I FAILED my Exam this afternoon :( :( :( :(

Jamesf

I just tolk my exam 3 hours ago and I failed with a 292 and to pass was a 596 and it was a Adapitive exam. Everytime I get a question right it would get harder and some of the stuff I study were on the exam and some weren't like the harder stuff. But I was done fast and I also haded to pee lol

DANG I should of peed b4 I done the exam

bellboy

how long did you prepare for the exam?

Jamesf

almost this whole year but l8ty its really hardcore studing for 2 weeks 5 hours a day

ghaouf

which book did you read

Jamesf

its the Osborone Cetification Press A+ Core Hardware/ OS exams Study guild Guild 4th edition

ghaouf

is the the all in one book
what did you use for practice

Jamesf

I used this web site, www.freepractice.com, and lots of others

ghaouf

do you understand why the question is right and why the others are wrong

and what were you scoring

Jamesf

well the thing is they just told me what area's that the most questions that I gotten wrong on, and I knew which questions I didn't understand and I didn't know, Also this was my 1st exam on this. And I was very nervous also

jpmcginty

james first things first: its not the end of the world. OK you've spent a lot of money and your going to have to go through it again but it wasn't a waste as you now what its like and you'll have more experience for the next time you do it.

second: the exam can be tough and many do fail. The hardware is seen as the easiest exam but as its adaptive you can get a few odd questions which are not clear or conflict with what you know.

third: don't panic or give up. Go back and look objectively at where you are weak (I hated learning about chips and bus speeds) and learn them. For the hardware side get a broken down old computer; it doesn't have to be top of the range or even working although that would help. Take it to pieces so that only the MOBO is in the case, put it all back together again. You'll learn your ribbon cables, your PCI and ISA slots, your CMOS battery thing etc. Then you can move onto beeps (which is going to be RAM or video) etc etc.

fourth: on test questions know what the other answers are. I'll give two examples:

1. Which connector on the computer connector joins to the monitor

a)15 pin db b) centronics c) COM1 or d)9 pin db.

2. There are 16 IRQs. Which one corresponds to the keyboard?

a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4

There are 8 questions here so no excuses for not having enough questions.

Even with all this info you may still find it difficult but perserve. If you have any queries just ask here or the other sites who are more than willing to help

Jamesf

Thanks for the info, and the help. I do feel alot better about this, I think I will do better next time. For the money of the exams worry me the most. Im not the richest guy in the world. I don't even have a job, and I do live on my own, so its alot harder then u think. Im on wellfare, so they paid for it, but what worrys me the most that I don't know if there going to paid for the next one. Im not a kind of guy that gives up aftter a fail, Im not like that. Its the same for every area in life. Like marrage, Frienship, etc... u get what I mean.

Now I need some harder questions and stuff like that, the questions here on this page there too easy. Some one should make a program that if u get the right anwear u get a harder question but if u get them wrong u get a easyer question. I think u get the point.

jpmcginty

now a failed marriage that can cost. So hard questions how about give the two IRQs concerned with time.
Laserjet printer is coming out blank but warm; what has gone wrong?
and whats the difference between SIMMS DIMMS RIMMS and SDRAM, DRAM and SRAM?
Its over to you..

JIT

Hello James,

Don't be so upset. I am also not a computer guy. But I passed A+ test. What is my advice is that try to catch hold of Mike' "All in One book". First concentrate on hardware portion. Forget about the test. Read the book thoroughly-try to understand the concept. Visit also various manufacturing sites of components. For example, if you read the Ram chapter, go to tigerdirect.com site. Click on Ram. Look at the Ram picture. Read the manufacturer's data sheet. Go to WWW.MOTHERBOARDS.ORG. Look at the picture of Motherboard/components. Read their review on Motherboard. The moot point is that try to understand the components individually and their role as a whole. (Remember one thing, your main aim is to get a decent job. The A+ certificate is only the facilitator-will no get you a job. But your knowledge will). Answer the chapter question at the back of AIO book. Once you have got a good grasp of the subject and answer practice exam on CD Rom correctly, visit the various free test sites such as "the staff guide", Trascender demo exams and so on. Try to understand why one answer is right and others are wrong. You will make it. If a non-computer person, like me, can pickup the concept and pass.
SO YOU CAN!!!

If you have any specific question, ask here. There are many friends here to help you.
GOOD LUCK

Jamesf

well the hard thing about me that I have a hard time understandin words like hard words like long non-understandable words meanings.

I do understand about RAM and SIMMS DIMMS and RIMMS that's no prob, also IRQ I like rememise all of them. My brother knows pretty much about computers, and i do tech work for free. @ 1st I knew about NOTHING about computers now I know so much more but I feel that I need more and more info but most importan thing is money and I need my money for living and my new computer that im buildin @ the moment. Its not comin really fast but its getting there

Webmaster

Since I'm not a native-English speaker I had trouble with the long terminology as well when I started out in IT 9 years ago. The trick is to try and visualize stuff. A computer dictionary can help as well. You do have to really want to know them. In the beginning it all seems like 'just theory', a lot to comprehend, but combining al the theory with practice is the way to go... also I learned not to skip any word in any sentence... the problem with understanding a sentence or concept lies often in just a single word. Take your time, you will get there

JIT

Jamesf, your determination shows you will ace a+ next time. Have patience.

If we could be of any help, post here.

Thanks

ndd822

You say that welfare paid for your exam? Just wondering because my half brother is having a hard time getting a job and he doesnt have the money for the exam..has 4 kids and so on..how did you go by this? also how many questions are on the exam? thanks

Jamesf

Well ndd822, I have disableitys like FAS and other crap. And Im 19 also so I can goto school till im 21. I have graduade from high school but came back for upgrade. And I was kicked out of my parents house (lots of personla reasons). I have no job, I havn't worked in my life.

Even if ur haft bro doesn't have the money for the exams, still study. Someday that studyin will go somewhere. The exam I toke was 30 questions but I couln't go back to the questions. thats what I think was the hard part u couldn't go back.

bellboy

the secret is not to force it. the exam is aimed at somebody who has 18 months experience. that's something like 40 hours a week for 70 weeks.

if you are some joe (like me) who fancies getting certified in computers, but has just done a few builds and upgrades, you aren't going to be able to do it in a few weeks, like some who would post on this or other forums.

it took me a year from the point when i picked up my first book until i passed the second exam. i did not consider it a race to get certified, but i also had family and work commitments to consider - that's why i ended up having to wait for six months after i took the core before i could take the operating systems exam.

it has taken me over six months to do the network+, and i am expecting that it could take a year to get my first microsoft exam.

because you are unemployed, you may feel under pressure to get certified to be able to get a job. i did too. a month or so after i got my a+ book, i was given notice of redundancy, so i saw fit to actually get to work and get certified rather than looking at the book when i could be bothered.

i was able to get my core exam done the week after i left, but none of the interviewers i saw in the following time had even heard of comptia a+. but i did get a job in i.t.

i took my time. lived with the studying until i felt like i understood what i had to know. there's no point trying to learn the facts in your books, coz that doesn't always mean you understand it.

try to post things you are not clear on in this forum and we will try to help.

Jamesf

Well thanks for the tons of help, im sure I will do fine on my retake exam and now I know whats the exam all about more so I can study now