A+ Exam

[hugemullens]

Howdy all, i have my A+ Core Hardware certification exam on the 18th and was just wondering if anyone else has taken it, if so do you have any tips, horror stories, things to look out for? Thanks and wish me luck.

[guitargeek]

I haven't taken it, but from what I've heard, most lower life forms could pass it, including the mold that grows on really old mayonaise.

I'm taking the A+ courses at my school, and we just hit mid terms, and I have yet to learn anything new. Wait, could you explain to me what RAM is one more time? :rolleyes:

Good luck, though. Let us know how you do.

[G4scott]

I took an A+ class at my school, and I took the exam. I passed the hardware exam with flying colors. I think I got the highest score in my class... I failed on the OS part, though, because I didn't know exactly how to go to your printer setup utility (start menu->control panels ->?->????) or do all the nitpicky windoze crap. I could still do more with windows than some of the people who barely passed the exam...

The exam is old, though. It still uses 286 and 486 processors as 'major processors', it focuses mainly on windows 95 &98, with a bit of NT, and no XP. It still thinks serial and parallel ports are the way to go, and there's no mention of DDR anything. The exam is so behind the times, I wouldn't let an A+ certified technician inside my Mac, unless I knew he was smarter than the exam would show...

[iJon]

Originally posted by G4scott
I took an A+ class at my school, and I took the exam. I passed the hardware exam with flying colors. I think I got the highest score in my class... I failed on the OS part, though, because I didn't know exactly how to go to your printer setup utility (start menu->control panels ->?->????) or do all the nitpicky windoze crap. I could still do more with windows than some of the people who barely passed the exam...

The exam is old, though. It still uses 286 and 486 processors as 'major processors', it focuses mainly on windows 95 &98, with a bit of NT, and no XP. It still thinks serial and parallel ports are the way to go, and there's no mention of DDR anything. The exam is so behind the times, I wouldn't let an A+ certified technician inside my Mac, unless I knew he was smarter than the exam would show...
i complely agree, i gave up on a+. it was so dull and boring and i know enough knowledge off the top of my head to fix a windows machine. i plan on putting my money towards apple certification. thos i feel like i could pass with flying colors, plus i would be eager to learn more to pass a test, unline a+ which i dont fee like learning about 98 and the new mmx technology on the pentiums and AT mobo's.

iJon

[bcsimac]

No, I haven't taken the A+, but I don't really want to either. I have no real experience, talent, or interest in the Windows world. I want the Apple one real bad though, but I just can't seem to find the right timing. Everytime I turn around Apple is changing the certs, exams, methods to take the exams, the cost of the exams, the training material, and etc. I can't keep up with Apple's constant changes. Apple also has a pension for announcing that certain exams are required for certification and then not making one of those certain exams available for 2-4 months. Recent example would be the Core Mac OS Essentials Exam......they said it was one of three exams you could take to meet the Mac OS requirement. Ok, fine that works. One exam that could be taken was the exam designed for ACTC (tech coordinator).....problem?.....oh let's see......hmmm maybe the problem is the test is twice the price of the core essentials exam and the training for it is only available at Cupertino or certain Apple Authorized Training Centers which were miles away from where I am and costs $499 for training! Another exam that could be taken to meet the requirement is the one that is part of ACSE(certified systems engineer)......you might ask what's the problem with this?.......oh gee same deal as the ACTC.....you got to make a trip to Cupertino and spend $2000 bucks for training, exams, transportation, and a place to stay! The core essentials exams availability......oh well early 2003 (this was announced back in September!). Let me get this straight, techs are to be certified by April 1st; but one of the required exams isn't even going to be available until early 2003 and no date has yet been determined! Thanks Apple! They did make the core essentials exam available on Jan 31st......just days before I got laid off!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another case of Apple messing around and me loosing a job before I got the darn test!

[jefhatfield]

transcenders help for the real thing the best

www.transcender.com

also try www.certify.com as a backup

my wife took and passed the 1998 A+ hardware core and they were asking questions about DOS, 4004 processors, and binary

but the current 2001-2 A+ test is more up to date, but not a lot on the current video, pentium 4s, or later types of RAM...stuff that is really more important to know now

the test will always be a generation behind the real field, but it's still a good test to work for

like all certifications, you have to retest every couple of years to retain your certification, so that makes it more desireable than a cs degree, which is held for life but becomes completely useless after five years

so get certified and continue to be recertified, and back that with a business degree or an ee/el degree (even on the AA/AS level) and you will always have a job in high tech

there are tons of decertified, non certified, and people with outdated cs degrees out of work right now so every certification helps you...unless you have tons of certs and no experience...and thus look like a paper tiger...which is not good either:p

[jefhatfield]

and in most markets, there are two types of certifications...

the ones for the real world which are PRACTICAL:

CompTIA A+
Micrsoft MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCSD, and some others
Apple technician certification (for macheads)

but there are the others, maybe not so good for getting a job, but just to show off to other certified techs that you have a large male member ;)

Cisco certifications, especially the CCIE***
Certified Novell Engineer, CNE
CISSP security certification
any printer vendor certifications like okidata & hp
redhat certified engineer, RHCE
Lotus certifications

and

...the highest end ms cert, microsoft solutions providor which requires MCSE, MCSD, and other hoops

the second list are far harder to pass but do not have many companies or clients that can really use or relate to them

***but if dot.com comes back big, then the cisco certifications will come back into the practical list (i am in the cisco academy just in case the dot.com thing and e-commerce come back...in california, people used to get hired for the CCNA entry level certification over experienced microsoft MCSEs because there was a great expectation of a total change in economy...malls shutting down and people all over america, esp silicon valley, making it big thru dot.com)

a family member got totally financially ruined then because he invested in a shopping mall and the dot.com thing made it look like buying things the old fashioned way, touching and feeling, would go out of style

the microsoft engineers group i belong to thought the microsoft networking certifications possibly would die out and perhpas ms themselves would fall to cisco and their great push for the backbone of the dot.com generation

even the skeptics like me thought that the dot.com thing would be at least as big and long lasting as radio or television

gee, how times change

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by bcsimac
Another case of Apple messing around and me loosing a job before I got the darn test!

i hear you, man

apple makes great gear all the time, but not great business or operations decisions

before apple took over the Apple A+ certification by compTIA, the certification was recognized industrywide by some 3,000+ companies

Apple then took over the certification and now the certification, which most people don't know exists, is recognized by one company...Apple

i still think if you are going to be an apple tech, get one of their certs

...but apple dumping 3,000+ colatition of companies was highly stupid in terms of engineers, technicians, and ther certification community

before apple took over compTIA's apple certification, an apple certified tech could work on a pc and the warranty (of some 3,000+ companies) stayed intact!...but now, thanks to apple, that is not necessarily true

some pc warranty companies, like the one i worked for, covers pcs and macs...under warranty...mostly due to the coalition and strength of the 3,000+ members of compTIA...tiny companies like Microsoft, HP, IBM, Intel, and Dell:rolleyes:

[bcsimac]

Originally posted by jefhatfield
i hear you, man

apple makes great gear all the time, but not great business or operations decisions

before apple took over the Apple A+ certification by compTIA, the certification was recognized industrywide by some 3,000+ companies

Apple then took over the certification and now the certification, which most people don't know exists, is recognized by one company...Apple

i still think if you are going to be an apple tech, get one of their certs

...but apple dumping 3,000+ colatition of companies was highly stupid in terms of engineers, technicians, and ther certification community

before apple took over compTIA's apple certification, an apple certified tech could work on a pc and the warranty (of some 3,000+ companies) stayed intact!...but now, thanks to apple, that is not necessarily true

Jeff,

Thank you. I have been saying this for years. I guess now all I can do is buy the stupid Technician Training Kit and take the exam. I am still really mad and really frustrated. Apple makes it too darn hard to get certified. It is almost as though they only give out these certs begrudgenly.

some pc warranty companies, like the one i worked for, covers pcs and macs...under warranty...mostly due to the coalition and strength of the 3,000+ members of compTIA...tiny companies like Microsoft, HP, IBM, Intel, and Dell:rolleyes:

[bcsimac]

Jeff,


Sorry I messed up quoting ya! My bad!

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by bcsimac
Jeff,


Sorry I messed up quoting ya! My bad!

like the newton or the flower power/dalmation imac, apple thought they would have a hit/run away profits by making people buy their techie training kit

i guess people didn't

apple should have stayed with compTIA

[mc68k]

A+ is very basic. if u have basic windows and hardware knowledge, u should pass easily. i finished mine in dec 2000.

the test is electronic, so ull find out if u pass/fail right away.

[hugemullens]

YAY!!! I passed!!! That was actually pretty easy. Just gotta pass the operating system technoligies and i am all set to fix wintel's for cash and use a mac for myself!

[jefhatfield]

congrats!!!

i had the same idea when i got ms certified

make some cash and...he he, buy mac stuff

hey, macs work...but i am preaching to the choir now;)

[bcsimac]

I don't have any Windows knowledge or experience so it would be extremely hard for me to take the regular A+ exam. That is why not getting Apple certified after all these tries is so excruciating and frustrating.

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by bcsimac
I don't have any Windows knowledge or experience so it would be extremely hard for me to take the regular A+ exam. That is why not getting Apple certified after all these tries is so excruciating and frustrating.

the apple certification is harder in the sense that there are not that many third party practice tests with the actual, current test questions on it

there are tons of third party actual live simulation test questions for the wintel A+ exam and the microsoft and comptia tests simply make a random test from the official test question pool

to make the A+ test harder and more valuable, it would make more sense to make it a hands on test only...fixing the common issues and requiring work with opening up a pc tower...of course, the pass rate would go way down from what it is...the cisco ccie is a hands on test and thus is the hardest certification test out there

[bcsimac]

Originally posted by jefhatfield
the apple certification is harder in the sense that there are not that many third party practice tests with the actual, current test questions on it

there are tons of third party actual live simulation test questions for the wintel A+ exam and the microsoft and comptia tests simply make a random test from the official test question pool

to make the A+ test harder and more valuable, it would make more sense to make it a hands on test only...fixing the common issues and requiring work with opening up a pc tower...of course, the pass rate would go way down from what it is...the cisco ccie is a hands on test and thus is the hardest certification test out there

Jeff,

Actually I would prefer that Apple would switch to the hands on approach for the Apple Certification exams. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I would pass if all I had to do was diagnose problems, decide what parts were the problems, and fix the system. If they would also make it an oral exam that would help me immensely. Written or electronic exams are just impossible for me to pass because they go against my very talents and nature......I am a verbal and visual person.......I prove my knowledge by telling you what I think and see and the answers that I believe to be correct and I prove it by showing you a working, finished product. On timed written or electronic exams all I do is panic and have major anxiety. When I talk to people and verbally tell them what I know then I have no problem.....same with repairs.....I have no fears or anxieties about doing the actual repair.

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by bcsimac
Jeff,

Actually I would prefer that Apple would switch to the hands on approach for the Apple Certification exams. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I would pass if all I had to do was diagnose problems, decide what parts were the problems, and fix the system. If they would also make it an oral exam that would help me immensely. Written or electronic exams are just impossible for me to pass because they go against my very talents and nature......I am a verbal and visual person.......I prove my knowledge by telling you what I think and see and the answers that I believe to be correct and I prove it by showing you a working, finished product. On timed written or electronic exams all I do is panic and have major anxiety. When I talk to people and verbally tell them what I know then I have no problem.....same with repairs.....I have no fears or anxieties about doing the actual repair.

in the end, when it comes to getting paid for your services, knowing what to do in real life will have more to do with getting paid than taking an electronic exam and passing it

all the apple techs i know, including myself when i was an apple/dell/compaq warranty tech, were not specifically apple certified

some people could pass the aaple test but don't have any spatial relations skills and cannot work on machines and if they want to stay in the computer repair industry, then they will probably only be good for teaching others how to pass the electronic exam