Two top rated study materials, two different answers

--chris--

Im working with the Exam Cram 801/802 book and I also like Prof. Messer's video series so I am working through them a second time around.

Ive noticed this time however that there are some small, but important differences between the two materials. I am finding these differences when I use the Exam Cram "official" practice quiz software.

For example:

In the Proffessor Messer video that provides and "Overview of RAID types" he shows the differences between RAID 0, 1, 5 and 1+0/10. He says Raid 5 "is stripping with parity" IE stripped HD's but the data includes a parity BIT to provide a high level of redundancy. Note: Parity bit, not completely mirrored like RAID 10.

In the Exam Cram software, a question comes up that asks what RAID type uses stripped and mirrored HD's?

The correct answer in the quiz software is Raid 5.

Prof. Messer videos (which I have found to be more popular, and regarded as accurate) disagrees and says that description matches RAID 10.

There are other little "hang ups" like that, but i have not (until today) started to right them down.

Im wondering if what I have learned from the Exam Cram book might be slightly off, or possibly the technical editors fell asleep a few times...?

Slithy

No idea about the content level of Exam Cram - but whatever sources i worked with agreed with Messer on that question.

--chris--

Good to know, thank you.

Here is another odd ball question from the same software. I ran into this one today.



I have seen time and time again to NEVER open a CRT monitor, if its busted its busted...just replace it. This questions completely ignores that rule. Now its just looking sloppy.

By the way, the correct answer was D. It said you should never open a monitor without first unplugging it. Then it went on to say you should never open the monitor in the first place, but if you do discharge it first. The answer goes on to explain that the question assumes that if you are opening a monitor you have already unplugged it.

Slithy

REMOVED UNNECESSARY QUOTE

Very sloppy question. I think it was attempting to ask what the major safety precaution you should do if working inside a monitor - but still very sloppy to have a second answer assumed. Just checked my Sybex book and it does say to discharge it with a high voltage probe(oddly does not mention anything about unplugging in the section). "Even though we recommend not repairing monitors, the A+ exam tests your knowledge on the safety practices to use when you need to do so. If you have to open a monitor, you must first discharge the high-voltage charge on it on using a high-voltage probe...."

--chris--

Thank you for the Sybex answer, I appreciate that too!

Im a little let down with the Exam Cram software, and a TINY bit let down the the Exam Cram books but I would still use them again. The most useful part of the Exam Cram stuff is the explanations on why the answer is wrong/right. I think those explanations will be the biggest help. If it lacked those, I am not sure I would be keeping them as a reference for the exams.

Plantwiz

It was very common to repair CRT, probably before you were born, but very common.

There are a ton of skills that technicians used which get dismissed as unnecessary today because the "kids" of the day all just toss the old out and buy in new (board swap). It was not unusually to re-solder parts of motherboard, daughter cards, and anything else that needed repair.

The A+ is testing knowledge of beginning and future technicians, just because YOU have never seen something done, do not assume that the skill is not necessary.

Not everyone has the means to toss out the old and insert new. And not because of the dollar cost, but because of the drivers that may not be located or simply because the pattern machine or such uses that machine that is still running Windows 95 and sticking in a current mono will not permit the entire production line to function.

CRTs were similar just fifteen years back, where the cost of a new one was cost prohibited. Now with LCDs available, for energy consumption, weight and such, upgrading the CRT may make more sense, but having knowledge of the ability to do these type of repairs, or that someone may actually do the repair might say your client some $$$

klevah101

The question about raid 5 vs raid 10 had an incorrect answer on the test but if you read the chapter that it is in it has the correct information. Whenever you get a question wrong you should go to another source or just recheck the chapter it's in to confirm especially if your gut is telling you that you are right. It most likely stood out to you because you read the correct information and your brain refused to accept the incorrect answer.

--chris--

klevah101 wrote: »

The question about raid 5 vs raid 10 had an incorrect answer on the test but if you read the chapter that it is in it has the correct information. Whenever you get a question wrong you should go to another source or just recheck the chapter it's in to confirm especially if your gut is telling you that you are right. It most likely stood out to you because you read the correct information and your brain refused to accept the incorrect answer.

Thats been my plan on practice tests. Even if the question is worded poorly, I still learn the answers and why its right...probably more so than the questions that are well worded because I get really into figuring out why that was wrong when I thought it was right.

Thanks wiz for the insight, I forget that the "entry level" certs are not synonymous with "younger person only".