Advice for non-IT people taking A+

Lara986

I'm taking 701/702 because there is more study material out there. I bought Meyers All in One, seventh edition book. According to the book it says I would need 250 hours to study. Luckily since I am not working now and am only take one more class for my Associates I have the time. I can study up to 8 hours per day. It'll be slightly grueling but I don't want to waste anymore time. Just going by the hours I could take the test in May but I need really need advice.

Basically I know nothing. I have no experience, I've done basic programming but that doesn't really help here.

Anyway I have Meyers book, Exam Cram and Professor Messer's videos as well as his practice tests and the Comptia site's tests (and the tests in Meyers book). Is there anything else I would need? Do you think 250 hours is enough?

Any other studying advice? I don't have the availability of looking at a real motherboard ( I could take apart my old Laptop but I wonder if that will work)

Thanks!

p.s. should have added this is for WGU...right now I'm finishing my associates and want to transfer I feel WGU will prepare me the more than UW would... at least that's what I think. Also I want to go into software. I am going for the IT Software degree...don't know if A+ Is useful but for now it's useful to get my degree.

halaakajan

Do a Google search on Professor Messer he provides good A+ Training videos for free. While reading the books, It will be great if you build a PC from scratch and play with it.

Ivanjam

@Lara986 - the Meyers' 7th Edition is missing the Windows 7 material for the 701/702 exams - he wrote a supplementary book for that: Mike Meyers' Guide to Supporting Windows 7 for CompTIA A+ Certification (Exams 701 & 702) (All-in-One): Michael Meyers: 9780071763929: Amazon.com: Books

@halaakajan - did you just read the subject of the post or did you read the actual post in its entirety?

crashdump

if you are a non-IT girl, why you wish to pass A+?

you wish to be IT girl in future?

earweed

might help to go to a thrift store and get an old pc (I've done this for friends) to mess with. A big thing is that you have different motherboards and the different socket types (processor) that actually looking at (vs a picture/video) is a big difference. When I studied for the A+ I had a friend who worked at a recycle center and I scored a small temp part-time job there taking apart PCs and printers people brought in. Taking apart a laptop may help some but is not a good idea if laptop is still usable..they are more difficult to disassenble/reassemble and more critical that everything go back together right.

charlemagne

Lara986 wrote: »

I'm taking 701/702 because there is more study material out there. I bought Meyers All in One, seventh edition book. According to the book it says I would need 250 hours to study. Luckily since I am not working now and am only take one more class for my Associates I have the time. I can study up to 8 hours per day. It'll be slightly grueling but I don't want to waste anymore time. Just going by the hours I could take the test in May but I need really need advice.

Basically I know nothing. I have no experience, I've done basic programming but that doesn't really help here.

Anyway I have Meyers book, Exam Cram and Professor Messer's videos as well as his practice tests and the Comptia site's tests (and the tests in Meyers book). Is there anything else I would need? Do you think 250 hours is enough?

Any other studying advice? I don't have the availability of looking at a real motherboard ( I could take apart my old Laptop but I wonder if that will work)

Thanks!

Lots of folks will disagree but if you, as you state, "Basically....know nothing," and have no experience, Strata IT Fundamentals is what you need, most likely. Forget A+ (why pay so much when true newcomers need Strata and/or IC3 from Certiport to get the basics) and buy Mike Meyers and Jernigan's Strata IT Fundamentals book and take the Strata exam. Now, It's a certificate and not "certification." Yet, it's a thorough introduction and, really, if you know the material for this, you can bypass the A+ and the study material for more advanced exams will make a lot of sense. Darril Gibson wrote a good reference for the Strata exam.
If you want to learn something, you can do it. Ignore the negative posts about any CompTia Strata exams and make YOUR own decision. It's your life and money. It's not about passing an exam but you'll get great intro material for far less money. And, unless your job calls for it, there is no need for A+ as you can take (as I did and had NO problems) more advanced certification exams with this foundation.
you know how you learn best. You asked specifically about study advice. This level is great for those that are new to IT and have no or little experience. Also, it will give you a baseline which you can decide what you want to do next.
Save your money and forget 701/702. At least look at the Strata objectives and see if it's what YOU need. Not what others THINK is good. You read the study guides for Strata IT Fundamentals and know it well and you'll have a good intro to IT, a life certificate (again, this will not by itself get you a job in IT but it give you the fundamentals, you can take the exam for about $100 (compare that to A+), and you will be prepared to at least know what path is next.
Again, this is my opinion only but I came from a completely non-IT world into one and Strata is precisely geared for folks NEW to IT. Start with the basics. This is what will probably help you most.
Bottom line: Check out the Strata exam as you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If YOU think it's what you need, then it's a much cheaper and a quite valid way to learn the fundamentals. Honestly, ignore the naysayers regarding Strata. You will learn a lot since you say you are new. From Strata, you'll know what avenue to pursue next.

earweed

^^^^THAT UP THERE

Unless you're planning to actually be an IT person or even if you don't ever see yourself being a PC tech then the Strata may be for you.

Lara986

Thanks! I appreciate all your help.

In response to some of the posts, I am a college student and I want to go WGU, I guess I should have posted that. When I talked to the enrollment counselor he told me to take Comptia A+, it will also clear some classes for me.

charlemagne

Lara986 wrote: »

Thanks! I appreciate all your help.

In response to some of the posts, I am a college student and I want to go WGU, I guess I should have posted that. When I talked to the enrollment counselor he told me to take Comptia A+, it will also clear some classes for me.

Oh, in this case, I think exam prices are included in tuition. I wish you the best of luck.