A+ Certification

[Drum Thumper]

I just passed the 220-601 exam (Essentials). Next week I take the Depot Tech exam and hopefully by the first of the year I'll have my foot in the door with one of the IT firms here in town.

For those of you who care, I passed it with a 715. Not the greatest score, but the simple fact that I took this test with hardly any preparation is quite the confidence booster.

[DaveW]

Congrats man. :)

-Dave

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

congrats.. i plan to go for mine as soon as i can pay for it lolz

[gramatton]

Whats do you get an A+ for, and what's it worth? I've never really taken the time to look into what its about because my boss turns down guys that come in with A+s all the time and yet he hires guys like me who have no certs but a few years practical experience.

Aaand, does anyone know how it compares to the CCNA certification? That thing kicked my ass, and I was only a few points shy of a pass.

[Drum Thumper]

Whats do you get an A+ for, and what's it worth? I've never really taken the time to look into what its about because my boss turns down guys that come in with A+s all the time and yet he hires guys like me who have no certs but a few years practical experience.

Every market is different. Here in Montana, I won't even be talked to unless I have the A+ certification as a bare minimum. Never mind the fact that I already possess a degree in IT. Ideally, I would have skipped A+ and gone straight to Network+ and Linux+.

Also bear in mind that everyone is different as well. I wrote my first computer program at the age of 9 (I'm 31 now) and built my first system when I was 15 or 16. The A+ certification seems to be nothing more than a formality.



Aaand, does anyone know how it compares to the CCNA certification? That thing kicked my ass, and I was only a few points shy of a pass.

From what I've heard, CCNA is right up there with the MSCE tests--ass kickers if you are not prepared. My current boss is in the same boat as you--she was a few points shy three or four years ago from getting a pass on the CCNA test.

[Vitz¥^]

Gratz fella! I'm in the process of doing the same exam (or preperation for anyway). Will hopefully have the exam done and passed early on in the new year and the new career on the way :D (Selling houses aint making me any money these days, lol).

[SgtM]

Congrats Joe!


From what I've heard, CCNA is right up there with the MSCE tests--ass kickers if you are not prepared. My current boss is in the same boat as you--she was a few points shy three or four years ago from getting a pass on the CCNA test.

Yeah, the CCNA is a real butt kicker. The CompTIA certs a much easier compred to the CCNA or even any MS test. I too failed the CCNA by a few points because I psyched myself out for it.

[thrash]

Congrats on the pass! I actually teach A+ and MCDST at a high school for dual credit. CCNA is WAY more powerful in the market against A+. A+ is a basic hardware, were as CCNA is basic infrasture design.

If you were wanted to work for ISP companies, CCNA will get you in with hardly any effort. I'm not talking about being a phone teller, i'm talking about you designing and working on the ISP's IP scheme. Which in some cases can add up to 100k per year depending on the area you are in.


A+ is really a test to get you a interview in most cases (if you have no experience). If you have a few years of experience and some good references you should be OK. But if you don't have any of that, A+ is a great way for a employer to know you will at least attempt being good.

Again congrats, move on and take the Net+ and Security+ as soon as you can. Don't quit and be like me, you will never want to go back and try to get more certs :(

[ShockTheBox]

good job. its fun getting more certs .. i am doing my vista and mcse, stuff right now.. its great ..
i gots most of the comptia ones that i wanted already

[Drum Thumper]

Again congrats, move on and take the Net+ and Security+ as soon as you can. Don't quit and be like me, you will never want to go back and try to get more certs :(

I'm also going to add Linux+ to the list. In fact, I'm planning on taking that one sometime within the next six months, followed by Network+ and then Security+.

Thanks everyone for the kind words!

[mittelmeier]

Congratz man! Good luck on the rest of the tests.

[gramatton]

So how would one go about learning about and taking this exam?

[Drum Thumper]

So how would one go about learning about and taking this exam?

First off, check out the Comptia (http://www.comptia.org) site. In order to become A+ certified, you have to pass two exams: the 220-601 (Essentials) and either the 220-602, 220-603, or the 220-604. Of the three, the 220-602 is the most popular, as the 603 and 604 exams pertain to help desk (ie call centers) and depot tech fields, respectively. I originally planned on taking the 220-604, but since the 220-602 is the most popular of the three...

Each exam costs $168 USD as of this writing. Figure on spending at least another $40 for a good textbook and spending a good chunk of time studying said book.

PM me if you have any other questions.

[Liquid_Scope_99]

congradulations man good luck

[ownaginatious]

CCNA is so bull****. That test is so insanely easy to cheat on, I can't imagine the certification being worth much these days. People in my class got the certification without even being able to properly explain what a router is...

[thrash]

CCNA is so bull****. That test is so insanely easy to cheat on, I can't imagine the certification being worth much these days. People in my class got the certification without even being able to properly explain what a router is...

I find that pretty hard to believe considering you have to know IP addressing and schemes. You have to be able to convert ip's multiple times in binary, hex, and back to numbers. How do you cheat on a test that is designed to where you have to build your own network compiled of routers, switches, and hubs. Then you have to assign IP's the correct way. Oh and you have to be able to log in and configure a switch.

[killergamer]

I'm getting the A+ test for free because im in skills USA and the whole competition is the ability to complete the test then fix a computer while telling the judges how im doing it.

[Drum Thumper]

830/900. 92%. Minimum passing grade is 700.

I'm now a certified A+ Technician!

:banana:

Edit: Now I'm gonna go sell 8 bit Nintendo's on ebay with different colored LED's and proudly display my A+ cert alongside the machine in the pictures as well! :D

[nevermind1534]

I do that without the cert, and, usually without the LEDs (I'm still using the ones that you sold me), and I make more money on them (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&item=270315589333) than that guy. I don't like that there's more people bragging about it in their auctions. You should start selling them, although you probably would have done better before Christmas.

[SgtM]

Congrats Joe!


CCNA is so bull****. That test is so insanely easy to cheat on, I can't imagine the certification being worth much these days. People in my class got the certification without even being able to properly explain what a router is...

Explain. Have you actually sat the CCNA? I have, and I found it very hard to cheat.

[Drum Thumper]

CCNA is so bull****. That test is so insanely easy to cheat on, I can't imagine the certification being worth much these days. People in my class got the certification without even being able to properly explain what a router is...


Congrats Joe!



Explain. Have you actually sat the CCNA? I have, and I found it very hard to cheat.

Indeed, do explain. I was under video and audio surveillance while taking my A+ certs. These guys don't **** around at all when it comes to cheating, therefore I cannot imagine that the Cisco cert tests are any different.

[Tech-Daddy]

A+ and MCP right now.... been torn between pursuig my MCSA + security or sitting the Security+ testing.
CCNA is something that I have also considered, but that knowledge in my current track is not something that I want ownership of. Already on call 24x7 supporting the MS environment, I dont need to amplify my chances of getting torn from modding/bed/sweet luvins/etc because I happen to also understand the Cisco side of the equation....

Although that would up my value substantially to my current company....

Hrmm....

[TheGreatSatan]

I have no desire to get certified in anything. It's just me

[Drum Thumper]

I have no desire to get certified in anything. It's just me

Hell, that's completely understandable. Everyone is different. Some of us get certified in order to get a better paying job, others do it because they feel it is a challenge to their man (or woman) hood, and yet others do it because they can. I'm guilty of all three of these examples, and now that the floodgates have been breached, I don't plan to stop until I have:


Network+
Security+
Linux+
MCSE, and
CCNAunder my belt. My goal is to have all this accomplished by the time I am 35, and then work a good thirty years in IT.

[gramatton]

Congrats on becoming fulling certified.

Concerning cheating on the CCNA:

There were 2 guys in my CCNA class in high school that found the answers to the tests and were able to get through 3 semesters like that, but finally got found out and were kicked out of the class.

As far as cheating on the actual certification exam, it would be damn near impossible. Me and my friend were under both video and audio surveillance. I leaned back in my chair to stretch and someone came in not even 2 seconds later to check if I was cheating.

And getting though it without knowing anything would be impossible as well because, like stated above, there are many things you need working knowledge of, IP addressing, subnetting, wildcard masks, and such, not to mention the fact that you not only need to know how to set up a network with switches, routers, hubs and bridges, but you also need to know how to configure them.

All in all, it is damn near impossible so cheat on a certification like that.

Edit:
I'll also note the fact that you said in your class, which leads me to assume you are taking this at school, in which case I already listed how you can cheat on the TESTS for the semesters, the class itself as it is taken at a SCHOOL, but not the certification itself.

[SXRguyinMA]

congrats :up:

[ownaginatious]

I don't know, my high school got "testing centre" status or whatever. Basically, the teacher running it was an idiot and pretty much walked out during the exam. A lot of people used IP address calculators to do all the sub netting for them. They searched the questions on the internet and were able to find discussion boards with close enough solutions. on top of that, our school drop off folder wasn't set up properly, so you could pick up someone else's router configurations and assignments/exams from your computer and read the whole thing...

I'm pretty sure my school wasn't the only one that ran into problems like that. Luckily Cisco seemed to revamp all their material after my class was over, which severely cut down on cheating on the classes after mine. I don't think my school was able to be a testing centre again after that though. :p

That teacher left the school, but the guy who tookover teaching Cisco is an even bigger idiot. He had to ask one of the students in my class how to subnet! :rolleyes:

[Drum Thumper]

He had to ask one of the students in my class how to subnet! :rolleyes:

That actually sounds like one of the oldest tricks in the book to see if people are actually paying attention. I had an instructor (and a few division level corporate managers for that matter) ask similar questions. I just about went off the handle the last time it happened, mainly because no one cared at all for the idgit corporate suit that was going around asking irrelevant questions. Thankfully this moron got forced out of management.

[XcOM]

i would do my A+ but can't afford it, it is on my list of things i want to do, along with:

MCSE
MCDST
CCNA
Linux +
Networking +

and im good.