A+ Certification

Hey - by no means was I trying to imply that a A+ cert was a waste nor did I mean to imply that everyone should get a 4 year degree instead.


I compared it to a GED because by itself it's scourned upon by other people, but it can be used to lead onto other much better things. If it weren't for the GED program I wouldn't be where I am today and if it weren't for the A+ program I know a lot of people who wouldn't be nearly as happy and successfull as they are today.

It's just not a widely advised route to take as you go through the paces of getting into the IT industry.

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Originally posted by Rapmaster
A raise in pay might come with an increased cost-of-living. For example, moving to somewhere like California might not be a good idea even if the pay is better.

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That is true Rapmaster, and I have given that concern much thought. Luckily I am originally from Texas and know that the cost of living in cities other than Dallas, Austin, and Houston are not nearly that bad. I could live in Lubbock/Amarillo for roughly the same price as living in Stillwater, Oklahoma. And really, even if I moved somewhere like Austin, cost of living will not increase 50%.

For those of you who are in the IT industry, what qualifications would you look for when hiring? Typically, most companies are looking for people with either the educational background, certain certifications (MCSA, MCSE, etc.), or a prolonged exposure to the field (5+ years). I am mostly self-taught and have been tinkering with computers for many years. I learn as I go, and if I don't know the answer, I certainly don't mind trying to find out. But my resume simply doesn't get me in the door due to the lack of qualifications. As Usil said, its all about WHO you know. I guess I just need to meet more people!

What's a GED?

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What's a GED?

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Graduation Equivelancy Diploma.

It's a high school diploma for drop outs :)

Ah, now i see.

speaking of that, I was thinking of taking the exam this summer. I want to know what kind of stuff is in it. Ive less than 100 pages left in Micheal Myers A+ certification exam, but I havent memorized trivial things such as the L2 cache on a P1 chip. I have a good four years of computer experience (as well as a lifetime of computer usage) What is a basic outline of the test?

make sure you know things like the laser printing process and the proper voltages and tolerances on various parts of the system. Apparently those are the two biggest problems people have with the A+ exam.

(and BOOM this thread is back on topic :))

Darn Rap beat me to it (again). Talking about the laser printing process here's a handy memnomic: California Cows Won't Do The Fandango for Cleaning Conditioning Writing Developing Transferring and Fusing.

Thanks. I have a hard time with those blasted laser printers. To me, they're magic boxes that spew out warm pages quickly. Good ol memnomics, I remember in statistics class "Sally Never Had Oysters Suing Dogs" The name stuck, but I forgot its meaning. Kinda destroys the idea of it :p

As far as the OS portion of the test, here are a few points to know:
1. When troubleshooting an OS using the install CD, know the order of screens
2. Know the specific files needed by each OS (9x, 2k, and XP) for booting.
3. Know when to modify those files (troubleshooting a CD-Rom).
4. Know something about Wireless technology.

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Originally posted by Spooky Man G
Thanks. I have a hard time with those blasted laser printers. To me, they're magic boxes that spew out warm pages quickly. Good ol memnomics, I remember in statistics class "Sally Never Had Oysters Suing Dogs" The name stuck, but I forgot its meaning. Kinda destroys the idea of it :p

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Spooky Man,
That was funny. I usually lurk, but had to reply to this coz for some reason I thought it was really funny. Anyways Ill go back to lurking.....:D

creepy, just like me... Maybe even spooky :D

Wow, I feel bad you spent so much on the class.....

I bought a book and read it cover to cover then I went online and took every practice test I could find over and over again.....

2 weeks later I passed both tests.... I found the hardware portion to be easier. There were a lot of quesion about the laser print process though, luckily that is the part I studied hardest for because it was the one thing reading the book that I didnt know terribly well.

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Originally posted by photolady
jslater, you might want to take a look at some of the "Operation Delta" threads. These provide more knowledge than just searching the forums. Some cover hardware in general, others cover specific topics.

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Hi photolady,

I'm curious as to how I can find the " Operation Delta " threads to study that you refer to. Thank you in advance for your help! BTW, I'm studying (self study) for my A+ certification and believe that a combination of all the things said in this thread are helpful learning tools!

Do a search for "operation delta" in the hardware forum...

http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sea...der=descending

Check out the second page of results for many of them.