memorizing sockets and chipsets

limpylegs

Hi all,I'm new to the forum and I'm studying for the A+ as my new job is going to want me to have it,I recently just made a switch from trucking as I've always wanted to work on computers for a living.My big problem that I'm having with the introductory material is memorizing the sockets and the chipset's that go with them.My question is do they want you to know ALL the sockets outlined in the study manual or just certain ones?I've been using flashcards to help me memorize them but it's getting to be pretty overwhelming and I was curious as to what your own study techniques were used to help you with this section of the test?

Turgon

limpylegs wrote: »

Hi all,I'm new to the forum and I'm studying for the A+ as my new job is going to want me to have it,I recently just made a switch from trucking as I've always wanted to work on computers for a living.My big problem that I'm having with the introductory material is memorizing the sockets and the chipset's that go with them.My question is do they want you to know ALL the sockets outlined in the study manual or just certain ones?I've been using flashcards to help me memorize them but it's getting to be pretty overwhelming and I was curious as to what your own study techniques were used to help you with this section of the test?

You wont be the first trucker to switch to IT. My pick is you dont need to know all the minutia, but a decent amount of it. Get a decent A+ study guide and start putting some tables together so you can memorise this sort of stuff. They concentrate on the more interesting aspects of the A+ learning.

Plantwiz

limpylegs wrote: »

Hi all,I'm new to the forum and I'm studying for the A+ as my new job is going to want me to have it,I recently just made a switch from trucking as I've always wanted to work on computers for a living.My big problem that I'm having with the introductory material is memorizing the sockets and the chipset's that go with them.My question is do they want you to know ALL the sockets outlined in the study manual or just certain ones?I've been using flashcards to help me memorize them but it's getting to be pretty overwhelming and I was curious as to what your own study techniques were used to help you with this section of the test?

Welcome.

First, start with a copy of the objectives, this will be your guide and answer to 'what is on the exam'. IF it appears on the objectives you may be tested on it.

Second, the exam is geared toward a candidate with about 6mo experience, so get your hands on as much as possible.

Third, consider a solid text such as Mike Meyers All in One and/or the Sybex A+ text. Having at least two sources is generally helpful as different authors may explain things in different ways to help you understand.

Good luck.


As far as what I personally used? I had a ton of experience before walking into the exam. There were no forums to discuss things, we'd read white papers, and just prior to the exam, Mike Meyers book was released.

limpylegs

The study guide that was given to me was actually a christmas present given only a few years back,it seems to be thorough enough

Amazon.com: CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide: Exams 220-701 (Essentials) and 220-702 (Practical Application) (978047048649: Quentin Docter, Emmett Dulaney, Toby Skandier: Books

this one came in a three book set.

ptilsen

Check the exam objectives. It should specify what sockets, memory, interfaces, etc. you need to know. I vaguely recall that when I took it, there were only questions on interfaces and the like within the last five years.

limpylegs

ptilsen wrote: »

Check the exam objectives. It should specify what sockets, memory, interfaces, etc. you need to know. I vaguely recall that when I took it, there were only questions on interfaces and the like within the last five years.

I took a look at it and all it said was "Processor Sockets" =/

limpylegs

Plantwiz wrote: »

Welcome.

First, start with a copy of the objectives, this will be your guide and answer to 'what is on the exam'. IF it appears on the objectives you may be tested on it.

Second, the exam is geared toward a candidate with about 6mo experience, so get your hands on as much as possible.

Third, consider a solid text such as Mike Meyers All in One and/or the Sybex A+ text. Having at least two sources is generally helpful as different authors may explain things in different ways to help you understand.

Good luck.

I got the sybex comptia A+ complete that came with three books total in the set as a christmas present I guess it's pretty good if somebody on the forum is recommending it already.

limpylegs

Turgon wrote: »

You wont be the first trucker to switch to IT. My pick is you dont need to know all the minutia, but a decent amount of it. Get a decent A+ study guide and start putting some tables together so you can memorise this sort of stuff. They concentrate on the more interesting aspects of the A+ learning.

What I did with the flash cards is start off with the sockets that had the least amount of processors associated with them,once I have those down I figure I could probably move up to the sockets that have more than 1 or 2 processors associated with them.

Turgon

limpylegs wrote: »

What I did with the flash cards is start off with the sockets that had the least amount of processors associated with them,once I have those down I figure I could probably move up to the sockets that have more than 1 or 2 processors associated with them.

Use Mike's book and the sybex and go from there. Expect to spend 6 months preparing for the test. Do get some hardware so you can put the learning into practice. Far too many A+ technicians have no hands on..

limpylegs

Turgon wrote: »

Use Mike's book and the sybex and go from there. Expect to spend 6 months preparing for the test. Do get some hardware so you can put the learning into practice. Far too many A+ technicians have no hands on..

Funny you should mention that because I think I just might luck out with this interview I'm heading to tomorrow afternoon for a customer service position at a local repair shop around here . It will be quite a relief not having to get back behind the wheel of the rig.

Turgon

limpylegs wrote: »

Funny you should mention that because I think I just might luck out with this interview I'm heading to tomorrow afternoon for a customer service position at a local repair shop around here . It will be quite a relief not having to get back behind the wheel of the rig.

To be a competant desktop tech you need to know how to do things properly. If I needed my laptop fixed, you better get it turned around fast because a lot of people need me up and running again pronto!

limpylegs

Turgon wrote: »

To be a competant desktop tech you need to know how to do things properly. If I needed my laptop fixed, you better get it turned around fast because a lot of people need me up and running again pronto!

Well be thankful that if you run into me I won't tell you the same thing another CS clerk told me once - "Just get another computer 'cus your is a piece of crap!"....I almost had his job for that one!

Turgon

limpylegs wrote: »

Well be thankful that if you run into me I won't tell you the same thing another CS clerk told me once - "Just get another computer 'cus your is a piece of crap!"....I almost had his job for that one!

hehehe..well when I started moons ago, this was the sort of work I used to do!

Dont lose my email, files, applications, shortcuts or desktop profile and all is good. Hopefully the A+ covers that process, but given how the operating systems change so quickly, I seriously doubt it. Does the A+ cover total rebuilds and ghost for example? I used that in 1999 to turn around an entire floor of PCs.

So without hands on practice expect lots of problems!

limpylegs

Turgon wrote: »

hehehe..well when I started moons ago, this was the sort of work I used to do!

Dont lose my email, files, applications, shortcuts or desktop profile and all is good. Hopefully the A+ covers that process, but given how the operating systems change so quickly, I seriously doubt it. Does the A+ cover total rebuilds and ghost for example? I used that in 1999 to turn around an entire floor of PCs.

So without hands on practice expect lots of problems!

No idea but you just gave me something to look into,or at least ask the shop about if I'm hired.

Turgon

limpylegs wrote: »

No idea but you just gave me something to look into,or at least ask the shop about if I'm hired.

Back in the day, we were treated as cool and intelligent. Today, everyone uses a computer and its treated as easy. Just make sure that when you touch a computer or replace a computer, you make what you hand over at least as good as what you received.

limpylegs

Turgon wrote: »

Back in the day, we were treated as cool and intelligent. Today, everyone uses a computer and its treated as easy. Just make sure that when you touch a computer or replace a computer, you make what you hand over at least as good as what you received.

Always treat somebody else's belonging's the same way you would want them to treat it if you gave yours to them.And I also wanted to thank you on giving me such a friendly welcome to the forum.I think I'll actually come back!

Darril

limpylegs wrote: »

Hi all,I'm new to the forum and I'm studying for the A+ as my new job is going to want me to have it,I recently just made a switch from trucking as I've always wanted to work on computers for a living.My big problem that I'm having with the introductory material is memorizing the sockets and the chipset's that go with them.My question is do they want you to know ALL the sockets outlined in the study manual or just certain ones?I've been using flashcards to help me memorize them but it's getting to be pretty overwhelming and I was curious as to what your own study techniques were used to help you with this section of the test?

I'd recommend taking the time to get what you can, but don't worry if all of it doesn't stick. The exam does sometimes dig into minutia but overall you don't need to know all the minutia to pass. Working on any exams or topics, when I find the material is becoming overwhelming for me, I often move on and come back to it later.

limpylegs wrote: »

The study guide that was given to me was actually a christmas present given only a few years back,it seems to be thorough enough

Amazon.com: CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide: Exams 220-701 (Essentials) and 220-702 (Practical Application) (978047048649: Quentin Docter, Emmett Dulaney, Toby Skandier: Books

this one came in a three book set.

I can't speak to the quality of this set directly, but one thing you should be aware of is that CompTIA modified the objectives slightly for these exams since these books were published. Specifically, they added material for Windows 7 into the objectives. Much of the content is similar to content you'd see for Windows Vista but it is important to realize you may see some Windows 7 questions.

Best of luck with the interview.

CodeBlox

I memorized the resolutions long enough to take the exam, now, I could probably only give about 4 of them without looking it up.