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A+ Exam Facts

Required exams: 220-901 and 220-902
Exam Vouchers: A+ vouchers may be used for either exam
Number of questions: Maximum of 90 for each exam
Type of questions: May include:
  • multiple choice
  • multiple responses
  • fill-in-the-blank
  • exhibits
  • drag/drop
  • performance-based
Length of test: 90 minutes for each exam
Passing score: 220-901: 675 (scale 100-900) 220-902: 700 (scale 100-900)
Cert timeframe: Valid for three years from the date of certification. Certified for life if certified on or before Dec 31, 2010.
Cert Renewal: See CompTIA Continuing Ed Program
Domains 220-901:
  • 1.0 Hardware 34%
  • 2.0 Networking 21%
  • 3.0 Mobile Devices 17%
  • 4.0 Hardware & Network Troubleshooting 28%
Domains 220-902:
  • 1.0 Win OS 29%
  • 2.0 Other OS/ Technologies 12%
  • 3.0 Security 22%
  • 4.0 Software Troubleshooting 24%
  • 5.0 Operational Procedures 13%

Exam News

A+ Certification exams 220-901 and 220-902 were released December 15, 2015.

A+ Certification exams 220-801 and 220-802 retired June 30, 2016.

You must pass two exams from the same series (e.g., 901/902) to become certified. CompTIA does NOT support mixing exam series. If you passed either 801 or 802, but did not pass the other 80x series exam by June 30, 2016, you’ll now have to take the 901 and 902 exams to become certified.

90x series changes include, but are not limited to:
  • Removal of Windows XP
  • Full incorporation of Windows 8 (but not Win 10)
  • Mac OS X and Linux added
  • More coverage of mobile android and iOS configuration/troubleshooting
  • More coverage of mobile hardware and component ID and configuration
  • More security concepts, including mobile and OS-specific security
  • Printers and multifunctional devices coverage moved to 901 Hardware
The exams include:
  • Security: Supporting and Securing access to data by properly using authentication, access control and encryption for an organization. Help desk and technical support professionals form one of the first lines of defense for any organization.
  • Networking: Applying core concepts and protocols such as IPv4, IPv6, DHCP, and subnet mask to set up and support wired and wireless networks.
  • Operating Systems: Working with mobile, server and traditional operating systems from Android and iOS to Windows and Linux.
  • IT Operations: Utilizing the basics of virtualization, cloud computing, desktop imaging and deployment to support today’s IT infrastructures.
  • Troubleshooting: Following and using decision trees for diagnosing, resolving and documenting common hardware and software issues across a variety of devices.
  • Technical Support: Applying principles of customer service to help resolve IT issues

More Exam News

901/902 Performance-Based Questions. The candidate will be given a scenario/problem, and will be prompted to push a button to launch a simulated environment that is created via software. The simulated environment should be familiar to a PC support professional with the level of hands-on experience recommended. Once the simulation is launched, the candidate will need to perform whatever tasks s/he believes appropriate, based on the given scenario and the tools/information provided in the question.

Other types of questions that may appear on the A+ certification exams include multiple choice, multiple responses, fill-in-the-blank, drag and drop, and exhibits.

How new question types are graded: Two important pieces of information about the drag-and-drop and performance-based questions that you need to know:
  • Partial Credit: Scoring credit may be offered if a candidate answers only part of a question correctly.
  • No Negative Credit: CompTIA does not employ negative scoring on exam questions. In other words, scoring credit is not taken away for incorrect answers. A candidate should answer every exam question, even on the ones where they are not sure of the answer.

What about a JOB?

Companies such as Dell, Intel, Lenovo, and Ricoh require their computer technicians to have their A+ Certification. The Dept of Homeland Security requires A+ Certification in their computer forensics programs. Law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, also seek candidates who have their A+ Certification. If a company has computers, they may need your skills. Make sure employers know you’re certified. The data from the Certification Magazine Salary Survey for 2015 shows the value of IT Certification. More importantly it shows the value of continuing to learn and add additional certifications to your resume.
  • A+ certification only $47,500/year
  • A+ with 1 or 2 other active certs $84,250
  • A+ with 3 or 4 other active certs $92,080
  • A+ with 5 or 6 other active certs $97,130
  • A+ with 6 or 7 other active certs $105,150

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Pass the CompTIA A+ Certification Exams with Total Seminars

Mike Meyers

Mike Meyers
Securing power case for A+ Certification

Computer Technician Training

Earning the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) A+ certification proves you have the skills needed by a successful computer tech. Most businesses today rely on computers and a workforce skilled in IT. To succeed as a tech in today’s IT job market; you need to have skills in managing and troubleshooting computers.You will demonstrate to employers that you possess the basic competence to support computers when you earn your A+ Certification. Total Seminars has written the best-selling book on how to prepare for the A+ Certification exams. To ensure that you pass, Total Seminars provides books, videos, lab manuals and simulation test software that that work together to provide everything you need to be fully prepared to pass the exams. Mike Meyers, the premier authority on A+ certification, leads a team of experts at Total Seminars with almost two decades of experience in developing courseware. Mike’s involvement in the materials offered by Total Seminars is like having Einstein help you study for a math test. The CompTIA A+ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide, authored by Mike Meyers, provides practical knowledge to enable you to pass the exams. Every chapter includes learning objectives, along with advice about the exam, in-depth explanations, and review questions. The 1,000+ photographs and illustrations make studying easier and more fun. The CompTIA A+ Certification consists of two tests:

220-901: Domain and Percentage of Examination
  • Hardware 34%
  • Networking 21%
  • Mobile Devices 17%
  • Hardware & Network Troubleshooting 28%
220-902: Domain and Percentage of Examination
  • Win OS 29%
  • Other OS/Technologies 12%
  • Security 22%
  • Software Troubleshooting 24%
  • Operational Procedures 13%
Total Seminars supplies everything you need to prepare, understand, and pass the exams, guaranteed. Contact Total Seminars at the beginning of your studies to take advantage of their superb A+ practice test software. These simulation tests serve as important milestones in your studies en route to taking and passing the actual exams. Total Seminars, the certification experts, produce the #1 study guides, videos, lab manuals and practice test software on the market. No one else offers all these books and training materials authored by the same industry experts. They work together and cross reference one another to provide a complete preparation solution.
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History of A+ Certification and the Critical Job-Related Changes Associated with May 2013 Updates

Prior to the significant A+ Certification programs introduced by CompTIA, IT educational documentations were company related and company regulated. Most major manufacturers including IBM and Dell required prospective employees to participate in precision training programs specific to their brand name. Corporations that had shaped an IT department around the skills of self-taught individuals remained outside the loop. They were vulnerable to the introduction of new technologies that may have reached beyond the scope of their self-taught IT employees. Bookmark and Share
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A+ Certification is Essential for Prospective IT Professionals

 
The second part of the test determines if the applicant is capable of installing and configuring operating systems and configuring standard features such as email, printers, scanners, etc. The exam also covers configuring standard settings such as email and networking on mobile operating systems such as the Android or Apple iOS. Bookmark and Share
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What Makes A+ Certfication Such a Popular Credential?

The CompTIA A+ CompTIA certification is geared to the maintenance of desktop computers, laptops, mobile devices, and printers. This means that the A+ certification is valuable for anyone who is interested in the user-support aspect of computer technology. Many large corporations require that their technicians have A+ certification for precisely this reason. While the CompTIA A+ certification focuses on general technology, the emphasis is more on PC computers running Windows systems than Apple operating systems or Linux operating systems. Bookmark and Share
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Why You Need an A+ Certification Now More than Ever

 
What Does A+ Certification Cover? At the most basic level, A+ certification declares that you are a competent computer technician. A+ certification is a vendor-indepdendent certification that allows you to state that you are familiar with computer software and hardware and that you have had some training when it comes troubleshooting. The test covers everything from hardware to computer safety to networking to personal devices like laptops and PDAs. Having an A+ certification states that you have a broad and generalized amount of information about computers and networks.
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