Taking essentials test on friday. Questions

dmac7373

I'm set up to take my A+ essentials test this upcoming friday. I've been studyting the sybex text book and while I think I'm prepared, when I take whatever practice exams I can find, I keep scoring around a 550. I think I may be rushing through the exams, but either way I was looking for any advice before I take the test. Advice being what types of questions I might encounter from someone who has taken it recently or some good sites with free tests that I can practice with. This is my first time on the site, and any help would be apprecitated. Thanks.

brad-

I knew about 4 books and practice tests inside and out and was still like "WTF" when I sat to take it. I think they've made the 2007 tests difficult on purpose. About half were simple questions, about half from left field.

I studied about a week too long because no amount of studying would have prepared me for some of that. Although I passed, if I knew it was going to be taht difficult ahead of time, I probably would have gotten a trancender pack. It wasnt the no brainer cakewalk everyone that took it years ago talks about.

dmac7373

Brad -

Thanks for posting. I think I'll probably think the same thing when I take the test. I'm at the point where putting off taking it to study more is probably not going to help me, so I figure I just have to be a prepared as I can and give it a shot. It's getting paid for me this time which is great, but if I do fail, my feeling is at least I know what to expect when the money is coming out of my own pocket. Just hope I can at least work through enough to get a passing score.

brad-

If you put the effort in you can pass. Just get the easy questions right, and get 25% of the crazy stuff they put on there and you should be a go because of the low pass score.

Plantwiz

dmac7373 wrote:

I'm set up to take my A+ essentials test this upcoming friday. I've been studyting the sybex text book and while I think I'm prepared, when I take whatever practice exams I can find, I keep scoring around a 550. I think I may be rushing through the exams, but either way I was looking for any advice before I take the test. Advice being what types of questions I might encounter from someone who has taken it recently or some good sites with free tests that I can practice with. This is my first time on the site, and any help would be apprecitated. Thanks.

I wouldn't waste my time on practice exams. If you need it to see what sort of knowledge you have before you begin to prepare then 'ok'. But to take exams over and over and over even if they are different exams is far from preparing for your exam...it's learning to memorize answers.

Study from the objectives. Have some real hands-on experience. If you cannot get hands-on experience.....and there is no reason to not be able to find a way to do this....then set up a lab and get your hands on used/slightly used equipment and become familiar with all the settings, configurations, IRQs, DMAs, cables, connectors, etc... Books like Meyers and Sybex are two of the most recommend and for good reason. They have proven to be very useful tools in study prep.

It doesn't sound like you are ready from reading your post, so I'd recommend rescheduling, but if you think you are ready, then perhaps you are.