Comptia A+ Self Study

Ok maybe self study is the best route considering the difference in prices. I have no worries about doing the software end of things as an online study course but im a bit worried about the hardware end of things, will i pick up enough information by reading about the hardware end of things and without practical experience. Maybe i could pick up 1 or 2 pc's cheap somewhere and practice what i read in the hardware section.

My questions are :
1) Whats the best online course to study Comptia A+ or should i just get the official Comptia A+ Course?
2) Are All the online courses the same or are some better than other?
3) Would it be best to buy 1 or 2 computers to test my skills on and would this be a good idea or a waste of time.
4) Is there any difference in the Comptia A+ Course in Ireland, Europe or Internationally. I ask this because i could get a cheaper online course online by searching worldwide but is there difference in pcs in ireland and around the world or are all the comptia a+ courses the same.

Im confident i can pick up the information doing the course by self study and i know that i really start learning when i get out on the field but i think i need to study the course because there are many things i still dont know about and i would feel much more confident knowing these things before i pretend i can fix someones computer. Right now i can fix any virus problem, install broadband, fix lots of software problem or any printer problems, reinstall windows, install ram or hard disks and reconfigure drivers etc but there is alot of things i cant do like disaster recovery, bios problems, most computers than wont restart if its a serious problem and im unsure of safety aspects about the system which is an important thing also im unsure what is the best upgrade for a computer ragarding the different types of rams and what the motherboard will accept.

Thanks

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Comments

Megadeth4168

I bought a book (Sybex) studied for a week and took a few online practice tests then I went and took the real think. No problem. I also had a couple years working as a computer tech at that point though.

I think the A+ is one that is very easily obtainable through self-study. I'm finding the network+ to be the same.

Plantwiz

paulmoran wrote:

My questions are :
1) Whats the best online course to study Comptia A+ or should i just get the official Comptia A+ Course?

Before dumping a ton of money into 'training' get yourself the objectives from CompTIA.org and review them. Select a book or two (or 5+) as resources. Meyers'; Sybex; PocketPCRefence; Scott Mueller's; microsoft.com; this site; job in a computer store - even if your only a cashier for a while.

2) Are All the online courses the same or are some better than other?

Many can waste your time and money. Stick with the ones listed on this site such as CBTNuggets I've not personally used any courses, so I cannot say. I believe MS offers some direct from their site, but that won't completely help you with A+

3) Would it be best to buy 1 or 2 computers to test my skills on and would this be a good idea or a waste of time.

Sure. BUt you may find people looking to give away some of their old stuff. Start there. Otherwise, go crazy and build something with as much ram as you can (1GB+) and us vituralPC or VMware to simulate the other software.

4) Is there any difference in the Comptia A+ Course in Ireland, Europe or Internationally. I ask this because i could get a cheaper online course online by searching worldwide but is there difference in pcs in ireland and around the world or are all the comptia a+ courses the same.

. Don't know??? THe objectives are the same regardless of the language, so probably little difference, but I really don't know.

I'd recommend looking for a job in a computer store. Get around the products and build a reporte with the tech's working there. Don't bother them, but listen and learn and if they like you they may begin to show you things

This will also provide you an opportunity to 'hear' what customers complaints are and you'll be able to research some of those problems on your own to see if you can solve them....(after hours). This would be a 'free' training program. Just a thought. Don't just rush the exam because it sounds liek 'everyone has an A+.

The A+ exam is geared toward a candidate with at least 500 hours of experience. 500 hours is not a real long time, but you may be amazed at the things you hear about, even if you are not the tech on the project.

YMMV

crap I forgot my old pwd

I can definately say that I learned more after getting my job than I did studying for A+. The A+ exam may seem like a hurdle at first, but once you've got your foot in the door, you look back on it and it seems very second nature. Computer stores are a great place to look for an A+ type job. I may also add that on Geek Squad, the techs do NOT need A+, but the managers (also called Deputy Counter Intelligence Agents) and the tech seniors do need it. It would definately put you at an advantage to have it. Good luck!

paulmoran

Thanks for the info guys, seems reasonable. I was thinking of doing some pc repair for home users to gain experience that way i can keep my full time job (non i.t related) and improve my experience and make a few extra pound at the same time. I already do this for many friends and family setting up their broadband removing viruses etc but after doing the a+ i will also be able to fix more complex problems and gain experience at the same time and i get to do something i like. Theres alot of business orientated pc repair available in the area i live but there prices are above what most home users would like to pay so there is a market there, do you think doing pc repair on a part time basis would be profitable. Obviously networks and small businesses is where the money is and something i will persue when i get enough experience but there is a market for home users now and i have to start somewhere??

I was going to buy 2 pcs say one with win98 and one with winMe, going to get something cheap and 2 different makes so as to see the differences between the two. I also have a laptop that runs winXp and a dell optiplex that runs win2000 (dont want to be pulling this one apart) so this would give me 4 operating systems to tinker with for the software end of things and 2 for the hardware.

You mention vituralPC or VMware do they simulate more than one operating system on the one pc or is it just other kinds of software. What would you recommend, buying 1 pc and packing it with ram or two pcs and sharing the ram, budget is low. Also does A+ cover laptops or just pcs.

Anyway thank for the help so far and i look forward to the replies.

Plantwiz

You might find this helpful in resolving some of your questions:

http://www.comptia.org/certification/a/default.aspx

Whether you find a couple of 'free' or inexpensive machines and maybe use a KVM or build a more modern system with a lot of ram and add VMware or VirturalPC is really all the same.

One gives you a chance to experience more hardware/driver troubleshooting. The other allows you to jump right into the software side of things. Your wallet, your space (lab area), and your energy conscience is what will likely decide the best course for you.

Yes, you can run multiple OS's with the software sims.