Preparing for the CompTIA A+^® Certification Exam: Hands-On

What is this course about?

This course prepares you for the CompTIA 2009 A+ Essentials Exam (220-701) and the A+ Practical Application Exam (220-702), the two exams required to achieve CompTIA 2009 A+ Certification. Through hands-on exercises and end-of-chapter exam questions, you gain the knowledge to install, configure and optimize personal computer hardware and operating systems.

Who will benefit from this course?

This course is valuable for anyone who wants to achieve A+ Certification or government personnel seeking IAT-1 certification to fulfill to DoD 8570.1 Directive.

This course will also benefit PC support/maintenance specialists, LAN managers and systems integrators as well as those whose responsibilities include:

• Maintaining, troubleshooting and repairing PC systems
• Upgrading PC systems (installing additional memory, disk drives, displays, cards, etc.)
• Installing and configuring new software applications

What background do I need?

Due to the comprehensive nature of the CompTIA A+ Essentials and IT Technician Exams, prospective students should have at least six months of on-the-job experience in PC configuration and troubleshooting before taking this exam preparation course.

Why should I obtain A+ Certification?

The CompTIA A+ Certification is recognised internationally by major IT organisations and validates a technician's abilities to perform essential PC support tasks. The A+ Certification provides a good foundation for career advancement in the PC support field and is a pathway to achieving further CompTIA certifications, including Network+ and Security+.

What is the DoD 8570.1 directive?

In 2004, the United States Department of Defense established the 8570.1 Directive that requires all DoD Information Assurance personnel to meet training and certification objectives. It identified two career tracks (Management and Technical), dividing each into three distinct levels. Passing the CompTIA A+ Certification Exam meets the requirements for Technical Level-I. Other civilian government groups at the state, county and municipal levels have followed the federal government's lead by also establishing these requirements.

How does Learning Tree prepare you to meet the DoD 8570.1 requirements?

This course prepares exam candidates in three ways:

• Detailed lectures cover the testing objectives as set forth by CompTIA
• Hands-on exercises reinforce concepts that are best learned through actual practice
• Practice exam drills are held throughout the course to reinforce knowledge and assess readiness

Learning Tree also offers the following courses that help meet the DoD requirements:

• 446, Preparing for the CompTIA Security+? Certification Exam
• 451, Network Configuration and Troubleshooting: Hands-On

For more information, please see individual course Q&As.

Do I need to take both the 2009 A+ Essentials Exam (220-701) and the A+ Practical Application Exam (220-702) to achieve the CompTIA A+ 2009 Certification?

Yes. Passing both exams is required to earn the CompTIA A+ 2009 Certification.

How is this course different from Course 145, Hands-On PC Configuration and Troubleshooting?

Course 145 provides practical, hands-on PC configuration and troubleshooting skills. Course 145 features more hands-on exercises and goes into greater depth explaining the "why" behind PC configuration and maintenance procedures.

In comparison, the main goal of Course 445 is to prepare you for the CompTIA 2009 A+ Essentials and A+ Practical Application exams. Although the course does feature selected hands-on exercises, the main emphasis is on reviewing topics covered in the exam and testing your knowledge with the review questions at the end of each chapter.

How is this course different from Course 150, Advanced PC Configuration, Troubleshooting and Data Recovery: Hands-On?

Course 150 teaches practical, hands-on techniques for software and disk-related PC configuration and troubleshooting, including recovering lost data and crashed PC systems. Course 150 also features hands-on exercises for many important topics that are covered only briefly in Course 445, such as data recovery, imaging disks (Ghost), and creating bootable Windows PE disks.

Will I be prepared to take the exam immediately after this course?

Due to the breadth and depth of topics covered in the exams, we recommend one to two weeks of additional study after the course. However, you should plan to take the exam within one month after completing the course, so you don't forget what you've learned!

How much of this course is hands-on?

Approximately 30 percent of this course is spent in hands-on exercises. These exercises prepare you for the A+ Essentials and IT Technician Certification Exams and include:

• Disassembling the PC
• Mapping the motherboard
• POST and examining the PC BIOS settings
• Installing adapter cards
• Configuring a serial ATA hard drive
• Installing Windows XP

At the end of each chapter, you also have an opportunity to test your knowledge with sample exam questions.

How much time is spent on each topic?

Do I get a study guide to take home after class?

Yes. At the end of the course, you take home the CompTIA A+^® Exam Cram book, which includes a CD with practice exams.

How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses?

Additional Learning Tree courses that may be of interest include:

• 145, Hands-On PC Configuration and Troubleshooting
• 150, Advanced PC Configuration, Troubleshooting and Data Recovery: Hands-On
• 446, Preparing for the CompTIA Security+? Certification Exam
• 2005, Implementing Information Security with ISO/IEC 27002 Certification
• 170, Virtualisation Technologies: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction
• 451, Network Configuration and Troubleshooting: Hands-On
• 960, Windows Server® 2008: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction

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