.
It doesn't make sense to opt for on-line only training. Connection quality and reliability varies hugely across most broadband providers, make sure you get actual CD or DVD ROM's.
Quite often, students have issues with one area of their training usually not even thought about: The breakdown of the course materials before being delivered to your home. Individual deliveries for each training module one piece at a time, according to your exam schedule is the normal way of receiving your courseware. This sounds logical, but you should consider these factors: What could you expect if you didn't actually complete each and every module within the time limits imposed? Sometimes their preference of study order won't be as easy as some other structure would for you.
To provide the maximum security and flexibility, many trainees now want to make sure that every element of their training is posted to them in one go, with nothing held back. You can then decide at what speed and in which order you want to go.
Proper support is incredibly important - find a program offering 24x7 direct access to instructors, as not opting for this kind of support could impede your ability to learn. Find a good quality service with help available at all hours of the day and night (irrespective of whether it's the wee hours on Sunday morning!) Make sure it's always access directly to professional tutors, and not a message system as this will slow you down - waiting for tutors to call you back - probably during office hours.
Top training providers utilise a web-based round-the-clock system utilising a variety of support centres from around the world. You're offered an easy to use interface that accesses the most appropriate office no matter what time of day it is: Support on demand. Unless you insist on online 24x7 support, you'll quickly find yourself regretting it. You may not need it during the night, but you may need weekends, early mornings or late evenings.
One crafty way that course providers make more money is via an 'exam inclusive' package and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. This looks like a great idea for the student, but is it really:
Thankfully, today we tend to be a bit more aware of hype - and generally we grasp that we are actually being charged for it (it's not a freebie because they like us so much!) Qualifying on the first 'go' is what everyone wants to do. Progressively working through your exams in order and paying for them just before taking them has a marked effect on pass-rates - you take it seriously and are conscious of what you've spent.
Don't pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you at the time, and save having to find the money early. You also get more choice of where you sit the exam - so you can choose somewhere closer to home. Huge profits are netted by many companies who take the exam money up-front. Many students don't take them for one reason or another and so the company is quids-in. Astoundingly enough, there are training companies that actually rely on students not sitting all the exams - as that's very profitable for them. You should fully understand that re-takes via training companies with an 'Exam Guarantee' are monitored with tight restrictions. They'll insist that you take mock exams first till you've proven conclusively that you can pass.
Exams taken at local centres are around 112 pounds in this country. Why pay exorbitant 'Exam Guarantee' fees (usually wrapped up in the course package price) - when the best course materials, the right level of support and a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
How can job security truly exist anymore? In the UK for example, where business constantly changes its mind at alarming speeds, we'd question whether it does. However, a sector experiencing fast growth, where staff are in constant demand (as there is a big shortage of trained staff), opens the possibility of real job security.
The computing Industry skills-gap across the United Kingdom is standing at around 26 percent, as shown by the most recent e-Skills analysis. It follows then that for every four jobs that are available in computing, organisations can only locate certified professionals for three of the four. Properly qualified and commercially accredited new employees are therefore at a resounding premium, and it seems it will continue to be so for many years to come. Actually, seeking in-depth commercial IT training during the next few years is most likely the best career direction you could choose.
About the Author:
Jason Kendall has been in the IT industry for 20 yrs. He should understand what he's talking about by now. To find out more on Comptia Training, visit LearningLolly Computer Training.
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