Easy Pass??

garv221 · August 2004

Ok, I was looking at my MCSA outlines again. I need A+ for an elective. Its 515 & 505 to pass! thats like 50%..I honestly think I could just walk in and pass EASLY. Has anyone else done this? I've read an entire A+ book in college 2 years ago and have not stopped working on pcs since I've been in the field 4 years ago..I mean really..50%?

I'm just in shock b/c all this time I never knew all you needed was 50 some percent.. i heard its easier than Net+ (even though there 2 diff topics) and I was upset that the Net+ was over hyped and easy.

gojericho0 · August 2004

you could probably passed based on your experience. They do however ask alot of picky stuff (like name a COM port memory address). The 50% is also decieving because each question is weighted based on difficutly. (harder questions are worth more of a percentage) hope this helps and i say go for it...especially if your employer will pay for it

lazyart · August 2004

It's not 50%, thats for sure. If you have Net+ then the A+ pair to complete the elective would be an easier route than any MS exam I'm sure.... go for it!

mobri09 · August 2004

A+ is just basic information that leads to the big stuff. You might have to brush up on the little things though.

HÆLLRÆZOR · August 2004

I studied for a week on os and hardware walked in and passed both back to back. I also took an A+ course in college and have been working on comps for awhile. You should have no problem with hardware just use the technotes here for the coms irq's and DMA's and also the processors. Memorize that and the rest should be a cake walk for the hardware portion. If you have the experience you say you have. The Os is very broad so if you have never worked with win NT 2000 or xp I suggest you read up on them I barely passed the OS with a 600 because I bombed the NT questions. I never touched NT in my life and didn't study it at all. With that said I see no reason you shouldn't pass.

garv221 · August 2004

HÆLLRÆZOR wrote:

I studied for a week on os and hardware walked in and passed both back to back. I also took an A+ course in college and have been working on comps for awhile. You should have no problem with hardware just use the technotes here for the coms irq's and DMA's and also the processors. Memorize that and the rest should be a cake walk for the hardware portion. If you have the experience you say you have. The Os is very broad so if you have never worked with win NT 2000 or xp I suggest you read up on them I barely passed the OS with a 600 because I bombed the NT questions. I never touched NT in my life and didn't study it at all. With that said I see no reason you shouldn't pass.

I had 2 semesters on A+ in college. I've adminstered an NT enviroment for 2 years. That being NT 4.0 and Server. The last 2 years have been XP, 2000/03 Servers. I can't even count how many computers i have built over the last 4 years.. So I guess I will look over the IRQ's COM ports, stuff like that.- I also do not pay for testing or material.

skully93 · September 2004

mobri09 wrote:

A+ is just basic information that leads to the big stuff. You might have to brush up on the little things though.

I'd agree. I've been working on PC's for a while, and a lot of information was still needed. They really harp on your socket types, memory types, DMA/IRQ/LPT/COM stuff....basic networking, and SCSI.

Also, the OS exam really beats into you the different ways to get to different things in different OS. If you can't remember how to get to the network ID in Win9x AND 2k/xp, best to at least brush up on some of it.

Just go to your local bookstore and peruse some of the practice questions within some of the bigger a+ books. If you can answer them without thinking, sure, go for it. If you have to dig back into the archives just to remember what they heck they're talking about, pick one up.

garv221 · September 2004

Actually I'm not even going to take it. I'd rather spend my time learning something of some importance. I think I will take the Exchange elective or SEC+.

amystri · September 2004

Actually I'm not even going to take it. I'd rather spend my time learning something of some importance.

Some importance huh?? Uhmmm-kayy!!!

I find it funny when people make such comments. Whomever told you that the test is of little importance is dead wrong and if I say so myself, ignorant.

Get your A+, get your Network+, apply them towards your MCSA and put them on your resume!!!

lazyart · September 2004

Read the A+ debate here instead of starting a new one.

squirtman · October 2004

Just go and take the A+. If i can study for a week go in and take both the os and net+ exams in less than two hours and i'm not even out of high school or employed in the it field it shoud be no big deal for you to go take the A+ exams. and it is not somethign to just throw over your shoulder. A+ carries a lot of weight with employers and it is an esay test.

HÆLLRÆZOR · November 2004

squirtman wrote:

i'm not even out of high school or employed in the it field

squirtman wrote:

A+ carries a lot of weight with employers and it is an esay test.

I just find this funny for obvious reasons.

skully93 · November 2004

garv221 wrote:

Ok, I was looking at my MCSA outlines again. I need A+ for an elective. Its 515 & 505 to pass! thats like 50%..I honestly think I could just walk in and pass EASLY. Has anyone else done this? I've read an entire A+ book in college 2 years ago and have not stopped working on pcs since I've been in the field 4 years ago..I mean really..50%? I'm just in shock b/c all this time I never knew all you needed was 50 some percent.. i heard its easier than Net+ (even though there 2 diff topics) and I was upset that the Net+ was over hyped and easy.

And you said you wouldn't bother....

. I wouldn't have either if it wasn't required. However, the A+/Net+ are a fun combo for the MCSA elective.

90% of the stuff you have nailed I'm sure. However, the stuff they're really, really picky on is HOW to get to various aspects of windows in the OS part, DMA's, IRQ's, and EVERY KIND OF CONNECTOR KNOWN TO MAN...and then some.

The SCSI part was the hardest for me, because they can theoretically ask you about any variation of SCSI, and I so rarely have to deal with it that I knew it in theory only.

Read up on the technotes here and if you're confident with all of it, you'll blow it out of the water.

Easy Pass??

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