There are four A+ exams and specialised sectors, but you only need to achieve certification in two for qualification purposes. As this is the case, most training colleges restrict their course to just 2 areas. But allowing you to learn about all 4 options will help you to build a much wider knowledge and understanding of your subject, something you'll appreciate as vital in professional employment.
When you embark on the A+ computer training course you'll be taught how to work in antistatic conditions and build and fix computers. You'll also cover fault finding and diagnostics, through both hands-on and remote access. You might also choose to think about supplementing the A+ with Network + as you can then also become a networking engineer, which means greater employment benefits.
A subtle way that training providers make more money is through up-front charges for exams then giving it 'Exam Guarantee' status. It looks impressive, until you think it through:
You're paying for it one way or another. One thing's for sure - it isn't free - they've simply charged more for the whole training package. Those who go in for their examinations when it's appropriate, paying as they go are in a much stronger position to qualify at the first attempt. They are thoughtful of their spending and take the necessary steps to ensure they are ready.
Why pay the college in advance for examination fees? Find the best deal you can when you're ready, don't pay mark-ups - and do it in a local testing centre - rather than in some remote place. Paying upfront for exam fees (plus interest - if you're financing your study) is a false economy. Don't line companies bank accounts with extra money of yours simply to help their cash-flow! A lot bank on the fact that you will never make it to exams - so they don't need to pay for them. Pay heed to the fact that, with most 'Exam Guarantees' - the company decides when you are allowed to do a re-take. You will have to demonstrate an excellent pass-rate before they'll approve a re-take.
With the average price of Pro-metric and VUE tests coming in at approximately 112 pounds in Great Britain, it's common sense to fund them one by one. Why splash out often many hundreds of pounds extra at the beginning of your training? A commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.
Usually, trainers will provide a bunch of books and manuals. This isn't very interesting and not ideal for taking things in. Research into the way we learn shows that long term memory is improved when we receive multi-sensorial input, and we get physically involved with the study process.
Interactive full motion video utilising video demo's and practice lab's will beat books every time. And they're far more fun. All companies must be able to demonstrate a few examples of their courseware. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and a variety of interactive modules.
Avoiding training that is delivered purely online is generally a good idea. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where available, enabling them to be used at your convenience - it's not wise to be held hostage to your broadband being 'up' 100 percent of the time.
Most people don't even think to ask about a painfully important area - how their training provider actually breaks down and delivers the courseware sections, and into what particular chunks. Often, you'll enrol on a course that takes between and 1 and 3 years and get posted one section at a time - from one exam to the next. This sounds logical on one level, until you consider this: Students often discover that the trainer's standard order of study isn't ideal for them. They might find it's more expedient to use an alternative order of study. Could it cause problems if you don't get everything done within their exact timetable?
The very best situation would see you getting all the learning modules sent to you right at the start; every single thing! Then, nothing can hinder your progress.
Qualifications from the commercial sector are now, undoubtedly, starting to replace the traditional academic paths into the IT sector - why then should this be? Corporate based study (to use industry-speak) is most often much more specialised. The IT sector has realised that this level of specialised understanding is essential to service the demands of an increasingly more technical commercial environment. Microsoft, CISCO, Adobe and CompTIA dominate in this arena. The training is effectively done by honing in on the skills that are really needed (together with a proportionate degree of associated knowledge,) as opposed to spending months and years on the background non-specific minutiae that computer Science Degrees can get bogged down in (to fill up a syllabus or course).
What if you were an employer - and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What is easier: Pore through a mass of different academic qualifications from graduate applicants, struggling to grasp what they've learned and what workplace skills they've mastered, or choose particular accreditations that perfectly fit your needs, and then choose your interviewees based around that. The interview is then more about the person and how they'll fit in - rather than establishing whether they can do a specific task.
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