Getting N+ BEFORE A+ adviseable or not?

G.O.A.T

Due to wanting to go for the 900 series I plan to wait till they come out. Now Im in a position to get N+ through a college course but Im worried that I lack hardware knowledge.. I could probs build a computer but dont know every single thing about hardware, deffinetly not enough to walk into an A+ exam and pass. Is it essential to get the A+ before the N+?

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veritas_libertas

I wouldn't worry about it. You don't HAVE to fully understand how a computer works to take the Network+. I took this path: Net+ --> Security+ --> A+. I only took the A+ because it was required for a WGU course. Otherwise I wouldn't have taken it. I learned some interesting stuff about media, SATA, but that honestly doesn't help me today. If I need to know I go to Google.

GreaterNinja

Having A+ knowledge helps but is definitely not necessary to get Network+. I studied A+ because I liked building computers.
In the end I ended up skipping A+ because Network+ was significantly cheaper. A+ I believe signifies 6 months of industry experience. Network+ 12-24 months experience.
I argued this to land my first position in Desktop Support (they wanted A+).
In retrospect, if you go Network+ and like networking, go for CCENT, CCNA, CCNP. It pays a lot better than desktop and helpdesk. :P

G.O.A.T

@=veritas_libertas
Thanks man defo thinking of enrolling on the N+ next week!

DoubleNNs

That's what I did - got the Network+ before A+. (I actually did N+, S+, then A+). I don't advise it.

However, it really all depends on your goals. The problem w/ the N+ is that there's little "employability" ROI attached to it. If you're hoping to get a job after the cert, you should def go A+ 1st. You could then slap that on your resume and begin looking for entry-level jobs right away, w/o even needing to have the Net+ completed yet.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the N+ and absolutely hated the A+ when I took it. If you're not banking on the certs giving you an advantage during a job search in the short term, then go w/ whatever order you want.

G.O.A.T

REMOVED UNNECESSARY QUOTED REPLY FROM PREVIOUS POST

Hmm I think you've made a good point in regards to ROI in regards to N+.

greg9891

Hey I did the same thing did N+ now studying for security + I may do the A + eventually.

eLZy85

I got the Net+ first thinking it would be more important but I am now working as a NOC Tech and before I got the job they required Net+ and A+ so I went and got the A+ done in less than two weeks. So, while getting the Net+ before is highly doable, some places may want both.