Preparing for A+

A

AcidBurn

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Apr 23, 2002
Messages
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I want to take the A+ exams and was wondering what books and other resources you would recommend. Thanks.
 
Not necessarily. There is stuff about laser printers, SCSI, and there used to be stuff about IRQs and mem addresses.
 
Elios said:
if youcan build your own PC you shouldnt need to
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Well, seeing that some of the hardware covered is pretty old, I would disagree. My wife is studing for the test. I passed the test years ago. I have worked in the IT industry for nearly 10 years. She's asking me questions about stuff I forgot even existed...

But, back to topic. The Sybex A+ third edition is pretty thorough. That's one of the resources she is using. The second is me. See if you can find some one that has passed the test so you can pick their brain. The third resource that she has been using is all my old parts in the garage. She's thanking me for not throwing it away like she asked a couple years ago...
 
MorfiusX said:
Well, seeing that some of the hardware covered is pretty old, I would disagree. My wife is studing for the test. I passed the test years ago. I have worked in the IT industry for nearly 10 years. She's asking me questions about stuff I forgot even existed...

But, back to topic. The Sybex A+ third edition is pretty thorough. That's one of the resources she is using. The second is me. See if you can find some one that has passed the test so you can pick their brain. The third resource that she has been using is all my old parts in the garage. She's thanking me for not throwing it away like she asked a couple years ago...
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realy? i just took the test and aced it frist try with out much studying at all?
 
If you have a pulse and don't call the tower the "hardrive" you should be fine. Book is never a bad idea to brush up and review skills needed though.
 
Elios said:
realy? i just took the test and aced it frist try with out much studying at all?
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Well, she is using Sybex, which tends to be long winded and very thorough. Maybe that's it.
 
movax said:
If you have a pulse and don't call the tower the "hardrive" you should be fine. Book is never a bad idea to brush up and review skills needed though.
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LOL My parents called it that for at least 3 months when they got their first computer.
 
I took a sample A+ test online a little while ago, just to see if A+ certification was something I wanted.

The first question on the computerized test had a picture of a motherboard and said "Click on the AGP slot"

Since then, I've found better uses for my time...
 
Elios said:
realy? i just took the test and aced it frist try with out much studying at all?
Click to expand...

It all depends, I took it after working at a major systems building operation for a while - for me the test was easy because it was stuff I was doing everyday. All of matter of perspective - if you don't handle the hardware or deal with the software constantly it will be a bit harder to remember it alll.
 
ndruw said:
I took a sample A+ test online a little while ago, just to see if A+ certification was something I wanted.

The first question on the computerized test had a picture of a motherboard and said "Click on the AGP slot"

Since then, I've found better uses for my time...
Click to expand...

The only people that can claim a cert is easy are the people that hold them.....
 
DragonNOA1 said:
Not necessarily. There is stuff about laser printers, SCSI, and there used to be stuff about IRQs and mem addresses.
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do they still ask those questions on the test ?
 
morpheus6d9 said:
do they still ask those questions on the test ?
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YES, I just took the test in Jan. and it asks thoes questions and several about IRQ #'s, DMA channles, networking questions, and it has lots of pics asking you to identify parts and lets not forget that to achieve A+ certification you have to pass 2 test, hardware AND software...study up on everything from WIN98 and up and you should be fine on the software part.
 
StArGaZeR said:
YES, I just took the test in Jan. and it asks thoes questions and several about IRQ #'s, DMA channles, networking questions, and it has lots of pics asking you to identify parts and lets not forget that to achieve A+ certification you have to pass 2 test, hardware AND software...study up on everything from WIN98 and up and you should be fine on the software part.
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i took the exam already 4 yrs ago and im surprised that they still ask those questions
 
i took the exam already 4 yrs ago and im surprised that they still ask those questions
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Yea, I took it a couple of weeks ago, and they are still there............although newer hardware questions are covered now too.
 
The ID questions are easy. But anyone who has only worked on computers since Win98 will most often not have any idea what the default IRQ for the keyboard is, or what DMA's are. Plug and play has taken most of those out of the standard lexicon for desktop techs.

And the laser printer cycles, while useful, aren't something that someone who works on mainly desktops is going to have any idea about without studying.

I used the Sybex book for my studying and it was great, but that was 4 years ago.
 
Oh, I remember IRQs and DMA well...I think. Port 220, IRQ 5, DMA 1 for my Soundblaster Pro and Stormtrooper blastin' action in Dark Forces :D
 
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