What is the A+ certifcation

molly · December 2003

This probaby sounds like a daft question but someone told me the A+ certification was equal to an NVQ Level 2 qualification... I denied it but this person, obviously jealous at my passing the A+ just tried to mock by saying it was just a vocational qualification. This green eyed ogre doesn't know anything about computers by the way but tells me the A+ certificate is rubbish.... so does anyone know what it is equal to?
Thanks

Ricka182 · December 2003

The following has been taken from the Comptia website.

A+ is a solid certification that employers look for and is the industry standard for entry-level computer technicians. Every business uses computers and skilled technicians are in demand. An A+ certification opens the door to an exciting career in computer technology at an affordable price.

Having an A+ certification proves that you have a broad base of knowledge and competency in core hardware and operating system technologies including installation, configuration, diagnosing, preventive maintenance and basic networking.

Employers Look for the A+ Certification
Companies like Best Buy know the value of the A+ certification and require their supervisors to be A+ certified. Many other companies like Sears, Radio Shack and State Farm insurance also have A+ certification requirements for their IT employees.

Webmaster · December 2003

Only you know how much you learned preparing for the exam.

bellboy · December 2003

i probably would not agree that a+ is equivalent to nvq level 2. i always thought that nvq also contained projects like building databases or websites. perhaps it would equate to the depth of knowledge of any hardware covered in nvq, but nothing else.

Sartan · December 2003

Many human resources departments are surprisingly stupid when it comes to IT. Some of them actually parallel MCSE to A+!! (Then again when you have MCSE's taking the "easy path" via braindumps and the easiest available exams...)

Anyway I wouldn't worry too much about it. It sounds like your friend is on the same path as most HR.

Carson_Mage · December 2003

molly wrote:

This probaby sounds like a daft question but someone told me the A+ certification was equal to an NVQ Level 2 qualification... I denied it but this person, obviously jealous at my passing the A+ just tried to mock by saying it was just a vocational qualification. This green eyed ogre doesn't know anything about computers by the way but tells me the A+ certificate is rubbish.... so does anyone know what it is equal to?
Thanks

A+ is way above NVQ level 2 computing/engineering/IT and communications etc.

Blade Runner · January 2004

Molly,

Saying that it's 'vocational qualification' is not necessarily a bad thing - doctors have to have a license to practice, lawyers have to pass the bar before they practice. Although there are plenty of self-proclaimed 'IT experts' fixing computers for people, i've found (atleast in my neighborhood) many of them do not have their A+ certification. The point that i'm making is that if the A+ is a mere 'vocational qualification' - then this lady unwittingly gave you a compliment (despite her ignorant claims) because not all PC technicians have their A+ certification and yet profess to be experts in their field.

To me the proof is in the pudding so to speak. Ultimately it doesn't matter how much faith one puts in the certification because it boils down to how you carry out the job. Not all A+ technicians are equal in their capabilities to fix a PC or OS problem. One might take 1 hour or another might might take only 20 min bypassing unnecessary steps to fix it.

This lady friend of yours can make whatever argument she wants about the A+. Unless she has the credentials to back up her argument, I would not give her the time or attention that she's trying rouse from you.

molly · January 2004

Thanks everyone for your replies. (what would I do without you guys?)

The A+ certificate means a lot to me mainly because I found the exam really hard and as I was the only student out of 12 to pass I was really chuffed because I didn't think I would do it.
But I found after passing that some folks can actually be jealous? would you believe that? I wouldn't have done till ppl started making nasty comments about me. I was actually accused by a student on my A+ course that I had cheated because I had taken the 2 exams seperately!!!
At least you all know what you are talking about in here so thank god for this site.
Cheers xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What is the A+ certifcation

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