I just Joined!

MegFromOz

I just found this site today! I must say I really like it!! I am studying from the smartforce/softskill CD set.

I have pretty good computer knowledge, but feel a bit overwhelmed by all the information I need to retain - having a hard time retaining info. I took the test the first time a flunked it - couldn't sleep the night before and really messed me up.

It is really great to look in here and read all the post knowing I am not the only one with anxieties and a little frustrated. Thank you for being here!

I will be back soon!
Meg

Pavlov

Welcome Meg - best way to learn about hardware is to find a PC that you can take apart and put back together (hopefully ). There are certain things that simply must be memorized for the exam and there are many "tricks" to help to retain them. As you go through your studies feel free to fire away with questions, someone will be along soon after you with help.

bellboy

megfromoz,

i too felt overwhelmed by the amount of stuff i had to learn for a+. i had sent off for a course by mail order that seemed to take ages in arriving, so i bought the exam cram book and i felt like backing out of wanting to do the exam.

i just worked my way through it as best i could. some things like irqs and dmas i learned like times-tables and some things i picked up through time.

i joined a few i.t. forums and they helped a lot. i started by asking stupid questions and worked my way up to asking not-as-stupid questions and finally answering some

try to find sites with practise tests that you know fulfill current exam objectives and visit them on occasion, or buy some exam simulating software.

welcome to techexams and best of luck with your a+.

shankz

hello guys,
my name is shankanator, down from australia and i just joined onto this site.


So far the exams that i hav done are A+OS, Network+, MCP70-210, Server 70-215 and managing a network environment 70-218.

All i have to do is A+ hardware and then im a MCSA.

I wondering what i should keep in mind when im studying for this test. I have failed this test once before so any help will be good.

I'm just coming of my network+ exam. got 833/900 Got lots of experience wit computers but not particularly hardware.

bellboy

if you do not already have done so, get some old pcs for your lab, to take apart and study. a pc with isa slots and cards is especially ideal for those starting a+ (unlike yourself) as the exams allow for the fact that many computers are not 100% plug and play.

some hardware lab exercises:

try attaching the floppy drive ribbon the wrong way and seeing what happens.

try moving memory modules around in memory slots and seeing what happens. try slot individually, in pairs.

boot the pc with the keyboard removed. then with the mouse removed. [remember: to have the pc switched off when removing/installing keyboards and mice as the controllers on the motherboard can get damaged].

try altering the positions of the jumpers on ide drives. install them on differecnt ide controllers.

alter the boot order in the cmos.

MegFromOz

Thank you for your replies! I built my computer, that what made me realize that I could make some money (hopefully) doing this kind of stuff. I have been into puters for awhile the troubleshooting a preventative stuff is fairly easy for me - it is all the numbers that get me.

Also to let anybody know - I have the A+ stuff from my CDs all on my hard drive in Word format - it is all on paper if anybody is interested in it I can e-mail the stuff to anybody - allot of information!!!! To warn you there are some typos - but easy to figure it out. Just let me know if you want it!

Happy weekend! :P Meg From Oz

RussS

Hey megfromoz

Sounds like you have it mostly under control
I had built my own systems for 4/5 years and was the first person any friends or family would call on when problems hit their PC. Deciding I would rather work with something I really enjoy rather than chasing my tail in the hospitality industry I made the decision to ditch my job and train full time to accelerate the transition. Hopefully by christmas I will have MCSA and Security+ and then will slide out into the workforce and try to start paying for my training. Linux+ will be added part-time once I am up and running.