Take exams now or wait for the new exams

gibc5363

Hi All

I must say I love the website, very informative.
I would like to get some feedback on what your opinion is. right now I Work full time, not in IT, and I am going to night school for my A+. This program is almost finished and I will definetly need to refresh and study as the program didn't cover all the objectives. Anyway i can't decide if I should wait and write the exams in January with the new objectives or study like crazy and write the exams with the old objectives before December. I heard from Comptia that the old exams will not be available after December 2006.

I would love to hear your feedback on the positives and negatives.

Thanks

bighornsheep

Do you have any hands-on experience? What kind of job are you doing right now, or thinking about applying for?

The 2006 test will be drastically different than the current 2003 track. 2006 track will still be two tests, A+ essentials + 602/603/604/605

The MAIN difference is that essentials will cover BOTH os and hardware materials current covered by seperate exams. 602/603/604/605 is a mandatory elective depending on what kind of supporting role you plan to specialize in.

There's also been news that the 2006 test will be more expensive.
Unless your current job, or the job you want require the 2006 track, I dont see any good reasons in getting the new track.

gibc5363

I am an admission rep for a local IT college in Toronto and my goal is to get in to computers down the road and work in an IT department doing setups or working for a help desk. I am getting tired of admissions and I love computers and that is what pushed me to take a night school course and pursue this at a slow pace. I was thikning of trying to find a part time gig on weekends for a helpdesk or computer repair shop to give me some experience. I have some experience from home along with my job but not a lot.

Thank you very much for your feedback, I was kind of thinking the same thing that I should write the old exams since they will be cheaper and there won't be as many of them to write. This means that when my course ends in a couple weeks I will hold off on taking CCNA in September and take it in January. I am taking the CCNA because this will give me a diploma for A Computer Hardware and Network Support Specialist from the college. My goal is to try and get the dilploma and A+ and Net + certification and then move on to do my MCSE.

Thanks for your feedback.

bighornsheep

Greetings fellow Torontonian!

That's Toronto, Canada eh? lol...
Speaking of experience, the first computer job is usually hardest to get, but often most valuable. After getting your A+, and CCNA, you're off to a great start in computing. Have you tried job searching at your school? Alot of times you can land invaluable job experiences from working at your school, even if the time is short.

Cheers!

gibc5363

That's hillarious. Yep, Toronto Canada.

Yeah I have tried and I have done some helping out with setups, but not a lot. You make a good point I should try harder to gain more experience here at the college even it's helping out on my own time. This way I can add it to my resume.
Your right, it's funny the certification requires experience and yet no one will hire you without it.

candycorn

Hey, I already paid for my exam, but I probably wont take it until sometime next year, does anyone know if I'll have to pay more or anything? I dont see why I would have to.

-Thanks