CompTIA A+ Exam Prep (Exams A+ Essentials, 220-602, 220-603, 220-604)

This A+ exam prep from renowned expert and author Charles Brooks is the complete certification solution for A+ success. With the exam undergoing a comprehensive update in 2006, A+ candidates will need all-new materials to prepare them for these exams. This book teaches the topics on the A+ Essentials, 220-602, 603, and 604 exams and is a must-have resource for certification candidates.

Introduction Introduction CompTIA#xAE;A+ Exam Prepis designed for those with the goal of certification as an A+ certified technician. The 2006 version of CompTIA's A+ Certification exams represents the most extensive changes to the certification since its inception. The traditional two-test model featured one exam for Hardware (Core) and a separate exam for Operating System Technologies. That's been changed to a two-test requirement featuring one required exam followed by three options for Advanced exams to complete the certification. The introductory level exam is called the A+ Essentials exam (220-601). The three options for the Advanced exam are designed to address the three main professional tracks commonly associated with A+ certification--Depot Technician (220-604), Remote Support Technician (220603), and the all-around IT Technician (220-602). Note -For a complete listing of the latest exam objectives, go tohttp://certification.comptia.org/a/. Many of the objectives given for each exam overlap with objectives in the other exams. The main difference between the Essentials exam that everyone must take and any of the Advanced exams is supposed to be the level of knowledge required. CompTIA gives a recommendation of 500 hours of experience for the Essentials exam taker and 1,000 hours for any of the Advanced exams. These exams measure essential competencies for a microcomputer hardware service technician with six months of on-the-job experience. You must demonstrate knowledge that would enable you to properly install, configure, upgrade, troubleshoot, and repair microcomputer hardware. This includes basic knowledge of desktop and portable systems, basic networking concepts, and printers. You also must demonstrate knowledge of safety and common preventive-maintenance procedures. Another major change for the 2006 A+ exam is the inclusion of a soft skills domain. This is not exactly a new idea for the A+ exam. Various past versions have required a customer service element as part of the certification. However, the computer repair industry has made it clear that in most computer repair-related job roles, customer service and satisfaction skills are equally as important as technical skills. For the 2006 version of the A+ exams, CompTIA has continued to use a fixed length, linear format test. They have also continued their practice of injecting new test items into the exam and administering them as nonscored questions. The psychometric evaluation of the questions is derived from these tests. When the new questions have been validated through this method, they will be injected into the live 2006 exams as scored questions. After validation, the questions will be returned to the question pools as scored items, thus creating a dynamic test pool that is continually being renewed. To cope with this, Educational Technologies Group (ETG) has established our Dynamic Test Tracking system that is available to everyone who purchases this product. ETG's Dynamic Test Tracking system is an online service that includes dynamic, interactive updates for each chapter and lab procedure in our course. These changes also include Test Tips and Curriculum Notes for any changes encountered in the A+ exams over the life of this exam version. In this way, your courseware will never be out of date or incomplete. How This Book Helps You This book is your one-stop answer for the A+ exams. Everything you need to know to pass the exams is in here. You do not have to take a class in addition to buying this book to pass the exam. Depending on your personal study habits or learning style, however, you might benefit from buying this book and taking a class. It can also help advanced users and administrators who are not studying for the exam but are looking for a single-volume technical reference. Our book provides a self-guided tour of all the areas covered by all four of the A+ exams and identifies the specific skills you need to achieve your A+ certification. You also will find the features that make Que's training guides so successful: clear organization, helpful hints, tips, real-world examples, and step-by-step exercises. Specifically, this book is set up to help you in the following ways: Organization This book is organized according to individual exam objectives. It covers every objective that you need to know for all four A+ exams. As much as possible, the objectives are covered in the same order as they are listed by the certifying organization, CompTIA, to make it as easy as possible for you to learn the information. We also have attempted to make the information accessible in the following ways: The book includes a full list of exam topics and objectives. Each chapter begins with a list of the objectives to be covered. Each chapter also begins with an outline that provides an overview of the material and the page numbers indicating where you can find particular topics. Information on where the objectives are covered is also conveniently condensed on the tear card at the front of this book. Instructional Features This book is designed to provide you with multiple ways to learn and reinforce the exam material. Following are some of the helpful methods: Objective explanations--As mentioned previously, each chapter begins with a list of the objectives covered in the chapter. In addition, immediately following each objective is an explanation in a context that defines it more meaningfully. Test tips--Exam tips appear in the margin to provide specific exam-related advice. Such tips might address what material is covered (or not covered) on the exam, how it is covered, mnemonic devices, and particular quirks of that exam. Summaries--Each chapter ends with a summary. Terms you'll need to understand--A list of key terms appears at the end of each chapter. The key terms are also italicized the first time they appear in the text of the chapter. Notes--These paragraphs appear in the margin and contain various kinds of useful information such as tips on technology or administrative practices, historical background on terms and technologies, or side commentary on industry issues. Warnings--When you are using sophisticated technology improperly, the potential for mistakes or even catastrophes to occur is ever present. Warnings appear in the margin to alert you to such potential problems. Challenges--These instructional elements require you to analyze a situation and come up with a solution to a technical problem. They are included here in anticipation of the application questions that appear in the A+ exams. Answers appear in the "Challenge Solutions" section. Extensive Practice Test Options This book provides numerous opportunities for you to assess your knowledge and to practice for the exam. The practice options include the following: Review questions--These questions appear in the "Exam Prep Questions" section. They reflect the kinds of multiple-choice questions that appear on the A+ exams. Use them to practice for the exam and to help you determine what you know and what you need to review or study further. Answers and explanations for them are provided. Practice exam--A practice exam is included in the "Final Review" section for each exam (as discussed later). MeasureUp--The MeasureUp software included on the CD that accompanies this book provid