In total, there are 4 A+ examinations and specialised sectors, but you only have to get certified in 2 to be thought of as qualified. This is why the majority of training providers simply offer two. But allowing you to learn about all 4 options will provide you with a far deeper level of understanding of it all, something you’ll discover is vital in professional employment.
Passing the A+ exam on its own will allow you to mend and maintain computers and Macs; ones that are most often not part of a network – which is for the most part the home market. Perhaps you see yourself as someone who is a member of a large organisation – fixing and supporting networks, build on A+ with Network+, or follow the Microsoft route – MCP’s, MCSA or MCSE because it’s necessary to have a deeper understanding of how networks work.
One interesting way that training companies make a big mark-up is by adding exam fees upfront to the cost of a course and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. It looks impressive, until you think it through:
You’ll be charged for it ultimately. One thing’s for sure – it isn’t free – it’s just been rolled into the price of the whole package. For those who want to get a first time pass, you must pay for one exam at a time, prioritise it appropriately and give the task sufficient application.
Why should you pay a training company at the start of the course for exams? Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take the exam, rather than pay marked up fees – and take it closer to home – rather than possibly hours away from your area. A lot of extra profit is secured by many companies who get money upfront for exam fees. A number of students don’t take them for various reasons but no refunds are given. Amazingly, providers exist who actually rely on students not sitting all the exams – as that’s where a lot of their profit comes from. Don’t forget, with most ‘Exam Guarantees’ – the company controls how often and when you can re-take the exam. You will have to demonstrate an excellent pass-rate before they’ll approve a re-take.
Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are currently clocking in at an average of 112 pounds in this country. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (usually wrapped up in the course package price) – when the best course materials, the right level of support and study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.
Being a part of the cutting-edge of new technology really is electrifying. Your actions are instrumental in defining the world to come. We are really only just starting to get a handle on how all this will mould and change our lives. How we communicate and interact with everyone around us will be massively affected by technology and the internet.
The standard IT technician in Great Britain will also receive significantly more than fellow workers in much of the rest of the economy. Average salaries are some of the best to be had nationwide. It seems there is a lot more room for IT sector development in Great Britain as a whole. The industry is continuing to expand hugely, and as we have a skills gap that means we only typically have three IT workers for every four jobs it’s highly unlikely that there’ll be any kind of easing off for years to come.
Please understand this most important point: You absolutely must have proper 24×7 instructor and mentor support. Later, you’ll kick yourself if you don’t adhere to this. Locate training schools with proper support available at any time of day or night (even if it’s early hours on Sunday morning!) Make sure it’s always direct-access to qualified mentors and tutors, and not access to a call-in service which takes messages – so you’re waiting for tutors to call you back when it’s convenient for them.
Be on the lookout for training schools that utilise many support facilities around the globe in several time-zones. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to provide a single interface together with 24×7 access, when it suits you, with the minimum of hassle. Never ever take second best when you’re looking for the right support service. Many trainees who can’t get going properly, just need the right support system.
If you’re like many of the students we talk to then you’re quite practically minded – a ‘hands-on’ individual. If you’re anything like us, the unfortunate chore of reading reference guides is something you’ll force on yourself if you absolutely have to, but it doesn’t suit your way of doing things. You should use video and multimedia based materials if learning from books is not your thing. Recent studies into the way we learn shows that we remember much more when we receive multi-sensorial input, and we get physically involved with the study process.
Modern training can now be done at home via self-contained CD or DVD materials. Instructor-led tutorials will mean you’ll find things easier to remember through their teaching and demonstrations. You can then test yourself by practicing and interacting with the software. Be sure to get a look at some courseware examples from the school that you’re considering. The package should contain slide-shows, instructor-led videos and fully interactive skills-lab’s.
Select physical media such as CD or DVD ROM’s wherever available. Thus avoiding all the issues associated with broadband outages, failure and signal quality issues etc.
All programs you’re considering should always lead to a nationally accepted certification at the end – and not some unimportant ‘in-house’ printed certificate to hang in your hallway. The top IT companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA each have internationally acknowledged proficiency programs. Huge conglomerates such as these will make sure you’re employable.
