The New CompTIA A+; Your Questions Answered
What Is CompTIA A+?
In simple words: CompTIA A+ is the guide that would show you around the whole IT world, for less than $400.
You have heard about the prospects in the IT industry; you have read that IT skills are some of the most in-demand skills, you certainly wish to have those skills, but then see that the IT world is just as confusing as it is prospective.
CompTIA A+ is an IT course provided by CompTIA, the leading provider of vendor-neutral IT certifications in the world. CompTIA certifications have been issued to over 2 million people and have been around for about 20 years.
CompTIA A+ Is A Great Foundation For Every Other Course
Courses all over: cybersecurity, network management, cloud computing, all of these may sound confusing to the beginner.
CompTIA A+ guides you to the fundamentals and introduces you to the IT world in such a manner that you would be able to cater for yourself afterwards, knowing what step to take after what.
CompTIA A+ certification is generally regarded as the beginning course for any career in IT; that is, if you have absolutely no knowledge of how the IT industry works you should start with the A+ certification.
And even if you are interested in some of the more advanced roles like cybersecurity, then A+ lays a very good foundation to understanding the other courses, and having A+ knowledge is a recommended prerequisite for other CompTIA certifications.
What Is The New A+ Core Series?
One of the perks of CompTIA certifications is that they are upgraded every 3 years to meet up with the changing demands of the IT world. CompTIA has therefore recently upgraded the A+ certification and come up with the A+ core.
The A+ Core has new features that will make employers specifically look out for its holders in coming years because it certifies that the holder has peculiar skills that put them above holders of the formerly available CompTIA certifications.
The CompTIA A+ Core Series requires candidates to pass two exams: Core 1 (220–1101) and Core 2 (220–1102).
What Is On The New A+ Exams?
Following the pandemic and how it created a new wave of remote jobs, The new A+ exams focuses on skills and technologies you need to survive in a hybrid workforce; that is, a workplace model that mixes both in-office and remote work
Below are some of the ne contents emphasized in the new A+ certification:
- Increased reliance on SaaS applications for remote work
- More on troubleshooting and how to remotely diagnose and correct common software, hardware, or connectivity problems
- Changing core technologies from cloud virtualization and IoT device security to data management and scripting
- Multiple operating systems now encountered by technicians on a regular basis, including the major systems, their use cases, and how to keep them running properly
- Reflects the changing nature of the job role, where many tasks are sent to specialized providers as certified personnel need to assess whether it’s best to fix something on site, or to save time and money by sending proprietary technologies directly to vendors
What Types Of Questions Are on The A+ Exams
The new CompTIA A+ covers 9 domains across the two exams. According to CompTIA, These domains are related to job roles that are tasked with configuration of end-user devices and software, network connections, performing basic cybersecurity mitigations, troubleshooting common problems to diagnose and resolve issues and demonstrating basic knowledge of scripting, the cloud and virtualization.
The domains for the first exam (220–1101) include Mobile Devices (15%), networking (20%), hardware (25%), Virtualization and Cloud Computing (11%), Hardware and Network Troubleshooting (29%),
For the second exam (220–1102), the domains include: Operating systems (31%), security (25%), Software Troubleshooting(25%), Operational Procedures (22%).
Why Should I Choose A+ Over Other Certifications?
CompTIA A+ certification is generally regarded as the beginning course for any career in IT; that is, if you have absolutely no knowledge of how the IT industry works you should start with the A+ certification.
CompTIA A+ certification encompasses several operating systems like Microsoft, Apple, Novell, and IBM among others and it also covers many technologies.
A+ preparation courses give you foundational skills in, among other areas, software, hardware and network troubleshooting as well as security and networking.
Also, CompTIA A+ is vendor neutral, meaning that the knowledge and skills you learn can be used to perform various job roles regardless of the specific programs and tools being used.
How Much Does A+ Cost?
The retail price for CompTIA A+ (220–1101 and 220–1102) is $239 USD per exam, and keep in mind that for the new core series, you need to pass two exams to earn your CompTIA A+ certification.
Can I Still Take Older CompTIA A+ Certification Exams?
The last CompTIA A+ certification series before the new core series are the A+ 1000 series.
A+ 1000 series also contains two exams: A+ 220–1001 and 220–1002. The series will remain available until October 2022, meaning you can still sit for the exams and get the old A+ certification.
Though it is not advisable that you go for the old certification now that a newer one is available, but if you have a case where, maybe you have paid for the older one, then it remains valid until October 2022.
What If I Have Passed Just One Of The Two Exams In The Older Series?
If you have only passed one of the exams in the old series, then you can not complete the certification with the new series. You have to sit for the second certification exam in the old series to get your certification.
To earn your CompTIA A+ certification, you need to take both exams from the same series.
Three Tips To Prepare For A+ Certification Exams?
Choose A Study style
There are two main ways to prepare for CompTIA exams: either through self-study, or through instructor-led trainings. You need to evaluate yourself first and see if you find it easy going through materials on your own or you need an instructor to take you through the thick and thin of it.
Not everyone is comfortable with reading on their own: as a matter of fact, most people are not.
When you study on your own, there is a high possibility of going into the exams with a little bit of fear: “what if I had missed out on some important details? what if I had focused on the less necessary parts? what if..what if…?”
By registering for a course or with an instructor, you can bypass00 that fear. So, here, we look at some of the popular courses people take.
Use CompTIA Training
CompTIA themselves offer training and courses to prepare interested candidates for the examinations.
CompTIA offers different resources, courses and training needed to prepare for your certification exam. You can explore training developed by CompTIA with options that fit various learning styles and timelines. Whether you prefer self-study or classroom training, CompTIA has you covered.
Practice Tests
Taking certification courses alone gives you the knowledge you need for the exams, but you could have all the knowledge and be slow in answering questions, so sometimes it is a good idea to feel the pressure of the exam beforehand, as well as get used to exam-style questions. This is where the idea of practice tests comes from. Practice tests present you with exam-style questions and put you in exam-like situations and being used to that is necessary to ace the examination.
