How long to study for A+

on the mat

So Exam Cram should be coming in the mail any day now and I was wondering how long I should study before taking the tests. I will likely be studying about 3 to 4 hours a week. I have a pretty good knowledge of computers, but I am a little rusty. And I have a BS in Finance so I am a decent test taker. I know everyone is different, but I was curious as to what would be a good time to expect to take the tests. Also, what is a good length of time to spread the two tests apart?

NetworkNewb

As long as it takes to understand the topics in the book... Like you said everyone is different. If you can read and understand everything in one week, take it in one week. It is definitely not a small book though!

Personally , I read the whole book (took a few weeks) and took both the tests on the same day, one right after another.

TCainnn

I have heard of people studying for 1 week and obtaining the certification. Everybody learns differently and I will say once you understand Motherboard form factors, Expansion slots and bus speeds, different custom configurations, memory types,processor types/sockets,tcp/ip addressing, and the different network ports/protocols you should be ready to pass the exam. I failed the 801 test my first time taking it and I scheduled the 802 for the next day. After I failed the first test, I rescheduled my 801+802 test that following Wednesday and I passed both. Just make sure that you have a clear understanding of the above and a few other topics in exam cram and you should be good to go.

on the mat

Well guess I found out how long it takes. Took me about a month and a half of studying to pass. Got a 752 on 801 and squeaked by on the 802 with a 714. I really underestimated that test. I figured two weeks to read the book and a week to review and I would be good to go. Nope. Was going to take both tests on 10/24, but then I realized I was nowhere close to ready. Although with taking a java course concurrently, working on buying a house, and general work stress it may have been a little easier under different circumstances. All I know is I was happy as hell to see my scores start with 7. And this site helped a lit so I gotta give thanks.

Edin

I think it really depends on what you already know. The A+ is split into 2 exams covering different subjects.

Take a few practice tests and see how good you are doing to get a feel for what you know so you can better assess how long it will take to study for the exam.