Until the next guide…
This should be enough information for our first guide. Remember some of the ideas to keep in mind while studying up on this stuff – first, the A+ exam is nothing more than a simple test the industry administers to check for some level of competency in the computer repair business. Personally, as one speaking to another, I would tell you that it requires nothing more than some time and a pulse to pass the A+ exam on first attempt. However, you do need to take the time to learn this stuff, and one of the best ways of hands-on learning, per se, is to simply find older PC’s and open up that dusty case to observe all the parts and components discussed in this guide. Unfortunately, most of the information found within the A+ exam is somewhat archaic in nature by today’s standards. The majority of questions will not ask you to differentiate between AGP 4X and 8X, or PCI and PCI-X. The majority of the questions are on older and more standardized technology, as this is simply the way many CompTIA tests are, despite CompTIA’s best efforts to keep them up to date. Your best strategy is to review all material that you can in order to stay both up date with current information yet very competent in the technologies of yesteryear.
Some Resources for your Own Studying (Extended)
Although this guide should cover all the “Exam Cram” series style information, there is still much to be learned in all fields concerning the history of computers and their respective technologies. At the end of each guide, I will provide you a new A+ certification resource that is concise and yet extends the information provided in this guide. This week, I will recommend a resource that personally helped me achieve this certification a great deal – MCMCSE. Along with providing A+ practice exams and study guides, MCMCSE covers a great deal of other major certifications in a fair amount of detail. Best of all, its free! Check it out. http://www.mcmcse.com
Practice Questions
1. You are attempting a repair of a client’s PC. The client is reporting that a new network card he bought is not being detected by Windows 98. Upon opening the case, you observe that the network card is properly inserted into the slot and there are no misconnected wires. Everything appears to be in proper order. However, Windows is not detecting the card. The card is most likely inserted into the
a. PCI slot
b. ISA slot
c. AGP slot
d. PCI-X slot
2. Which of the following is not asynchronous?
a. USB
b. Parallel
c. Firewire
d. Serial
3. Which of the following does not utilize a male connector on the peripheral end?
a. Serial Modem
b. Monitor
c. Printer
d. PS/2 Mouse
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