'CompTIA' (Computing Technology Industry Association) is a not for profit enterprise that was formed in 1982. The operation produces vendor neutral qualifications that have made it a global number one in this industry. Which means they're able to freely produce & be in control of a whole collection of I.T. industry examinations and issue their own qualifications that don't apply to just one specific vendor's solutions. This really is excellent for IT students, because they can be taught about different platforms & how they inter-connect & integrate with each other - a common circumstance today. CompTIA brings together numerous business & learned industry groups when building or upgrading an examination, to make sure that all sides are thought about & the most commercially related syllabuses are created.

Both of the exams have fairly recently gone through a 2009 'facelift' in line with the company's advance towards 'ISO' standardisation. A+ examinations that commenced using the number '600' (i.e. the 2006/2007 edition) are being phased-out around the world. Come the end of Aug 2010, the exams will retire in the British Isles. As both the '600', & the recently released '700' exams at the moment are allowed to be taken in Prometric & Vue test-centres, it seems sensible to study for the 700 exams now, and avoid having to re-certify later. The individual A+ '09 exams are now: CompTIA A+ Essentials (examination 220-701) and CompTIA A+ Practical Application (exam 220-702.) The 4 previous examinations have been re-structured into two brand new examinations, & some additional up-dated information has been added. Although the previous A+ had four examinations in the whole program, only 2 were necessary for the certification. As the market has moved on, the knowledge from all four examinations is currently regarded as crucial, and therefore has been condensed into 2 compulsory exams. CompTIA have also produced the BR-003 bridging test, for people accredited under the 600 exams who want to get up to date with the current '700' examinations. Extra training will almost certainly end up being needed, especially for those who just initially studied for two of the 4 electives. Enough training time should be allowed for the newer technology elements however.

If you are thinking about any of these work opportunities, the A+ will definitely serve you well : Remote Support Technician, Call Centre and Depot Technician, Help Desk Technician, Field Service Technician, PC Technician & IT Administrator. With the CompTIA 'Network+' on top of that, you're able to look at becoming an IT Cable Installer, a Network Installer, a Network Administrator or a Network Technician .

As for the '2009' edition of the 'Network+' : N10-004 is now the examination reference. In addition to the solid element of managing networks and their infrastructures, the new exam focuses heavily on design, security & wireless skills.

Self-Paced Multimedia Career PC Certification Courses In Networking & Systems Security >>