Advice on A+ OS Exam

telecomops101

Hi...I am new to the forum and I wanted to ask a question regardinf the A+ OS exam. I recently passed my hardware exam with a 745 and am a little nervous with the OS portion. I work as a central office telecommunications technician and am good with the harware, but when it comes to OS, I have limited experience with multiple OS and I have been studying my but off. I am also taking the book and Boson practice exams and am doing around an average of 70%. Are there any server questions and what do you think I should be concentrationg on. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

captndalton

I studied by butt off, too. I passed my A+OS a couple days ago with a 681. Don't worry about server questions. You'll have to know a bit about networking. I got a few hardware questions. I was asked a few questions about security and customer service type questions also. The biggest part of the A+OS questions had to do with windows 2000/XP. Know the basic dos commands and know the startup files for dos and nt. You'll also be asked questions about how to get to certain programs. Know about auditing utilities aswell. As long as you know what most of the windows utilities do, you'll probably pass on that alone. I was prepared to answer almost anything to minor detail for both of my A+ tests, but was barely tested on specific information. The customer service questions can be tricky for the answers they give you to choose from.

Orion82698

STUDY, STUDY, STUDY.

People I talk to in my office laugh that I'm A+ certified. Granted, I got it years before working where I am now, however I still think it was the most difficult test that I've taken (Atleast the OS portion was). Perhaps it was because it was my first exam, or that I'd never really had any experience. I would tell you to get a much practice exams as you can, and walk around the OS as well. Know the difference between 2000/xp when it comes to thing like.. Device managers, regional options, control panel views. Stuff like that.

You'll do fine, just relax and don't stress about it.

Good luck

ivnj

captndalton was right on the money. I didn't pass the OS section. I needed 31 morepoints.

"Know the basic dos commands and know the startup files for dos and nt. You'll also be asked questions about how to get to certain programs. Know about auditing utilities aswell."

That was the problem. I'm no good at OS. I passed the hardware but I have a difficult time with the OS. Besides the books I'm using is there any good online practice or site that goes into basic commands and startup files, etc?

Thanks,
ivnj

Orion82698

This site, and MCMCSE. Have you tried Transcender?

ivnj

No, I didn't try that. I don't need all that. Just a quick review of MS DOS and Windows. Win.in., boot.ini, etc. Just the basic startup and device things. Files and procedures. Just the main areas the exam goes over where I had the most dificulty.

Thanks,
ivnj

Orion82698

You say that now, but what happens when you don't get any commands on the next tests? The area you need to review seems pretty large to me. Remember, there is a large pool of questions. Your next exam might hit harder on another area that you don't know you're weak on. Thats why it's important to take a good amount of practice exams and find your weak areas. You know of one, but make sure you don't have others. Transcender is by far the best practice test I've used (IMO).

ivnj

Those are my main areas. The rest are ok. Anyway these seem to help.

http://www.proprofs.com/certification/comptia/a-plus/exams/OS-E1/exam.shtml

http://www.proprofs.com/certification/comptia/a-plus/exams/OS-E2-R/exam.shtml

http://www.proprofs.com/certification/comptia/a-plus/exams/OS-E3-R/exam.shtml

Thanks,
ivnj