A+ certification overwhelming....

[nirrtix]

Ok I bought Mike Meyers book for A+ certification and have bought the total tester practice tests....

The book was information overload was was totally overwhelming. I do not expect this test to be something you simply pass, but everything it seems you need to know and all the acronyms for every device or cable etc is ridiculous.

In the testing program sometimes they tell you the devices etc by names and others using the acronyms. I am not sure how anyone prepares for this test actually understanding anything... TBH I am not sure how someone who works in the field knows all the junk they seem to want you to know. To me it almost seems like in school they teach you accounting by hand, while in the field all accountants use Quickbooks.

I guess my question is what should I do to study, because using this program it feels like I am gonna have to write more than 500 flashcards.... (rolls eyes.)

 

[atomicWAR]

A few friends had to take an A+ certification test more then once (especially when recert. after big hardware changes). where as I usually got by. No shame in being a little overwhelmed by it and you not the first person I heard say some seasoned techs might not know XYZ on the test. Just study hard and make plans just in case for a retest. Is there any particular area your having trouble or is it a whole package kind of thing? as far as devices and acronyms. know both as best you can.

 

[atomicWAR]

also did you just read the book or did you try taking a community college/tech campus class for it? Classes are usually good about bring up device name and the acronym. I got my A+ and N+ both initially in that fashion and it helped a little. Though TBH i was ahead of the class experience wise, I still found it useful to attend even if it wasn't required for the testing.

 

[Eximo]

An interesting question. It is more or less meant to be an overload. Each term and acronym represent a technology that is likely still in use.

If this is the A+ Essentials exam, which I think was my lowest score when I took it, is all about memorization. My thoughts on the matter would be to review only the information you think you are not familiar with. I assume you are fairly fluent in the basic parts of a PC, but perhaps not the fine details regarding OS, File Formats, and underlying technologies.

You might want to head to a library or used books store and grab a book on micro computers, networking, or any other topic you think you might not know well. That way you can learn some concepts before going into the small details that the exams ask after.

 

[boosted1g]

In regards to acronyms, go to the next levels to network+ and security+, the list doubles.
You can go to CompTIA directly or a million other websites on the web to find out all the acronyms, you just have to take a few seconds to look.

For any of CompTIA tests you should go to the CompTIA site and get familiar with the test objectives.

For many people the A+ test is just a piece of paper showing they have a basic level of understanding as A+ in absolutely no way gives you the knowledge to actually diagnose hardware and software.

Mike Meyers books were not only failry dry but not often worded in a very helpful way (like when trying to understand the flow of data to authenticate Kerberos for network+). Go to professormessor.com and he has video tutorials explaining the basic concept for all the A+ objectives.

 

[nirrtix]

A few friends had to take an A+ certification test more then once (especially when recert. after big hardware changes). where as I usually got by. No shame in being a little overwhelmed by it and you not the first person I heard say some seasoned techs might not know XYZ on the test. Just study hard and make plans just in case for a retest. Is there any particular area your having trouble or is it a whole package kind of thing? as far as devices and acronyms. know both as best you can.

I may take a class in the fall... this book practice test stuff is too much. As to my experience level... I would say I know enough to work on my computer and maintain it. I am comfortable editing stuff in the registry as long as I have a guide for doing it. I know how to replace parts and build a machine. I overclocked my custom build and when it breaks I typically fix it myself.

On that note though it seems like most of the issues they want are on the level of fixing the mess Windows 10 did when I tried upgrading it. When that happened windows would connect to the router etc, but would say not internet. I do not know what it did i tried some solutions I looked up on my cell phone and formatted reinstalling Windows 7. If it could have been fixed otherwise I have no clue how to do that.

They do want many things that are information overload like knowing cable speeds to wireless router type speeds (G,N,etc) They want you to know all this IP address stuff that I am clueless about.

 

[drinkingcola86]

I'm not the best at remember/learning new acronyms but one thing that always helps me when studying things like them is flash cards. Write down 10 at first with the acronym on the front and the name on the back. Practice those daily for about 20 minutes 2-3 times a day. Once when you get those done, add 10 more to the stack and keep going until you got all the important ones done, it might be all of them but it is a quick way to learn them.

Practice, practice, practice.

That is really my only help to help with this.

 

[nirrtix]

An interesting question. It is more or less meant to be an overload. Each term and acronym represent a technology that is likely still in use.

If this is the A+ Essentials exam, which I think was my lowest score when I took it, is all about memorization. My thoughts on the matter would be to review only the information you think you are not familiar with. I assume you are fairly fluent in the basic parts of a PC, but perhaps not the fine details regarding OS, File Formats, and underlying technologies.

You might want to head to a library or used books store and grab a book on micro computers, networking, or any other topic you think you might not know well. That way you can learn some concepts before going into the small details that the exams ask after.

well this is what I am trying to do... I am still on the first round logging my scores, but while on some sections like display adapters I do very well others I do absolutely horrible. I figure much of the technology is still in there because somewhere out there someone still uses a PS/2 plug etc. Well I own the Mike Meyers 9th edition A+ certification book. It explains some of that stuff. some of it though is still a little too technical to easily understand.

 

[nirrtix]

In regards to acronyms, go to the next levels to network+ and security+, the list doubles.
You can go to CompTIA directly or a million other websites on the web to find out all the acronyms, you just have to take a few seconds to look.

For any of CompTIA tests you should go to the CompTIA site and get familiar with the test objectives.

For many people the A+ test is just a piece of paper showing they have a basic level of understanding as A+ in absolutely no way gives you the knowledge to actually diagnose hardware and software.

Mike Meyers books were not only failry dry but not often worded in a very helpful way (like when trying to understand the flow of data to authenticate Kerberos for network+). Go to professormessor.com and he has video tutorials explaining the basic concept for all the A+ objectives.

I will make sure to use that as a resource.... yes the book was dry but sometimes not so much as I thought... some of it was so braindead feeling as I already know it other stuff I read and I am wondering why he is telling me how to fox monitors etc...

 

[boosted1g]

There are dozens of online flash cards available on the internet (of course making your own for the things you are not familiar with will help a lot).

Watch the professormesser.com videos as advised earlier, and you might want to read a entry level networking book just so you understand what an IP address is, subnet, difference of equipment (like wifi routers, access points, Ethernet switches, etc) and basic topology.

 

[anonymousdude]

I remember when my brother tried to study for this test. It really is just a ton of memorization at least at the beginning.

Try going through the topics and see what you do and do not know. I'm sure that since you've built your own PC you have at least some knowledge on the topics. Identifying the gaps in your knowledge or simply diving more in depth in some of the topics you are somewhat familiar with is a great place to start. From there tackle the new stuff the same way. Sometimes you'll be surprised by how much you know, others not so much. A lot of the time you end up just learning the proper name for things you already know about and have used.

Also take some practice tests to familiarize yourself with the kinds of questions they will ask, which for me is one of the most useful things to do. It's also a great way to test what you've learned.

In terms of understanding things, a lot of people probably don't understand all of it, but have memorized enough to regurgitate it for a test, so don't feel like you're the only one. That's the problem I have with these tests. You're not really learning anything, but rather memorizing, passing the test (hopefully), and then just flushing it from your mind.

 

[nirrtix]

well I will keep at it regardless.... starting to wonder If I should have tried that NOC I entry level the US Government was gonna interview me for that required the ability "Top Secret" clearance and the willingness to travel.... I am not sure I would be qualified, but they knew my qualifications from the resume. No experience other than working on family computers and 2 computer classes that I took 17 years ago... Networking and Hardware have changed so much since then... back then USB 1.0 was the "new thing" and windows 2000 was about to come out...

 

[nirrtix]

I remember when my brother tried to study for this test. It really is just a ton of memorization at least at the beginning.

Try going through the topics and see what you do and do not know. I'm sure that since you've built your own PC you have at least some knowledge on the topics. Identifying the gaps in your knowledge or simply diving more in depth in some of the topics you are somewhat familiar with is a great place to start. From there tackle the new stuff the same way. Sometimes you'll be surprised by how much you know, others not so much. A lot of the time you end up just learning the proper name for things you already know about and have used.

Also take some practice tests to familiarize yourself with the kinds of questions they will ask, which for me is one of the most useful things to do. It's also a great way to test what you've learned.

In terms of understanding things, a lot of people probably don't understand all of it, but have memorized enough to regurgitate it for a test, so don't feel like you're the only one. That's the problem I have with these tests. You're not really learning anything, but rather memorizing, passing the test (hopefully), and then just flushing it from your mind.

you are right a lot of it is memorization... but so much of it is technical... how much hertz is this, what is the rpm of that? What is the difference from this RAID configuration and that? What are the system requirements for this and that windows?

Yes the test is less of a learning thing than a barrier so that those determined and probably know a certain amount can get into an entry level job... thing is, I have had offers for interviews as several entry level positions... You may not get rich at entry level, but you can get experience. Heck I will get a job at Fry's if it pays the bills... seems some places care more about experience anyways as you said these just prove you really are determined.

 

[boosted1g]

Frankly I have not seen many jobs that care about A+.
For anything DoD where you have Admin privledges Security+ is pretty much a minimum requirement now days after Snowden.

Going back to A+, any job that pays enough to care about certifications is looking for something way more technical then A+, and the other jobs are more concerned about finding someone capable of doing the job, vs memorization for a test.

There is already a lot of good advice on this thread about where to get other study materials, prioritizing time, and identifying your problem areas.

 

[nirrtix]

Frankly I have not seen many jobs that care about A+.
For anything DoD where you have Admin privledges Security+ is pretty much a minimum requirement now days after Snowden.

Going back to A+, any job that pays enough to care about certifications is looking for something way more technical then A+, and the other jobs are more concerned about finding someone capable of doing the job, vs memorization for a test.

There is already a lot of good advice on this thread about where to get other study materials, prioritizing time, and identifying your problem areas.

Well that is one reason I did not interview as it seemed I Was way underqualified, but I never said I had any security certifications... which is why I think it is off.... (shrugs)

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Never taken A+, but from what it sounds like it is a lot of pure memorization. See, I don't like that. I'm the type of person who cares about understanding the concepts, that's what really is important.

 

[nirrtix]

I agree but I think all of the certifications require some level of memorization.... I personally know much about windows 7 and have used computers since the good ole dos days... I even am familiar with some of the Command line commands as I used dos for many years. I am not sure the relevance in the Dos command line today though. maybe it has commands like Tracert and Ping that programs in Windows do not fill the role of. I rarly do networking related stuff on my computer. My actual plan was to get this certification then get an entry level position to get experience to fill the gaps and understand what I do not already know.

 

[nirrtix]

I think a lot of this is the anaxronyms... I am gonna make sure I learn every one... he talks about SOHO networks... I am like what is that? IT just means Small Office/Home office... (rolls eyes)

 

[bwiggsjr]

Today on July 6th professor Messer is having a live A+ study group on YouTube. I plan to attend it because I believe it may be helpful. If you have time swing by to check it out.