CompTIA A+ Certification - IT Support Certification Starts Here!

CompTIA A+ certification is the foremost worldwide recognised credential that certifies the competency of computer industry Service Specialists. A+ is sponsored by CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association), and exams are taken at a 'Prometric' centre, which means you can take your exams close to your home at one of the many regional test centres. (A recent count showed there to be approximately 100 Prometric centres available nationally around the UK.)

CompTIA A+ has become an integral part of the certification track for many corporations such as Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Cisco. Other large technology companies have also made the CompTIA certification compulsory (or pre-requisite for job applications) for all their service technicians.

In fact, the A+ program is now backed by over 50 major computer hardware and software manufacturers, distributors, vendors, resellers and publications around the globe.

Nearly three-quarters of a million people worldwide have studied for and successfully obtained A+ certification since the program's commencement in 1993.

It's quite fair to say that without CompTIA A+ trained IT support staff, modern industry in the UK today could well be brought to it's knees.

CompTIA Training & Certification Gets Candidates Into Work...

CompTIA A+ covers fault-finding & diagnostics, both remote access and hands-on. It also deals with the building, fixing and repairing of computers in anti-static conditions.

The A+ certification exam originally had three separate tracks, plus the 'Essentials' exam. These were consolidated into 2 new exams at the end of 2009 and re-launched as the new CompTIA A+ 2009 certification.

Previously, CompTIA had broken the A+ certification into 4 separate elements, so that a student could pick a certain job role to concentrate on. Over the last few years though, this had become redundant, simply because students now needed all four exams to be trained to the required level. It therefore made sense to re-balance the syllabus across just 2 exams.

During 2010, CompTIA are therefore retiring the 220-60X exams in favour of the new 2009 220-70X exams.

CompTIA have produced a bridging exam (the BR-003) which re-certifies a student from the 2006/2007 syllabus up to the new 2009 level; although extra training may be required if you only studied for 2 of the original 4 exams.

This won't be a major problem for LearningLolly students as we always provided the full 4 areas of training as standard!

The new CompTIA A+ Essentials test (exam code 220-701) and Practical Application test (exam code 220-702) now provide a comprehensive and commercial background in all areas of computer hardware & software installation, maintenance, repair, trouble-shooting and administration. The focus has also been increased on security, networking, wireless technology and also professional communication in an IT work environment.

The A+ exams are designed for anyone planning to work in:

• Mobile or corporate technical environments involving a good deal of face-to-face interaction with the client(s). This covers a variety of potential job roles including PC Technician, IT Administrator and Field Service Technician.
• 'Remote-based' environments - where client interaction & training, operating system and connectivity issues are emphasised and addressed. Potential job roles could possibly include Remote Support Technician, Call Centre Technician and Help Desk Technician.
• Environments where the emphasis is specifically on hardware-related activities. Potential job roles can again be varied and include in-house 'Bench' or Depot Technician.

Achieving passes in both exams will mean that you are fully A+ certified...

And there's a huge shortage of trained professionals, so you'll always find companies looking for the right people - even in these challenging economic times.

Acquiring your CompTIA A+ certification will put you in the right environment for true job security. Read on to find out about CompTIA A+ Training Courses...