Taking A+ Core Hardware in 2 days, am I prepared?

kujayhawk93

I'm taking the Core test this Friday and would like some opinions concerning my preparation. I have been a computer technician for over 7 years now and thought I could breeze through the A+ certification, but was surprised to find out how much I didn't know when I started looking at the objectives. I have been using Sybex's A+ Fast Pass, QUE's Exam Cram 2, and several websites with test questions. I just found this site today and am looking forward to taking the sample tests tonight. For those of you who have passed the test already, what do you think, am I adequately prepared, given my experience and studying techniques? Thanks in advance!

booboo2

Sounds like you're ready. Just took both A+ certs last month and the only thing that caught me off guard were some questions about customer service which are common sense and you can't get that from any book or notes (there were literally 20 on each exam). On multiple choice it's pretty easy to eliminate 2 answers immediately so out of the last 2 you know aren't wrong go with your gut. Since you've been a tech for 7 years the legacy stuff should not be a problem. Good luck

kujayhawk93

Thanks, booboo. Actually, the legacy stuff is what's worrying me the most! I've never bothered to memorize things like IRQs and memory addresses, because Windows manages that stuff so much better now. Thanks for the well wishes, I hope to be posting back Friday night with the word "PASSED" in my subject line!

Plantwiz

kujayhawk93 wrote:

Thanks, booboo. Actually, the legacy stuff is what's worrying me the most! I've never bothered to memorize things like IRQs and memory addresses, because Windows manages that stuff so much better now. Thanks for the well wishes, I hope to be posting back Friday night with the word "PASSED" in my subject line!

You have been a 'tech' for 7 years and haven't bothered to memorize IRQs?? What sort of 'tech' work do you do?

kujayhawk93

For the last 4 years I've been a Computer Systems Technician for an engineering company with approximately 300 employees in 8 different offices across the midwest. My duties are varied, but center around PC hardware and software support. Back in the days of Windows 9x, I had to resolve things like IRQ conflicts all the time, but never memorized them all. Our company migrated to a Windows 2003 Server environment with all XP Pro clients a couple years ago, so I can't tell you when the last time was I had to resolve an IRQ conflict.

jsobrinog

Sup all, like kujayhawk93 im presenting my a+ core next friday but im a little bit nervous. This is my material

A+ QUE book
Preplogic practice test
Preplogic test exam
Techexams
Boson 5.27 practice test
Sybex .chm help file

im ok? i had some trouble trying to memorize most of the CPU bus and address :S any hint?

Plantwiz

kujayhawk93 wrote:

For the last 4 years I've been a Computer Systems Technician for an engineering company with approximately 300 employees in 8 different offices across the midwest. My duties are varied, but center around PC hardware and software support. Back in the days of Windows 9x, I had to resolve things like IRQ conflicts all the time, but never memorized them all. Our company migrated to a Windows 2003 Server environment with all XP Pro clients a couple years ago, so I can't tell you when the last time was I had to resolve an IRQ conflict.

So more of a tech in a controlled environment rather then one in a shop where you see every make and model of PC and perphrial come through the door.

Makes sense I suppose. Thanks for the clarification.

kujayhawk93

Yes, I guess you'd have to say it's a pretty controlled environment. We seem to have money to burn on technology, so we're somewhat cutting edge, but as I result I've either forgotten or never picked up on some of the older technologies. I do some consulting stuff on the side as well, in which case I do see a wider range of stuff, and I'm going for my A+ to make myself more knowledgable, and marketable.

plettner

Our organistation's the opposite. No cash for computers and technology. We're still using VT's in some of the labs . Newer computers are replacing those though.