Comp Tia’s A Certification
The Comp Tia’s A certification indicates a person has obtained foundational level knowledge and skills required for him or her to begin a career in computing and technology support. It is considered to be the starting point for a career in the fields. The certification is designed to be international and neutral to vendors and prove the recipient has competence in a number of areas, including networking, security, installation, preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting problems.
The history of the Comp Tia’s A certification is closely tied to the professional opportunities offered by the certification. A range of operating systems are covered by the certification, including Microsoft, Novell, some of the more common distributions of the Linux operating system, and Apple Inc. The exam itself was created in 1993, and since then, there have been four version, with the most recent being the 2009 objectives. The 2009 objectives are currently split into two different exams: the first is the Essentials Application while the second is the Practical Application.
In order to take the A exam, candidates should be information technology professionals or workers who have at least 500 hours of hands on experience in applied settings or the equivalent of such hours in other settings. Both exams are administered on the computer and include a number of multiple choice questions. It is important to note that there may be more than one correct answer to some or all of the questions. Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 800,000 people have successfully sat for and passed the A credential as of 2011.
The Comp Tia’s A certification Essentials examination covers a number of topics considered integral to a fundamental understanding of computer and networking systems. Topics are likely to include the practical repair of computers, direct memory access, and IRQs. The computer repair section tends to include questions involving the installation and repair of network cards, CPUs, modems, hard drives, printers, power supplies, and PDAs. This exam does not focus on the theory behind computing, but the practice of computing and maintenance of computers.
The Operating Systems exam includes topics on configuration files, memory management, and computing environments of the past, rather than the newest and latest technologies that are currently available. It has more of a historical bent and is focused on testing the applicant’s knowledge of existing and past systems that may still be present in a variety of work and office settings.
Before attempting to take the Comp Tia’s A certification, candidates should know that the test was updated in September 2006 to mandate the taking of the Essentials test in addition to one of three other tests. The essentials test is known as 220 – 601, while the three other possible tests are 220 – 602, 220 – 603, and 220 – 604. The additional elective exams were created to give the candidate the opportunity to further specialize the A certification in order to better match the career path they were choosing.
The Comp Tia’s A certification exam may be combined with a number of other tests beyond those listed above in order to facilitate specialization toward a career path. Perhaps the most lucrative combination involves the A certification with the Network certification. Together, they allow a candidate to list an elective for certification for the MCSE or MCSA, both of which are offered by Microsoft and well regarded as certifications for work in the information technology fields.
As described earlier, two exams must be passed to obtain Comp Tia’s A certification: the Essentials exam, which is also known as exam 220 – 701, and the Practical exam, which is commonly known as 220 – 702. The Essentials exam is designed as the cutoff exam for competence in an entry level information technology professional. Candidates who are successful in taking and passing the exam are required to have skills in identifying networking, security, peripheral, and hardware components while having a fundamental understanding of security, networking, and computer technology components.
Of course, it is not enough to simply have the basic working knowledge of the various computing systems described; candidates who are successful must also have an understanding of how to effectively troubleshoot technology and software that is not functioning properly. They will also need to be able to practice the necessary procedures to ensure the safety of professionals and clients in computing environments, and will need to have the skills to interact effectively with peers and customers. Because the exam is accredited by ISO 17024, the objectives of the exam are subject to regular reviews and updates.
Beyond the basic hands on skills tested within the Essentials exam, the Practical exam looks further into entry level competencies and strives to ensure that a candidate has a working knowledge of the operating system interfaces that he or she is most likely to come into contact with when doing entry level work in an information technology setting.
A number of schools throughout the country offer preparatory courses and workshops to enable candidates to pass the Comp Tia exams. Some of these classes may be taken online, while others are taken at the physical schools. The prices for such courses may range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the institution and the level of coverage for the exams offered. It is recommended that courses designed to prepare candidates for the certification exams include several hours of hands on experience to ensure candidates are comfortable working with computers and have the chance to visually inspect the technology they will be maintaining.
Once certification is obtained, a number of jobs may be obtained, including field service technician, information technology administrator, enterprise technician, support technician, and PC technician. The test is also used as a stepping stone toward certification by a variety of corporations in computing technology, including Cisco, HP, and Microsoft. There are many companies that have also made certification mandatory for service and PC technicians employed by the companies, including Lenovo, Ricoh, Intel, and Dell. However, Comp Tia’s A certification is a step in the right direction.