A+ Certification

[ghost_of_war]

I know many of you have taken this test, passed it and moved on with your lives. My question is, what is the cost to take the test, approximately how many questions and do they combine all sections together or do I have choice of which section I can take. Any way to take and pay for the test from home? Or do I have to visit a local community center/college to take it? Just curious...

[Hot Rod]

You will have to visit a testing center. Check with your nearest community college. I took mine at the local community college. When I took it, it was costing $100 but since I was an alumni, the college gave it to me for $50.

[ghost_of_war]

Ah, great man, thanks!

[Hot Rod]

If I remember right the test was also....what's the word...progressve or something like that. I can't think of the word. But basically, as you answer the questions, it determines how many more questions you have left. The more you get right, the less questions there are. It adjusts to how well you do.

[ghost_of_war]

Cool, even better...

[LocoCoyote]

The only places CompTIA lets you take the tests (there are 2 for A+) are at a VUE or Prometric test center (these could be at a community college). Prices vary I paid 4180 per test for mine.
www.comptia.org
www.2test.com
www.vue.com
the above sites can give you all the info you need and you can register online.
the tests are Adaptive. This means that yo get asked a question and if you get it right, you move on to a harder question. If you get it wrong you get an eaiser question. Sounds good doesn't it?

IT'S NOT!!!!
Hard questions have a higher rating than easy questions. read that as more questions to answer for the eaiser ones. plus, if you get it wrong, the test hammers at your weak spots. My advice...know your stuff! don't try to half-a#@ it.
One other bit...
the test isn't that hard, but they do try to trick you with the wording sometimes. read VERY carefully.
Good Luck!

[LocoCoyote]

Make that $180..missed the darn shift key!!

[ktkendall]

Hello There:
I took the A+ just about a year ago at the prometric site locally. There are 2 parts and you can take each at totally different times if you like. Passing both gets you the certification. It was 139 dollars for each part when I took them, and you go into a room with a camera on you and are watched so you don't cheat. You do get a marker pen and pad provided by them so you can jot things down like the standard IRQ assignments and anything else you have committed to memory that would help to write down. I found that I was way overprepared. I could have pased the hardware portion without even taking the study course I took, and probably even have passed the OS portion. The course I took was way too long and in-depth for A+, but I learned alot. There is a new test by Comptia called Server+ and the good news is some stuff like backups and RAID have pretty much been shifted to that exam, which was good news for me as those were the ones I knew I was weak on going into the test. GOOD LUCK,
It's really easy if you've built your own PC, loaded an OS, and done any upgrading and tweaking at all that will be a good foundation and a good study course or book specifically for A+ and you'll do fine...

[ktkendall]

OH Yes::
As stated above::
Make sure you understand the question and EXACTLY what they are asking.. Read it twice if you have to, that became the key point for me was to be sure I understand the question and watch the wording and they are looking for the best answer of the choices given, which if I remember sometimes there are more than one than could conceviebly be right but they want the most right, the best one out of the choices given... HTH

[Hot Rod]

Thinking back...total for mine was $100....$50 each test. It's been awhile so forgot about that. Again, that is because I was an alum of the school and the school gives us breaks on them.

We didn't have video cameras but there is a person in the room that keeps an eye on you.

I had built my own PCs but I picked up a book at the local bookstore that had some sample test questions and basic knowledge. That helped because then it gave me a good idea on what to expect in the test.

Adaptive....that is the word that I was looking for.

[ghost_of_war]

Thank you for the input guys - I appreciate it...

[LocoCoyote]

Always like to help folks onto the road to certs......

It was hard for me to start. I am one of those self taught dudes so I never really know where the holes in my education are until I hit them.

[ghost_of_war]

Same with me, I have always been self-taught and I am afraid to have to take the test more than once. LOL...

[mattg2k4]

I suggest to go to your local bookstore and buy a book for this, I have the A+ Certification Exam Guide, 4th ed. by Michael Meyers, and it is a great reference book even if you don't intend to take the test. I seriously loved reading it

[ghost_of_war]

Yes, that is the book I have been browsing. I also picked up his MCSE guides as well. Very informative and helpful...