Author Archives: wpadmin

[Posted 16 May 2013 by Kathy Yale]

Computing fundamentals, key applications and living online are the three elements of IC3 certification. The importance of these components is progressively growing in the jobs industry. As technology becomes more of a key component in the workplace, employers are searching for candidates who have thorough training and experience in the core areas.

The Big Shift

The workforce of the 1970s saw a shift in the workplace as computers were introduced in higher levels of administration. As time passed, computers replaced filing systems for records. Administrative workers were required to do away with the Rolo-Dex and card filing systems and learn how to enter information into a computer.

As technology developed and employers saw the benefits in speed and accuracy in using computers, the usage of computers was spread outside of the lines of record keeping. Companies began to use them as processors for applications, real-life simulators and as monetary exchange systems. Employers were able to locate files and view transactions that had occurred months prior to inquiry. Technology has made the speed of business increase at astronomical increments.

Today’s Work Environment

Things have continued to progress since the 1970s. And, every position of employment requires some type of interaction with computers. Hands-on laborers have to at least "punch the clock" using a keyboard, mouse and monitor. This is why IC3 certification is growing in importance.

Benefits to Employers

Arguably, job candidates are classified by levels of computer skill and knowledge. Employers understand that holders of the IC3 certificate don’t have to be trained on basic computer usage. They also understand that holders of the certificate are adept at searching and getting around the Internet without much assistance. These factors add much value to potential job candidates.

Employers transitioning to a more technological platform are crippled when having to remove their "best" employees from the floor and retrain them on computer basics. Also, the learning curve can take up to months to cure and justify the training.

Switching Careers?

On the other hand, IC3 certification is valuable to recruiters because they don’t have to sift through a candidate’s resume in order to determine whether or not he or she has the basic computer skills necessary for the job. Those who are making a career change can make themselves more attractive with this as on a resume.

How Accessible is IC3 Certification?

Total Seminars is offering courses that you can utilize to prepare yourself for today’s job market. We offer a number of courses that include IC3, A++ and more. If you are switching careers, reentering the job market or jumping in for the first time, we have a line up of courses that will help you advance as a professional.

We also provide news and other updates pertinent to testing. We provide you with the right materials and offer expertise on how to use them most effectively. We keep pace with industry changes, and, we make adjustments when test content changes. Contact us today and use as a competent aid in helping you achieve certification success.

[Posted 09 May 2013 by Kathy Yale]

The A+ practice test can be highly beneficial to someone who is serious about building a long-term professional career in the IT industry. As anyone working in a technical field knows, industry certifications are a fact of life. Because many of the issues that you’ll face in IT require highly detailed knowledge of specific platforms or software packages, employers need to use certification exams to determine your level of technical competence.

Why Take the Test?

Some individuals who already have a good deal of knowledge in the field of IT may question the benefit of taking the A+ practice test. Indeed, taking the test will require a bit more of a time investment than simply going straight for your certification. However, you should look at the practice test as a tool rather than a time investment.

As A+ is considered by many employers to be an entry-level certification for anyone wishing to join the IT industry, there likely will be a fairly large pool of applicants for any position requiring the skills you’ll learn. Practicing before testing for your certification is one way to set yourself apart from potential competitors.

In an article prepared for the Learning Strategies Database at Muskingum University, it is explained that practice tests are perhaps the best way of preparing for any type of examination. The main benefit is said to stem from the fact that such tests impose an in-depth review of the material that will be covered on an actual exam. Additionally, the practice exam will generally follow the same format as the official one, thus allowing a student to get acquainted with the way information and questions will be presented to them.

Making the Most of the Test

If you do elect to take the A+ practice test, you’ll want to make sure that you maximize the opportunity that doing so gives you. There are two ways to do this deepening on your situation. If you’re not sure which elements of the test will be most difficult for you, you can work through the whole thing, and then go back for a more detailed review of any topics that you had problems with.

On the other hand, if you’re already aware of the fact that you are weaker when it comes to certain topics covered on the test, you can choose to focus all of your efforts on these areas until you’re able to attain a high degree of confidence when it comes to all the material.

By using the test in this way, you can greatly improve upon any areas of weakness you might have. This will make you a stronger candidate for employment even when it comes to entry-level positions. You’ll have a stronger grasp of crucial material then other applicants who did not take the same extra time for preparation.

A final benefit of taking the A+ practice test is the fact that it puts you in a better position for furthering your career down the line. Because A+ certification focuses on many of the fundamentals in the IT industry, the strong foundation of skills that you’ll be building by taking extra time to learn will likely mean that you’ll be better prepared to delve into the more complex areas of IT as you move up within the industry.

Holding an up-to-date A+ Certification is vital to modern-day IT technicians. The computer era was once driven by seat-of-the-pants self-taught IT groundbreakers. However, technology began to advance at an almost incomprehensible pace. The early age of computer programming and repair vanished beneath a demand for organized methods of training. Company employed technicians struggled to keep pace, and something had to give.

The roots of the change began in 1982 when five major vendors created the Association of Better Computer Dealers (ABCD). The group came together under a single goal: Find the means for enhanced IT services for vendors and consumers.

In 1993, a revolutionary change healed the riff. It came about through the hands of suggestions and actions of CompTIA, a renamed and expanded version of the ABCD.

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.

Strategies introduced through the 1993 CompTIA certification programs leveled the technical playing field. The vendor-neutral CompTIA training programs ensured every company of graduates that were competent in a broad range of computer operating systems, skills and technologies.

Changes Along the Way and for Today

Unless specifically studying old forms of production, repair or creation, no training program can linger in the past. Since 1993, the CompTIA exam has undergone various major changes. For example:

• 2003 introduced a division of the process that separated hardware exams from software exams
• 2007 heralded in the prestige of accreditation from the American National Standards Institute
• 2009 presented new challenges due to a demand for technicians with the skills for adapting to real world IT complications

To remain relevant with current needs in the IT industry, CompTIA continues to update the specs of the program. Employers expect prospective IT administrators and computer repair techs to maintain an ongoing education. Keeping up to date is easier now than it was in the pre-1993 days, but it still requires dedication to education.

2012 A+ Certification exam updates include the following changes and more:

• Disposal of Windows 2000
• In-depth SOHO security
• Handling mobile devices and wireless network connections
• Full support for the Windows 7 OS.

(Note that August 31, 2013 is earmarked for retirement of exams 220-701 and 220-702.)

Graduate job opportunities are not limited to computer manufacturers and corporate environments. For example: According to USAJOBS Working For American, basic requirements for a recent Federal Bureau of Investigation job posting for a Forensic Examiner included A+ Certification for personal computer hardware services and others.

Certified technicians can expect to receive a 5 to 15 percent income increase over employees who lack the documentation. Currently, documented educational evidence remains a preferred method of entry into the IT field. Now is a good time for you to open your windows to opportunity.

The A+ Certification was created by a non-profit, vendor-neutral organization called CompTIA. This certification tests one’s competency as a computer technician, primarily focusing on the Windows operating system, however, questions regarding the Apple and Android operating systems have been added in recent years. The A+ test is a natural gateway toward other CompTIA certifications, although it is not required. Earning this certification is typically necessary to be considered for an entry-level IT position. The A+ Certification tests a broad range of topics and is divided into two parts.

The first part of the A+ Certification tests knowledge of networking, assembling, and configuring PCs, laptops, and related hardware, and the fundamentals of computer technology.

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.

Jobs that require the A+ Certification

According to CompTIA, an A+ Certification is a standard requirement for those seeking employment in positions such as technical support specialist, field service technician, and IT support technician, administrator, or specialist. It shows employers that the applicant has a solid understanding of assembling computers, configuring software, operating systems, and hardware. Government IT jobs usually have stricter requirements regarding certificates and education than the public sector, which only adds to the value that an A+ certification can provide.

How Much Value Does the A+ Certification Provide?

A recent survey conducted by Certification Magazine states that the average salary of someone that holds an A+ Certification is about $65K. This figure includes many people who have worked their way up from an entry-level position and have years of experience; someone just starting off should expect to make somewhere around half of that. The A+ Certification is also a starting point to numerous other certifications offered by CompTIA that can lead to an increase in earning power.

The A+ Certification by itself may not be enough to secure employment. Employers will often want to see experience and other educational credentials on an applicant’s resume. However, the certification can mean the difference between whether an applicant is even called in for an interview. Many employers will screen résumés looking for people with particular certificates. As previously mentioned, government jobs place a high emphasis on their employees being certified.

Other Information

The A+ Certification exam is a 90-minute test and requires a score of 75% to pass. It tests basic computer understanding, regarding hardware and software, which means that it will show employers that you have a good understanding of basic computer skills. The A+ Certifications used to be good for life once an applicant passed and received the certification. As of January 2010, CompTIA made a change and added a 3-year expiration policy on A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications. Certificate holders are required to retest every 3 years. Technology is rapidly changing and it is necessary to ensure that one’s knowledge remains current, which is the purpose of requiring retesting. If one holds more than one certificate, they are only required to retest for the highest level certificate held.

[Posted 25 Apr 2013 by Kathy Yale]

You need IT certification – maybe you’re starting a new job, or you just switched positions within a business, or company policy just changed, or you want to give yourself an edge over your competitors and add something extra to your résumé. Whatever the reason is, CompTIA offers a variety of certification exams for your career needs. As one of the leading certification providers in the world, CompTIA provides high quality, vendor-neutral – or non-proprietary – certifications that set the standards in essential industry skills. Passing a CompTIA qualification exam requires a thorough understanding of the material you need to know to do your job well, and one of the best ways to prepare for an examination is with a Network+ practice test.

Certifications Available

CompTIA provides sixteen certifications on a variety of topics and two basic computer skills certifications, along with associated courses, textbooks, and practice exams that teach the material. These range from the Strata IT Fundamentals, which covers elementary PC functions and technology, to the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner, which teaches and tests risk management, analysis, and enterprise security. The Professional series of tests deals with the technical skills needed for various information technology, or IT, jobs; it includes networking, troubleshooting, installation, maintenance, sales, communication, security, printer technology, and disaster recovery. The Specialty series is intended for people in niche markets and includes certifications for cloud computing, environmentally friendly IT, and healthcare systems. All of the material on the Network+ practice test is useful for various careers in the IT industry whether or not your employer requires certification.

The Network+ Test

The Network+ test “covers managing, maintaining, troubleshooting, operating, and configuring basic network infrastructure”. It is intended for network technicians, installers, and administrators; help desk technicians; and cable installers. Some companies require Network+ qualifications (these include Dell, HP, and Xerox), while others merely recommend it (Apple). The test has a maximum of one hundred multiple choice and performance-based (in which a simulated task must be solved) questions that must be completed within ninety minutes. The test is graded on a scale of 100 to 900 points, with a score of 720 required to pass. You can learn the material and prepare for the exam in a variety of ways: CompTIA offers books and study guides; in-person training, if you feel more comfortable learning in a classroom setting; and an online “E-learning Center”.

Pricing

The costs of CompTIA’s study materials, classes, and exams can really add up. The required exam voucher for the Network+ certification costs $261 and study packs can range in price from $32 to $315. Your career’s important, but it can still be a pain to pay for all of that. Luckily, an alternative option exists: the Network+ practice test from Total Seminars.