The not for profit institution 'CompTIA' - 'Computing Technology Industry Association' - was formed in the early 1980's. The operation produces vendor-neutral qualifications that have made it a world leader in its industry. This essentially means they're free to independently generate & monitor examinations and certifications that are needed by the I.T. industry, irrespective of a particular business' commercial interests. This is very good for students, because they can learn about different platforms and how they inter-connect & integrate with each other - a common scenario in industry today. Each time a new syllabus is produced, CompTIA invites numerous educational & commercial groups to come together and verify that every aspect has been considered equally, & the training programs are appropriate from a commercial perspective.

If you're excited about any of the following roles, the A+ will work for you : Call Centre Technician, Depot Technician, Field Services Technician, PC Technician, Help Desk Technician, Remote Support Technician and IT Administrator. With 'CompTIA' 'Network+' also, you're able to look at becoming an IT Cable Installer, a Network Installer, a Network Technician or a Network Administrator.

Both examinations have quite recently been subject to a 2009 upgrade in line with the company's advance towards ISO standardisation. A+ exams that commenced with the prefix '600' (that is the 2006-2007 edition) are being phased-out globally. In the UK, they cease being offered on 31st August 2010. Up until that time, students can sit either the 600 or the more recent '700' exams in local test centres (specifically 'Vue' and 'Prometric'). Reason suggests that new trainees should study edition 2009. 'CompTIA' A+ Essentials and CompTIA A+ Practical Application are the new exam titles (220/701 & 220-702 respectively). The most crucial modifications were a total re-structuring of the earlier 4 exams into only two examinations, & the addition of some coverage on newer technologies. The old format was 1 required Essentials exam & three 'electives', of which just one was required to be sat. Nowadays the industry requires professionals with know-how that used to be in all of the earlier examinations. Trainees will learn that understanding from the 2 '2009' obligatory A+ programs. CompTIA also have produced the BR-003 'up-grade' exam, for trainees qualified in the 600 examinations who wish to update to the new 700 exams. Passing the upgrade examination will usually need additional study, but this shouldn't be especially difficult for people who formerly studied all four. Clearly though the newer technology topics must be mastered.

Several of these jobs are often starting-points for advanced level IT positions, therefore, as with all career tracks, it's important to first discuss just what your end goals are, & which learning style suits you. The best way to maximise your career-path the most is always to receive guidance from an IT specialist before getting started with your training. Many organisations offer packaged career paths which can include these certifications, and so purchasing in a career 'bundle' can give you significant cost savings.

New students to the I.T. marketplace can look to 'CompTIA' for many of their preliminary training packages. Generally, trainees who are aiming for employment opportunities within Networking, Servers, Systems, Security, Communications and Support will start out with 'CompTIA', however students in any sector would find a 'CompTIA' accreditation a helpful component of their Curriculum Vitae. CompTIA are now also marketing 'STRATA' accreditations - they're not designed for people employed in the I.T. industry, but for people whose careers require a fundamental knowledge of computing.

Be prepared to give yourself in the region of a hundred to one hundred & fifty hours learning time for the A+ exams, & for the N+ about seventy-five to a hundred hrs. This makes accomplishing both of them in 6 months part-time study very feasible, provided that superior multi-media training products utilised, along with excellent examination preparation-software.

As for the '09 version of the Network+ - 'N10-004' is currently the examination number. A larger emphasis is placed on security in the '09 Network+ exam, along with network design & wireless-networking. This obviously is in addition to the foremost aspects of network management and infrastructure.

The A+ program and the 'Network+' training are CompTIAs most widely recognised qualifications. An incredibly important group considered as a package, they're the kick off point for many productive career paths. Trainees get to grips with a good deal of basic computer principles with A+ , such as maintenance, support, repair, installation, security and fault-finding. Additionally, the 'A+' handles several relationship building abilities that may help you communicate more effectively with other people. Expanding on this awareness, the Network+ certification looks at networks, (including routers and servers) and shows how they inter-connect. The very important matter of 'Security' is underlined, & Wireless technologies are spoken about at a basic level. Both qualifications go with each other well, & together form an excellent start-up platform for additional exam packages, or a solid career in IT support.

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