So I just got my A+ cert this week

[DS9VOY]

So I work in IT at a local telco. We were told two weeks ago the company is rolling out a new requirement that everyone in IT at minimum must have an A+ cert, and if you don't get it within 6 months you'll be let go.

So half the people I work with (myself included) either have few or no certs and were freaking out. Everyone was talking about "studying for weeks" to make sure they can pass.

Then I start reading about it on forums and read all these posts about people having to study for it and not even passing it. I was thinking holy sh** this is going to be hell.

So I walk in to the Pearson VUE test center this week just signed up for the FIRST A+ exam. (my plan was to take one to see how it was and then study for a few weeks to to retake it should I fail and take the 2nd one)

Well half way through the test I started to think to myself "We were freaking out over this?". Two hours were allocated and I finished it in 45 mins with an almost a perfect score.

The proctor tells me "why not just take the other one since you did so well on the first?". So I pay for it on the spot. 40 mins later another almost perfect score and I'm A+ certified.

So looking back on it now - who are these people making this cert out to be some big thing that needs weeks of studying for?

More importantly - what the hell is going on at companies like mine that are suddenly requiring this cert? Is CompTIA sending them cash if they force their IT departments to get it?

I actually feel kind of embarrassed to say I'm A+ certified now. If there are actually people out there who CAN'T pass this test working in IT then someone in HR screwed up pretty bad.... Really I think about 70% of end users would probably have a good shot at passing this thing on a first try.

 

[compbuilder00]

congrats

 

[Schadenfroh]

Congrats, been debating about whether or not to go for one myself.

 

[Dominato3r]

Congratulations

 

[HappyPuppy]

The OP is beyond awesome!


Then again, they may have dumbed down the test from the 1990's.

 

[dbk]

savoy?

 

[Jadow]

LOL, it's kinda stupid that your company requires that, however that being said, congrats!

I also have my A+

I heard they're changing it so it's not a lifetime cert anymore, is yours 4 life or will you have to renew?

Edit: Also, you should grab the Network+ cert too, even easier than A+.

I took A+ when you had to know all about IRQ's, com ports, serial ports, etc... I studied up for it, passed, then basically forgot it all. LOL

 

[Jadow]

savoy?

Savoy Slugger, the game winning bat from "The Natural"

 

[Adul]

didn't study for mine,I just took some practice exams. If you are a knowledgeable techie you should be able to pass easily.

 

[Tsavo]

]LOL, it's kinda stupid that your company requires that[/B],

Our company rolled out Win 2k and made everyone attend W2k training classes. This was by edict of the CEO.

EVERYONE had to attend the 2 day class.

Even all of us in IT. :hmm:

 

[JEDI]

So I work in IT at a local telco. We were told two weeks ago the company is rolling out a new requirement that everyone in IT at minimum must have an A+ cert, and if you don't get it within 6 months you'll be let go.

So half the people I work with (myself included) either have few or no certs and were freaking out. Everyone was talking about "studying for weeks" to make sure they can pass.

Then I start reading about it on forums and read all these posts about people having to study for it and not even passing it. I was thinking holy sh** this is going to be hell.

So I walk in to the Pearson VUE test center this week just signed up for the FIRST A+ exam. (my plan was to take one to see how it was and then study for a few weeks to to retake it should I fail and take the 2nd one)

Well half way through the test I started to think to myself "We were freaking out over this?". Two hours were allocated and I finished it in 45 mins with an almost a perfect score.

The proctor tells me "why not just take the other one since you did so well on the first?". So I pay for it on the spot. 40 mins later another almost perfect score and I'm A+ certified.

So looking back on it now - who are these people making this cert out to be some big thing that needs weeks of studying for?

More importantly - what the hell is going on at companies like mine that are suddenly requiring this cert? Is CompTIA sending them cash if they force their IT departments to get it?

I actually feel kind of embarrassed to say I'm A+ certified now. If there are actually people out there who CAN'T pass this test working in IT then someone in HR screwed up pretty bad.... Really I think about 70% of end users would probably have a good shot at passing this thing on a first try.

what were some of the questions?

 

[biggestmuff]

Savoy Slugger, the game winning bat from "The Natural"

Savoy was in Bull Durham. The Natural's co-star was Wonderboy.

 

[lxskllr]

I took some practice exams online, but failed them. I blitzed through as fast as I could though. My goal was just to see the types of questions on the test. They covered some pretty old tech in the test exams I took. I seem to remember having Win95 material on them. Is that still the case?

Btw, congratulations on getting the cert :^)

 

[Spineshank]

Its probably actually easier now then it was. When i took it there were still DOS questions and random crap that wasnt used even at that time (2003).

 

[0roo0roo]

its a bullsh*t cert based on fact memorization, trouble shooting knowledge/problem solving be damned.

 

[DS9VOY]

I took some practice exams online, but failed them. I blitzed through as fast as I could though. My goal was just to see the types of questions on the test. They covered some pretty old tech in the test exams I took. I seem to remember having Win95 material on them. Is that still the case?

Btw, congratulations on getting the cert :^)

No they are actually pretty updated now. I really don't remember even one "legacy" question being on them. Several asked about Windows Vista and later features such as UAC. Even saw one with the Phenom II mentioned.

So for anyone planning on taking these tests - all the "old tech" has been completely wiped from these tests.

There WERE some BS questions that threw me though that I doubt anyone is going to know. Such as "What is the EXACT path to change virtual memory settings in X version of Windows?"

So let's say we are doing that in Windows 7. The correct answer would be "Start menu -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced system settings -> Advanced -> Settings -> Advanced -> Change".

And then one of the possible answers would be "Start menu -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced settings -> Advanced -> Settings -> Advanced -> Change"

Then another choice would be "Start menu -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced system settings -> Advanced -> Settings -> Change"

Note the small differences? Well guess what - if you picked the 2nd or 3rd one you're wrong.

Who honestly has the path to every random thing exactly memorized? You know the gist of how to get there. You don't memorize word for word what every word is along the path to getting there.

 

[0roo0roo]

yea the old ones used to require you to remember the different types of scsi, really old obsolete scsi even, the bus width and the mb/s. it was a bad joke. its like remembering exactly what mb/s each ata level is, totally bullsh*t knowledge.
and yea control panel questions are another type of bullsh*t.

 

[Hacp]

So you don't need to memorize How many pins a VGA has now?

 

[HappyPuppy]

its a bullsh*t cert based on fact memorization, trouble shooting knowledge/problem solving be damned.

Interesting. Do you have an A+ Cert?

 

[0roo0roo]

Interesting. Do you have an A+ Cert?

no, i flipped through one of the tutorial books once out of curiosity. it was a big wtf.

 

[KeypoX]

Took it about 10 years ago, was pretty easy. Didnt have to study. But had knowledge from school.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Interesting. Do you have an A+ Cert?

I do, and I agree with him that it is a BS cert. I got it back in the late 90s because my employer required it and it was the version that had all the old DOS questions on it. Regardless, it was still ridiculously easy and a waste of time.

 

[Wyndru]

Congrats. I'm surprised that this is a requirement though. I was told when I got mine that it only was necessary if you had less than 6 months tech experience. I think the testing site even had this info posted for new applicants.

I remember the first job interview I went on (post internship) the interviewer recommended that I take it off of my resume for this reason :hmm:. I didn't get the job, thankfully, and I still have the cert on my resume.

That kind of sucks if they are actually making it a renewable cert, half the stuff on the test you will never need to know.

 

[SoulAssassin]

If they mandated you had to take the test, did they at least pay for it?

 

[StinkyPinky]

I got mine in 2000 I think. Back then it was IRQ, Com ports etc. Obsolete crap now.