A+ certification

[Pegun]

Hey guys,
I'm a first year college student and purposely took 16 credits this semester to lighten my load next. But I was looking at A+ cetification courses they offer a my college , and was interested in taking one even though there's no credits in it (I'm paying for tuition..why the hell not?) But anyway, I found an ACER 1003 - A+ Certification-Hardware Sect course as well as a ACER 1003 - A+ Certification-Hardware Sect and ACER 1006 - A+ Operating System Technology. Does the A+ certification have more than one part to it? I'll post the descriptions below as well as a link to the web page I found them on. Any questions you can PM me. Thanks greatly.

https://eweb.easternct.edu/pls...ctlg.p_display_courses or https://eweb.easternct.edu/pls...g.p_disp_cat_term_date and selct a+ certification.
ACER 1004 - A+ Cert Software Section
A+ Certification Software Section Prerequisite: None Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to list the tree system files required to boot a computer in DOS, manage files, optimize hard disks and troubleshoot Windows errors. Students will also learn how to install, navigate and customize the utilization of Windows 95/98 and understand software management techniques used with Windows 95/98.

ACER 1003 - A+ Certification-Hardware Sect
A+ Certification-Hardware Section Prerequisite: None Students will learn the basics of hardware and software compatibility issues, appropriate techniques, tips and tricks that optimize the process of computer disassembly, installation, and reassembly. Preventive maintenance procedures for a system and its associated peripherals are also discussed, along with algorithms for identifying failing components. Overall, the course intimately acquaints the student with all aspects of the modern personal computer.

ACER 1006 - A+ Operating System Technology
A+ Operating System Technologies Students will learn the essential operating system functions structures, and major system files necessary to prepare for taking the A+ Operating System Technologies Exam. Topics covered will include installation, configuration and upgrading of Windows 2000, upgrades and boot sequences. The class will learn techniques used to diagnose, trouble- shoot and resolve error codes and common problems. An understanding of network capabilities of Windows, including procedures for connecting to a network and an Internet access will be examined

 

[itachi]

unless they changed it within the past 4 years.. the A+ exam is split up into 2 parts.. hardware and software.

waste of time if u dont plan on becoming a technician.. the stuff i learned in from the prep class was sht i already knew.. wasn't very useful. i basically had to pay 120 to get a piece of paper that said i knew what i said i knew. haven't used it once though. but it did get me an A, and let me bs around for 2 periods during school .

 

[YNos]

as of 3 years ago<when i took the class> they where still talking about windows NT4 replacing unix.... as the up and coming thing...and windows 98 WILL be a better, more stable system....i am guessing they have re-vamped the test since then...at least i am hoping. it was a waste of time...but arent all microsoft certs?


EDIT: fixed a fatfinger...

 

[bobsmith1492]

16 credits to lighten your load next semester? 16 is a light load....

 

[Jpark]

Originally posted by: itachi
unless they changed it within the past 4 years.. the A+ exam is split up into 2 parts.. hardware and software.

waste of time if u dont plan on becoming a technician.. the stuff i learned in from the prep class was sht i already knew.. wasn't very useful. i basically had to pay 120 to get a piece of paper that said i knew what i said i knew. haven't used it once though. but it did get me an A, and let me bs around for 2 periods during school .[/q

i agree

 

[andyman7]

i was thinking the same thing about the credits bob
i also agree about the uselessness of the A+ certs
and like YNos, when i took a course in high school where you could get your A+ certs (little over 3 years ago), they were talking about pentium 2s as being the new thing and our books were new
needless to say, the class was a waste

 

[Runamile]

Ya buddy. 16 credits is no where a heavy load. 15 is the minimum per semester for a common 120 hour, 4-year degree with no summer school. sorry to burst your bubble. But take summer school - that stuff is awsome. Knocking out 12 hours at the end of a normally wasted summer is most gratifying.

As far as A+, i've seen quite a few threads around here about it. The general concensious is a waste of time. Unless you are planning on working as a best buy tech for the rest of your life and sell/repair the uber-1337 D(H)ell Pentiums for all those suckers, move on to the big certs and big degrees to make the big bucks.

 

[Spitwad]

i use my a+ to wipe better

 

[Machine350]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492
16 credits to lighten your load next semester? 16 is a light load....

My last semester, I took 24 credits. 16, that would've been nice.

 

[deldd]

I was taking 18 credits a semester, but then ran into every class having a lab. I'm an ee and once I *discovered* summer school, I take only 12-16 credits during the normal semesters and about 9 - 12 in the Summer. I get better grades and more sleep, except when I'm here

BTW the A+ exam is a waste of time.

 

[bluestrobe]

If A+ was such a waste, then it wouldn't be offered anymore but it is. Depending on the area you live in, it has its different needs and wastes. My area requires it out of anyone who wants to work on a computer in any field, period. It shows the person took the initative and showed interest in the IT field rather than a kid who wants the job and thinks that the job is the same as replacing RAM on his computer at home. Of course college education is always prefered however its always not available to some. Also you can read a thread on the same topic here: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...7&amp;threadid=1406199

 

[jbrownos]

I did the a plus a few months ago and it works well for getting you an interim job until you can get a higher level of education/certification. So it works as a good intermediate step. And the exam is two parts: hardware and software.

 

[deldd]

Originally posted by: bluestrobe
If A+ was such a waste, then it wouldn't be offered anymore but it is. Depending on the area you live in, it has its different needs and wastes. My area requires it out of anyone who wants to work on a computer in any field, period. It shows the person took the initative and showed interest in the IT field rather than a kid who wants the job and thinks that the job is the same as replacing RAM on his computer at home. Of course college education is always prefered however its always not available to some. Also you can read a thread on the same topic here: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...7&amp;threadid=1406199

Ok, it's a waste of time if you will probably never work in IT. Of course this flaming of the cert is from someone who read a book and passed the hardware exam. After taking it, I was disappointed. I have been building and fixing machines for about five years and what's on the test some useless info., that you will probably never use. I am still debating whether I should take the OS exam.

Experience is the key. Anyone can *read* a book and pass an exam, if you have no working knowledge of how to build, troubleshoot and *fix* pc's, then the cert. is pointless. Of course I am an ee student and have used my experience with PCs to pay for school.

If your really interested, and need some hands-on experience, go to your local library or some non-profit organization and volunteer your time in there network office. They will thank you and after a few months they'll give you another reference on your resume.

 

[bluestrobe]

This area is flooded with people with 4 year EE and CS degrees and they fight for the 11.00/hr phone support jobs. Experience isn't an asset that most companies consider due to the fact there is a lot of fakes out there who did something small and think they can do anything. 8+ years dealing with all type of desktop and workstation systems doesn't hold water to someone who has an A+ or any other + cert. in this area. There is very little to no volunteering opportunities due to the flood of IT people in the area working outside the IT field to make ends meet.

 

[NewBlackDak]

OK, I have a BS in MIS. The A+ is a joke. I didn't crack a single book, and breezed through it my Freshman year in College. I now also have CCNA, CCNP, MCSE-W2KPro(anothe r joke), and am working on Solaris9 certification. I'm also thinking of getting a Linux cert.
If you want to make some money without having to be the boss the UNIX certs bring in the most money. I'd also recommend the CCNA to anyone who will ever work in a network environment.

 

[Sentinel]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492
16 credits to lighten your load next semester? 16 is a light load....

it depends what you are taking, if you are taking these A+ classes then yes it is

if you guys want to flame me too im only taking 13 credits and i am also a resident assistant

 

[NewBlackDak]

Don't let them get at you. I was taking physics2, DIFFEQ, organic chem, and biology in the same semester(before I changed from biochem to MIS). That's not a whole lot of credit hours, but it's enough to keep most people stretched very thin.

 

[Smilin]

The A+ is great if you want an entry level job like say working in the repair shop at compusa. If you want to get out in the enterprise you should look into certs from Cisco and Microsoft. Linux/Solaris may be helpful too.

 

[RelaxTheMind]

Yeh ditto on A+ being an entry "tech" job postion getter. Ive read up on the A+ (i want to get recertified for the hell of it) and they actually have xp and all that good stuff now. Did away with most of the DOS stuff and older hardware 486 and p1 stuff. I cant really remember what else they added and did away with. Its always nice to have though. "oh yeh im certified"

Ive met more people that arent certified that are quite a bit more knowledgeable than a certified butt buddy.

Im guessing as most students that take certification classes seem to just soak in whats in the book.

Its like comparing a real fisherman to someone who just read about it.

Thats why companys require like 3-5 years experience and bachelors degrees.

might want to check into all the msce classes too

vicflo

 

[Smilin]

I could be wrong here, but I've actually avoided the A+ cert. I'm at a point in my career where I only work on enterprise server environments. A+ kinda leaves me thinking of a "PC Technician" or desktop guy. I must say that certs are a great idea though no matter where you are at. My years of experience is really what lands me the interview and job. However, having 2003 MCSE really helps to land hits on my resume in the search engines.

Also for the non-technical HR person tasked with finding candidates, having a certification will make you stand out. An IT manager will take the guy with 5 years of experience over an MCSE, but an HR person might not. It's all become a wierd game now. I tell ya the guys who know how to get their pages to the top of a google search are the ones who are landing the jobs right now

 

[NewBlackDak]

This is why you get the peice of paper, and get somewhere to stick for awhile(yes even if you think youre worth more than the position pays). It's worth it in the long run.