Four specialist training areas feature in the full CompTIA A+ syllabus, of which you need to pass two to gain A+ competency. We would advise however that limiting yourself to 2 of the specialised areas could expose flaws in your knowledge when applying for a job. Choose a course with all 4 subjects - employers will notice the difference.
Passing the A+ exam on its own will give you the ability to mend and maintain computers and Macs; ones that are most often not part of a network - essentially the domestic or small business sector. If you would like to be a man or woman who is a member of a large organisation - supporting, fixing and maintaining networks, you'll need to add CompTIA Network+, or consider an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft to give you a wider knowledge of how networks work.
Ensure all your accreditations are commercially valid and current - don't even consider courses which lead to some in-house certificate (which is as useless as if you'd printed it yourself). Only fully recognised qualifications from the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA and Cisco will have any meaning to employers.
Usually, trainers will provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. It's not a very interesting way to learn and isn't the best way to go about achieving retention. Research has constantly demonstrated that connecting physically with our study, is much more conducive to long-term memory.
Locate a program where you'll receive a library of CD and DVD based materials - you'll be learning from instructor videos and demo's, with the facility to use virtual lab's to practice your new skills. All companies should be able to show you some simple examples of the type of training materials they provide. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and a variety of interactive modules.
Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where offered, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - it's not wise to be held hostage to your broadband being 'up' 100 percent of the time.
Far too many companies are all about the certification, and completely avoid what you actually need - which is a commercial career or job. Always start with where you want to get to - too many people focus on the journey. It's common, in many cases, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training and then find yourself trapped for decades in a job you hate, entirely because you stumbled into it without the correct research when it was needed - at the start.
Take time to understand your leanings around career development, earning potential, and how ambitious you are. It makes sense to understand what will be expected of you, what particular exams are needed and in what way you can develop commercial experience. Have a chat with someone that understands the work you're contemplating, and who'll explain to you detailed descriptions of what you actually do in that role. Contemplating this well before you start on any learning path will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort.
A key package of training will undoubtedly also include accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. As a lot of IT examining boards tend to be American, you'll need to be used to the correct phraseology. You can't practice properly by just going through the right questions - they must be in an exam format that exactly replicates the real thing. Mock exams can be invaluable as a resource to you - so that when you come to take the real thing, you will be much more relaxed.
Quite often, students have issues with one area of their training very rarely considered: The way the training is divided into chunks and packaged off through the post. Many companies enrol you into some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and courier the materials in pieces as you get to the end of each exam. This sounds reasonable until you consider the following: What could you expect if you didn't actually complete every section at the proposed pace? And maybe you'll find their order of completion doesn't work as well as an alternative path could be.
To be honest, the very best answer is to have their ideal 'order' of training laid out, but get everything up-front. You're then in possession of everything if you don't manage to finish at their required pace.
Passing the A+ exam on its own will give you the ability to mend and maintain computers and Macs; ones that are most often not part of a network - essentially the domestic or small business sector. If you would like to be a man or woman who is a member of a large organisation - supporting, fixing and maintaining networks, you'll need to add CompTIA Network+, or consider an MCSA or MCSE with Microsoft to give you a wider knowledge of how networks work.
Ensure all your accreditations are commercially valid and current - don't even consider courses which lead to some in-house certificate (which is as useless as if you'd printed it yourself). Only fully recognised qualifications from the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA and Cisco will have any meaning to employers.
Usually, trainers will provide mainly work-books and reference manuals. It's not a very interesting way to learn and isn't the best way to go about achieving retention. Research has constantly demonstrated that connecting physically with our study, is much more conducive to long-term memory.
Locate a program where you'll receive a library of CD and DVD based materials - you'll be learning from instructor videos and demo's, with the facility to use virtual lab's to practice your new skills. All companies should be able to show you some simple examples of the type of training materials they provide. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and a variety of interactive modules.
Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Ideally, you should opt for CD and DVD ROM courseware where offered, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want - it's not wise to be held hostage to your broadband being 'up' 100 percent of the time.
Far too many companies are all about the certification, and completely avoid what you actually need - which is a commercial career or job. Always start with where you want to get to - too many people focus on the journey. It's common, in many cases, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training and then find yourself trapped for decades in a job you hate, entirely because you stumbled into it without the correct research when it was needed - at the start.
Take time to understand your leanings around career development, earning potential, and how ambitious you are. It makes sense to understand what will be expected of you, what particular exams are needed and in what way you can develop commercial experience. Have a chat with someone that understands the work you're contemplating, and who'll explain to you detailed descriptions of what you actually do in that role. Contemplating this well before you start on any learning path will prevent a lot of wasted time and effort.
A key package of training will undoubtedly also include accredited exam simulation and preparation packages. As a lot of IT examining boards tend to be American, you'll need to be used to the correct phraseology. You can't practice properly by just going through the right questions - they must be in an exam format that exactly replicates the real thing. Mock exams can be invaluable as a resource to you - so that when you come to take the real thing, you will be much more relaxed.
Quite often, students have issues with one area of their training very rarely considered: The way the training is divided into chunks and packaged off through the post. Many companies enrol you into some sort of program spread over 1-3 years, and courier the materials in pieces as you get to the end of each exam. This sounds reasonable until you consider the following: What could you expect if you didn't actually complete every section at the proposed pace? And maybe you'll find their order of completion doesn't work as well as an alternative path could be.
To be honest, the very best answer is to have their ideal 'order' of training laid out, but get everything up-front. You're then in possession of everything if you don't manage to finish at their required pace.
About the Author:
(C) Jason Kendall. Try LearningLolly.com for in-depth ideas on Comptia A+ Certification and A+ Training.
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