INTRODUCTION
Earning CompTIA A+ certification means that you have the knowledge and the technical skills necessary to be a successful entry-level IT professional in today’s environment. The exam objectives test your knowledge and skills in all the areas that today’s computing environment requires. Although the exams cover a broad range of computer software and hardware, they are not vendor specific.
Both the CompTIA A+ 220-1101 Exam (also called Core 1) and the CompTIA A+ 220-1102 Exam (also called Core 2) are required to achieve your CompTIA A+ certification. As stated by CompTIA, together, the 220-1101 and 220-1102 exams “measure necessary competencies for an entry-level IT professional… . Successful candidates will have the knowledge required to assemble components based on customer requirements; install, configure, and maintain devices, PCs, and software for end users; understand the basics of networking and security/forensics; properly and safely diagnose, resolve, and document common hardware and software issues; apply troubleshooting skills; provide appropriate customer support; and understand the basics of virtualization, desktop imaging, and deployment.”
How to Take a CompTIA A+ Certification Exam
Pearson VUE provides proctored testing services for many companies, including CompTIA. In addition to administering the tests, Pearson VUE scores the exam and provides statistical feedback on each section of the exam to the companies and organizations that use their services.
Pearson VUE also offers OnVUE, an online proctored solution that enables certain candidates to take exams via a proctored online interface. You register for an online proctored exam the same way you register for the in-person kind, but after registration you receive a link to the online testing platform. Various checks are done to ensure the integrity and security of the online test-taking system, including artificial intelligence (AI) identification checking and validation of the test-taker’s environment.
On Exams 220-1101 and 220-1102, unanswered questions count against you. Assuming you have time left when you finish the other questions, you can return to the marked questions for further evaluation.
The standard test also marks the questions that are incomplete with a letter “I” once you’ve finished all the questions. You’ll see the whole list of questions after you complete the last question. This screen allows you to go back and finish incomplete items, finish unmarked items, and return to questions you flagged for review.
An interesting and useful characteristic of the standard test is that questions may be marked and returned to later. This helps you manage your time while taking the test so you don’t spend too much time on any one question.
Question Types
The CompTIA A+ exams consist of several types of question formats, as described in a YouTube video on the test experience at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVs-M3hValw. We strongly recommend that you take the time to watch this short video. Here is a brief overview of the question formats you may see on your exam.
Multiple-Choice Questions Many CompTIA A+ exam questions are of the multiple-choice variety. Below each question is a list of four or five possible answers. Use the available radio buttons to select the correct answer from the given choices.
Multiple-Response Questions A multiple-response question is a multiple-choice question with more than one correct answer, in which case, the number of correct answers required is clearly stated.
Fill-in-the-Blank Questions A fill-in-the-blank question prompts you to type a word or phrase. Be aware that answers may be case-sensitive.
Graphical Questions Some questions incorporate a graphical element or a video available via an Exhibit button to provide a visual representation of the problem or present the question itself. These questions are easy to identify because they refer to the exhibit in the question and there is an exhibit. An example of a graphical question might be to identify a component on a drawing of a motherboard. This is done in the multiple-choice format by having callouts labeled A, B, C, or D point to the selections. A drag-and-drop question is another form of graphical question in which you select a token, such as a graphic of a computer component, and drag and drop it to a designated area in response to the question.
Performance-Based Questions Performance-based questions include simulations and require the candidate to perform certain tasks based on multifaceted scenarios. When you encounter one of these questions, you will click a Simulation button and enter a simulated environment in which you must perform one or more tasks. Sample performance-based questions are included with the online content that accompanies this book (see the appendix for more details).
Study Strategies
There are different ways to study for the different types of questions you will see on the CompTIA A+ certification exams. The following section outlines some of the methods you can use to prepare for the different types of questions.
Knowledge-Based Questions
Knowledge-based questions require that you memorize facts. These questions may not cover material that you use on a daily basis, but they do cover material that CompTIA thinks an IT professional should be able to answer. Here are some keys to memorizing facts:
Repetition The more times you expose your brain to a fact, the more it sinks in, and your ability to remember it increases.
Association Connecting facts within a logical framework makes them easier to remember.
Motor association Remembering something is easier if you write it down or perform another physical act, like clicking the practice exam answers.
Performance-Based Questions
The first step in preparing for performance-based questions is to absorb as many facts relating to the exam content areas as you can. Of course, actual hands-on experience will greatly help you in this area. For example, it really helps in knowing how to install a display adapter if you have actually done the procedure at least once. Some of the questions will place you in a scenario and ask for the best solution to the problem at hand. It is in these scenarios that having a good knowledge level and some experience will help you.
CompTIA A+ Certification Exam 220-1101
The CompTIA A+ Certification Exam 220-1101 (Core 1) consists of five domains (categories). CompTIA represents the relative importance of each domain within the body of knowledge required for an entry-level IT professional taking this exam.
CompTIA A+ Certification Exam 220-1102
The CompTIA A+ Certification Exam 220-1102 (Core 2) consists of four domains (categories). CompTIA represents the relative importance of each domain within the body of knowledge required for an entry-level IT professional taking this exam.
