Looking to get A+ certification, book ideas?

GoldenTiger

GoldenTiger

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I was looking on Amazon for some study guides/review books to get an A+ certification, and this is what I came up with:

Complete Guide to A+ Certification (Paperback) by Michael Graves

Has anyone used this book? Good, bad, etc.? Any books you'd recommend over it? Please, keep comments about whether an A+ is worth it out of this thread :), thank you!
 
If you are going to spend the time taking the A+ (comments about it's usefulness, or lack thereof aside) the best thing to do is head to your local books store and look through their selection. I don't buy computer books online at all, because I like to page through them, and check out the writing style and how the book explains certain concepts. What I prefer may not be what you or someone else will prefer. That's why it's best not to ask others for their opinions, but find out what books you like the best.
 
I reccomend the All-In-One A+ Certification book by Mike Meyers... it's very well done.
 
Looking through the Amazon reviews, the Mike Meyers book sounds more like a computer history book and is supposedly out of date... is this true? That's the main reason I was considering the other, newer book from June 2005. If anyone's wondering, I want the cert because a potential employer wants me to get it.
 
versello said:
I reccomend the All-In-One A+ Certification book by Mike Meyers... it's very well done.
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I second that.

Personally, I think it depends on what you know. I've been building computers my whole life... Well, since I was about 10, programming and using since 5 (BASIC programs, Computes Gazette, etc.). So, I just needed a minor update. I used Exam Cram. I also have a few other books I use as references.

I've read the Michael Myers book, and it was very in depth. A little too much at times.
 
Has anyone here received their A+ just from reading through the book? I tried to do that but there's so much outdated stuff even in the 05 books, at times it was really interesting but then it would get super boring (do I really need to learn what each individual pin on a parallel port is used for??)
 
Stay away from Exam Cram 2 A+. It's lamer than shit. It is over 1000 pages long and could be condensed to about 200. They ramble on and on about useless shit for pages at a time. Waste of money right there.

I do recommend them for the 70-270, and so far the Network+ book I'm reading is very good. They are both condensed...much unlike their A+ book.


Also, even with the new objectives you learn all kinds of useless crap that has been outdated for years. Odds are you'll never manually assign the I/O address for a Com port, or ever have to deal with IRQ's again, but you can bet your ass those are on the test.
 
Slartibartfast said:
Has anyone here received their A+ just from reading through the book? I tried to do that but there's so much outdated stuff even in the 05 books, at times it was really interesting but then it would get super boring (do I really need to learn what each individual pin on a parallel port is used for??)
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I have received all of my certifications by reading books. But, then again, I already work in the industry and it was more of a review.

Not that it matters, but I currently hold: A+, MCP, MCSA (2000/2003), MCSE (2000/2003), CCNA, CCNP

All that is a bunch of alphabet soup really. Experience is more valuable than a certification.
 
MorfiusX said:
Not that it matters, but I currently hold: A+, MCP, MCSA (2000/2003), MCSE (2000/2003), CCNA, CCNP
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Apparently it does matter. :confused:

And stop cheating by listing MCP, MCSA, and MCSE. :p
 
I used a book titled "Managing and Troubleshooting PC's" it is written by MIke Myers and published by McGraw/Hill. It is a great book and it also comes with a cd that I found very useful. The reason most of the A+ books you find out there have alot of out dated info in them is because there is alot of old stuff that you need to know. Think about it, if you get into the comp repair business do you think that everyone is going to have a new state of the art comp?...of course not, you will find that alot of ppl still use old comps with Windows 95 or 98 on them and you have to know how to use thoes os's. The A+ os test expects u to know how to use all Windows os's from 98 on, they recently took 95 out of it because MS no longer supports it, try calling a MS support tech and ask him something about Windows 95. Mike Myers book is well written and he doesnt feed you with alot of bs that wont be on the test.
 
S1nF1xx said:
Apparently it does matter. :confused:

And stop cheating by listing MCP, MCSA, and MCSE. :p
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The only two I usually talk about are the MSCE and CCNP. I was just wanted to show that achieving the cert via book study is possible.
 
I have plenty of experience with PC's, really need the book more as review material than anything. Thanks again for all the input guys! I'm going to go with the Meyers book.
 
I just passed my A+ Hardware on Friday, taking the Software this Wednesday. To be honest, I didnt use any books. I did get some books from www.course.com, but they didnt do much for me. I also have software from www.measureup.com, it asks questions in the same way the real exam did. Between the software and my own experience, I really didnt have a problem with the Hardware side. Lets see how the Software side is.

Good Luck to you :)
 
For the A+ and MCP, just use any online multiple question/answer software you can find. I used those CD's that come off the back of those Syngress press books when I decided to get mine a couple of years back.

If you have practical experience then you’ll be fine. It’s the asinine stuff that you would think no one cares about is what you will need to know. Those question/answer software made me do a little research here and there for stuff I thought wasn't important. Lo and behold, that unimportant stuff was asked.

If you can bum a copy off of someone, get a hold of some Transcender software. Their questions are pretty much spot-on with what you will see in those exams. I have a friend who I would call not very computer literate who has all kinds of certifications just by using the Transcender software. I kind of chuckle when I think about that.
 
I did no preparations whatsoever for A+.

I had an IT job for a couple of years, and when the department was cut and I needed a new job, A+ was the absolute minimum for most jobs... so I decided to take A+.

I just showed up at the testing center and was finished in about 15 minutes. The test is really easy..if you're remotely experienced at building and troubleshooting PC's it should be a cakewalk.

Just go through a couple of online multiple-choice tests, and if you do OK don't bother spending money on a book.
 
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