Big 2-Yr Anniversary of Mike Meyers Live from Houston: Wednesday 3/30 Q & A !
Can’t believe its been 2 years. Join Mike this Wednesday 3/30 at 2 PM Central Standard Time. Total Seminars live Q & A YouTube session with bestselling CompTIA author Mike Meyers. We’re celebrating with some Great Prizes. It’s entirely free and you’ll finally get the answers to your burning IT questions!
You can literally Ask Mike Anything!
This Wednesday, March 30, marks the second anniversary of the Mike Meyers live AMA shows and he’s celebrating like crazy! Every Monday and Wednesday, Mike hosts an hour of answering live questions on just about any technical topic focusing on helping people prepare for CompTIA exams. During his show, he holds contests to win free access to TotalTester Online (TTO) practice tests and to win a CompTIA exam voucher.
Don’t Be Scared to Test at Home This Halloween!
Does the thought of taking your test at home send shivers up your spine? Are you scared that you will fail because you won’t be ready? Does the idea of having someone watch you make you feel like you’re in a bad 1980s video sung by Rockwell and Michael Jackson?
It’s OK to get a little nervous before plunging into the unfamiliar. This may be not only your first time taking a CompTIA exam, but also your first time testing from home! Luckily, you’re not alone in having those feelings as this is a new process for most of us.
Not a proctor, just the world’s creepiest shoulder surfer.
I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts
We’ll help you overcome your fears by helping you prepare. Fortunately, many others before you have already done it successfully. After all, CompTIA allowed testing from home on April 15. Other vendors like Certiport and Cisco, among others, have done the same.
By the way, if you want to check out those other certifications or get some more last-minute practice, then check out our materials here:
Total Seminars on Certifications
- TotalVideo video-based training courses
- TotalSims performance-based question prep
- TotalTester practice tests
Ready to test?
Click here to get CompTIA Discount Exam Vouchers
Test at Your Favorite Haunt
With a strong Internet connection, a computer that meets the requirements, the right ID materials, and no prohibited materials or distractions in the room, then you can test safely from home. Also, make sure that you plugged your computer into a reliable power source and aren’t relying on the battery.
Good news! You don’t even have to test at home; you can test from work, or also a public library! You can’t take the test from a tablet or mobile phone at this time.
What happens when you keep putting off scheduling the test.
Bad Things Come in Threes … Unless You Prepare!
First, you should check if your computer would work under exam conditions. Take the official system test to see how well it would perform on the day of the test:
Assuming that you pass, then your next biggest concern will involve having a high bandwidth because you will use streaming video and audio for the entire two hour test. You should try a speed test.
Ideally a wired connection works best. If you have only a wireless connection, then ensure that others in your area turned off their connections temporarily. Better yet, have them leave during test time. Yes, Big Brother is watching you, so give him a gift card for a coffee, send him trick or treating somewhere, or give him a book to read.
Now that you know you have the proper equipment, you need to get familiar with the test format. Unfortunately, because you cannot use notes on paper or electronic devices to remember things, draw diagrams, summon spells, or perform calculations, you’ll use a sheet on the screen for your notes. We really, REALLY recommend that you practice using this feature before so that you don’t waste precious time learning how it works during the test itself:
https://home.pearsonvue.com/onvue/whiteboard
My proctor quit after I tested for some reason.
Now, if you do these three things, you’re pretty much ready to test at home by this point. But you should also know what to do for the test itself.
Don’t Ghost Your Test at Home!
Just as with any standard test center, you should arrive 30 minutes early. The check in process takes 15 minutes. If you’re scheduled at 1 PM, then get online and be ready by 12:30 PM.
Screams and tears won’t make you any less late. Arrive early to avoid upsets! No exceptions!
The proctor will explain the dos and don’ts. You will provide an ID copy, just like at a testing center, but good idea to bring two in case one doesn’t count.
The proctor will validate your ID with the Web camera and explain the rules. This means that you will need to make sure that your camera, microphone, and speakers work.
Just Because You’re Paranoid Doesn’t Mean They’re Not Watching You
The camera must be positioned so that the proctor can see you, the screen, and keyboard. Software will record your test screen even if you somehow block the Web camera with your hand, so you can’t “accidentally” block the screen. Trust us, we thought about it and they beat us to it already.
You cannot wear any phones, headphones, headsets, electronic devices, pagers (if you’re in a 1980s costume I guess), watches, wallets, purses, hats, head coverings, bags, coats, books, notepads, pocket protectors, or anything else not approved. Clothes are optional but we highly recommend them.
Wait, so we’re supposed to be afraid of her for not wearing a mask? Clown world indeed. Go, 2020!
I Can See Your House From Here…
The proctor will also make you pick up the Web camera and do a 360 view of the entire room. Therefore, you must remove all electronic devices, audio devices, notes, cards, books, scrawls on the wall/ceiling, floor, and any people who could possibly give hints, tips or cheats.
You can’t have notes, books, papers, pens, pencils, monitors or computers (or at least they must be turned off and unplugged), whiteboards, blackboards, Ouija boards, bloody messages scrawled on the wall, etc.
Are you moving it or did the mouse run out of battery and stop syncing again?
You won’t pass if you fail this preview of the room. The camera also will help the proctor to see if you’re checking your pockets, looking at the floor, or glancing around during the test looking at things that can help you during the test. Basically, you must look at the screen only.
Sure it’s disturbing, but at least they can’t accuse you of cheating on the test!
Don’t Rely on Phantom Power
You will also need to enable your microphone. That system test that you did earlier should check the microphone component. CompTIA doesn’t want someone to record the questions with hidden microphone, therefore you cannot talk to yourself during the test. Besides, it’s kind of weird. Psychic communication with spirits is technically not prohibited, but since they’d probably only know old versions of the test anyway any ghosts in the machine won’t help you very much.
We prefer the term living impaired, thank you.
CompTIA Will Soon Mean for Computer TestIng At Home (The H is Silent)
That’s pretty much it! You can now take the test and with our help you’ll know all the content so that you can pass the exams with ease. Once you’re done, the test will ask demographic and basic questions – just like they do at the test site examinations – and THEN it will give you your results. You will get a hard copy in the mail and you can get a digital copy on the spot.
We hope that you have a safe and Happy Halloween and that you succeed on your exams! Now go study, register, and test, then let us know how it goes!
Uh, you go first. I’ll be right behind you.
Scott Jernigan’s on YouTube Fire!
Hey readers,
If you haven’t checked out Scott’s A+ and Network+ videos, do yourselves a favor and check them out at our YouTube channel. Here are three of my favorites:
How Do I Know if I Need an A+ Certification?
[Posted 24 February 2014 by Kathy Yale]
An A + certification can open many doors for those pursuing careers in the field of IT. Considered vendor-neutral, an A + certification provides people with the qualifications needed to repair PCs, work as a computer technician, troubleshoot, and perform a variety of other duties.
An A + certification can qualify a person for a number of jobs. This type of certification allows individuals to work for someone else or begin their own business and work on a consulting or independent basis. Whichever route a person chooses to pursue, an A + certification allows people to work as field technicians, as computer repairmen, as part of a company’s help desk, as a network or system administrator, in information security, in desktop troubleshooting, or in the area of software and operating systems. This type of training also transcends a variety of industries; any industry that uses computers (from healthcare to police work, from education to advertising) may be in need of someone with an A + certification.
The Benefits of an A + Certification
The A + certification offers its holders several career and financial benefits. Those with an A + certification on their resume tend to be more effective at problem solving, are more confident, and are viewed as more capable of handling large projects or difficult tasks. This is in part because pursuing a certification demonstrates dedication and a higher level of aptitude.
One of the largest benefits associated with the A + certification, and arguably the most important, is the increase in salary. Professional certification often results in a 10 to 20 percent increase in a person’s salary. This typically amounts to a person earning between 14,000 dollars and 15,000 dollars more a year. For those who don’ have a set salary and instead opt to own their own business, an A + certification can help finances by allowing people to charge more for their expertise.
Perhaps just as important as a financial boost, an A + certification can also open the doors to certain careers. For people who are happy in their present job, an A + certification may give them the qualifications they need to climb higher in the company. For those who are unhappy in their present job, an A + certification can make it easier to find work elsewhere.
How to Get an A + Certification
To begin the path to a better career, interested parties should visit Total Seminars for a list of training courses (sample questions are also available online). Total Seminars will offer test takers the information and materials needed to pass the examination. In addition to books, Total Seminars offers online tutorials, practice tests and tech forums that will assist test takers in successfully passing the exam on the first attempt. Total Seminars also offer exam vouchers when you are ready to take the A+ certification test.
While the A + certification was once open-ended, it now must be renewed every three years in order to stay valid. It is necessary to study with the proper material beforehand in order to successfully pass the exam and get started opening doors to your new career.
How to Study More Effectively for the A+ Certification Exam
[Posted 11 February 2014 by Kathy Yale]
If you are looking to pass your A+ Certification exam, vital to all computer technicians, look no further than Total Seminars. Total Seminars is the essential study guide provider that has ushered an entire wave of IT workers into the industry. Their modern approach to teaching gives you the chance to succeed in passing the exam on the first attempt and find a position in your field.
Purchasing the Book
Total Seminars’ A+ Certification Exam Guide has helped hundreds of thousands pass the test already. It has been updated to its current eighth edition to reflect changes to the test and implement new methods of explanation. Along with covering the material on the exam, this textbook also helps test takers by making the material approachable and easy to learn.
Practice Tests
What better way to prepare for a test than to take the test beforehand? That is the strategy Total Seminars uses with their unique software which interactively engages the learner. Total Seminars’ practice tests let you experience the test before the actual test day, a critical advantage that will give you confidence when you take the actual exam. Test takers are able to figure out what areas they need to perfect, focusing study efforts in optimal areas.
Users get quick feedback on their progress, creating a better learning experience for a subject that isn’t easily taught.
Training Videos
Fully subscribing to Total Seminars’ A+ Guide also gives you access to a series of training videos hosted by the author of the book, Mike Meyers. Total Seminars’ approach in their book and practice also serves as a foundation for the teaching method found in the training videos. With over 24 hours of content, you will be allowed study for the A+ Certification, by watching the material be applied by a professional. This will give test takers the opportunity to ensure the material they are learning is being processed correctly.
Overall, Total Seminars gives you all of the best tools for passing your A+ Certification so you can start applying for a new position, get up-to-date with your current company’s policies or become promoted within the company where you are currently employed. The A+ Exam Guide is a great reference and challenges your knowledge of computer technology with a basic approach that is also engaging. The A+ practice tests serve as a great assessment of information learned, and challenges your test-taking ability as well as illustrating areas you may need to pay more attention to. The training videos relay the information visually and auditorily. Together, these three methods target your knowledge in unique ways, giving you the best chance for success on test day.
There is nothing that compares to any of these three invaluable teaching resources. Total Seminars allows test takers to purchase these items as a bundle, or separately. In addition, they can even package test vouchers if you decide choose one of the larger bundles. There is no better way to study for you A+ certification.