Is it necessary to go to an instructor led class to pass A+?

[dpepper]

Hi,

I work as a Nutrition Assistant for Head Start and we have been taken over by Interim Grant Head Start while we search for a new grantee, there’s a 90% chance I will not have a job in a few short months. My accountant (he’s losing his job in a month or less) and I are looking into A+ Certification.

The local college here is asking $995 for the 5 week course, after reading many of these posts it seems that if you are fairly computer savvy you can read through a few choice books and pass the class without forking out the big bucks.

Is that a true statement? I know I don’t have the spare cash, is it really worth taking the class?

I’m more software orientated and have had to teach the folks in the office how to use everything from Word to how to send and email. I have the CourseTechnology Books to train for Microsoft Office Specialist but I’m wondering if I should get A+ first find a job then continue with the MOS or go towards MS something or other?

Long story short (hey I’m a girl) it’s a tough call I enjoy both teaching folks how to use the programs but I love taking things apart and fixing them.

Anyone else had this dilemma?

Sincerely,

Dolores

 

[glister]

Class is not really required. It just takes more self-directed study on your part. I self-study for all my exams. Just spend the time gathering your resources. A lot of internet research. There's tons of free resources. Google is your friend. Start by printing a copy of the exam objectives from the CompTIA site. Use this as an outline to direct your studies. Don't rely on one single source. Use several. M. Meyers 5th edition is good. Check out

http://www.certiguide.com

for free study guide.

Ask lots of questions. That's why we're here. Good luck!

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[blutekhnd]

It would also be invaluable to have a computer that you can take apart and put together again and do different configurations on. This would reinforce all of your reading. When you take the test and come to a question you don't know it will help you visualize as you are thinking it through.

 

[MrTBC]

I agree. I did the A+ from just the Mike Meyers book and CDs with no problems.

 

[wuneyej]

I went through an instructor-lead course for both A+ and Network+ and had a great experience with it. But the only reason I did so was because my employer was willing to pay for it. It probably wouldn't have been worth it if I had to pay for it myself.

I agree with all the advice above: do some googling, pick up Mike Meyers book, and find an older but functioning PC that you can tinker with.

Good luck to you!

JP

 

[MrTBC]

Yes, I also only did self-study for reasons of cost. It probably takes longer, and requires more application and organisation on your part - but it did save me a whole heap of ca$h!
Btw - if you use the Mike Meyers book then don't forget to go to the publishers website and print an erratum slip, there's a few major errors in that book and it could buy you a few extra points on the exam. :->

 

[dpepper]

Thanks, to all of you for your advice… Actually the Interim grantee said we all get new computers (Dells). Why I don’t know.

My supervisor has been given the Directors position and I asked her if they were going to get rid of the computers could I have a couple. Believe it or not most of them are still running Windows 95 with a couple on 98 sprinkled in between… I could practice ripping those apart. I do wonder however if they are too old?

Out of 20 or so I’m the only computer running XP (I talked them into getting me a new one three years ago, told them I couldn’t run Excel or the other software I needed on that pitifully slow computer I had) lucky me.

Is it inappropriate (or to personal) to ask if there is anyone living nearby to where I am? It would be nice to talk face to face with someone or if they know of a dare I say computer club.

Dolores

 

[glister]

Whare ya at?

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[dpepper]

I live in a wee little small town in WV called Ravenwsood, in between Parkersburg and Charleston WV. Used to live in California... culture shock does not describe the half of it.

 

[schase]

actually - 95 or 98 would be (could be) helpful on the A+ exams. Depends which test you get - I understand that some lean heavily into one OS or another - mine was fairly spread out between 95 - XP.

My memory isn't bad - but wow it has been awhile since I have played on a 95 machine - it would have been useful.

"Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?"

Stuart
A+, Net+

 

[CiscoGuy33]

dpepper,

You said - "Actually the Interim grantee said we all get new computers (Dells)."

Save the new Dell for doing your homework and study questions.

I have had so many students screw up the one and only PC they have - DO NOT DO IT !!

Go to Ebay or local garage sales or Goodwill etc. and get yourself some old PCs to practice on, that way if you screw up (and you will)your "new" machine is not toast! You can also get old machines at big companies if you make some contacts or "dumpster dive".

I have several Gateway P1 and P2 towers that I got on Ebay for $10-$50 each, nice thing about the old Gateway towers (not the mini towers) is that they have standard motherboards, power supplies, RAM, PCI cards etc.

Also fairly good documentaions online.

I have added fans, several harddrives, RAM, changed CPUs, CDs, floppies, Zip drives etc. lots of practice
for exams as well as real world experience.

I have installed 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, 2003 and XP - again and again and again and again!!!

I DO NOT touch my main machine !!

I hope this helps!


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[Getmikee]

Hi Dpepper,

You can do it on your own.
A+ consists of 2 exams..Hardware and Software. I used Jean Andrews two new books (covers the 2003 objectives) also the free testing sites on the web. Know: Win95a Win95b Win9x family, Win2000, NT4, XP how they are different and alike.
Know NTFS, Fat, Fat16, Fat32. There's alot to know, if you get a book on each exam, read them both all the way through, take alot of practice tests you can pass.
If you're doing it for a career, then build a computer over and over, do some troubleshooting, read alot of forums for experiences other have had, get into totally, just eat it, breathe it, walk it. Noone learns everything overnight. But the A+ isn't a real heavy exam. If it interests you, you'll have fun with it. I've been doing service calls (pc's only) for 2 years, never bothering to get certified until recently. What I learned from the books has helped me understand the "whys" in troubleshooting. Why this fixed this, why this keeps happening, ect...I now believe that to be a solid tech, I need to keep building my foundation of "how things are suppose to work". sorry for the ramble...I just got certified in A+ Friday.
Getmikee

 

[zollo9999]

Hi

I think instructor lead training can help if you don't have a variety of daily hands on experience with hardware and basic DOS & Windows.

That was my situ as I work with Office and Application Development. I've done a reasonable amount of hardware work on my own few PCs so had a good idea how it all worked.

I started out by reading the Mike Meyer All-In-One guide.

I decided to be well grounded, I did a 7 week intructor led course, and it was VALUABLE to get some real world contact with hardware maintenance.

Also the text used in the course was crap but did cover just the basics of what you need to know.

It did mention FRUs which came up in my exam and I had no idea what they are after 12 or more years exposure to hardware concepts. It turns out that FRUs are Field Replacable Units like FDDs, HDDs and CD Drives. I think this is a wanky thing made up by Comptia as nothing I've every read or anyone I've ever talked about refers to FRUs.

My point is, Instructor led training can broaden your experience if you don't have it through some other channel.

I passed the exams first time with a faily good score.
Good luck.

Zollo A+ / VBA Developer

 

[zollo9999]

Note my 7 Week was One day a week only (ie 7 days only)

The crap text was A+ Cert Study Guide by Nancy Ward (Red & Blue). Not an exciting text.

regards


Zollo A+ / VBA Developer

 

[glister]

All IBM (ever heard of them?) parts are designated by an FRU number. IBM is a Cornerstone Partner for the CompTIA A+ exam.

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