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CompTIA includes performance-based questions on their exams to make them more practical and keep up with trends in certification testing. Knowing what to expect and how to approach these question types is key to your success in passing the exams. First, let me fill you in on some facts about the exams.

Exam facts:

There are several different types of questions that may be included in your CompTIA exam:

• Multiple choice – the standard question, pick the right answer
• Multiple response – question, pick all that apply with more than one correct answer
• Fill in the blank – question, fill in the answer to the question
• Drag and drop – image or question where you drag answers to match the image or text
• Exhibits – answer questions relating to an attached picture or diagram (variation to Multiple choice)
• Performance-based – detailed question, open dialog boxes or other configuration windows and configure as needed.

CompTIA is adding more of the newer Drag and drop and Performance-based questions to their exam pool. You may get as few as 2-3 or as many as 10-12 of these newer type questions depending on which exam you are taking. The more of these new type questions you get the fewer of the traditional multiple choice, multiple response or exhibit type questions you will have, depending on the difficulty of the performance-based questions you get.

How new question types are graded:

Two important pieces of information about the new drag and drop and performance-based questions that you need to know:

1. Partial Credit; Scoring credit may be offered if a candidate answers only part of a question correctly.
2. No Negative Credit; CompTIA does not employ negative scoring on exam questions. In other words, scoring credit is not taken away for incorrect answers. A candidate should answer every exam question, even on the ones where they are not sure of the answer.

Testing Strategies:

The new question types like drag and drop and performance-based questions will be presented at the beginning of the exams. These questions can be more complex and take longer to answer than traditional multiple choice questions. DON’T GET BOGGED DOWN WITH THE PERFORMANCE-BASED QUESTIONS. You can skip questions and come back and answer them at the end. Here are some strategies to use when taking the exams:

1. Skip the Performance-based questions and come back at the end to answer them so you don’t get bogged down and run out of time.
2. Count the performance-based questions as you skip them so you know how many you have to do when you come back to them at the end.
3. Read over all the performance-based questions and answer the ones you are most comfortable with first. Leave the ones you are less confident about until last.
4. If you are not sure about some of the steps in the performance-based or drag and drop questions, give it your best guess. You may receive partial credit. Since CompTIA does not employ negative scoring a wrong answer does not hurt you any more than an unanswered question. Make your best guess, it can’t hurt you.

CompTIA provides information that may be helpful in preparing for the exams at the following links:

• CompTIA Exam Taking Tips: http://certification.comptia.org/testing/about-testing
• Performance Based Questions (PBQs) – http://certification.comptia.org/testing/about-testing/performance-based-questions-explained

Save on your CompTIA exams by purchasing Discount Vouchers from our web site.

Total Seminars’ TotalSims and TotalTester products will help you prepare for your CompTIA exams and make sure you are ready to pass. TotalSims help you prepare for the performance-based questions and let you do hands-on exercises to reinforce the concepts you learn while studying for the exams. Total Tester provides hundreds (A+ and Net+ have over 1000) of questions to create practice exams. You can create custom exams that focus only on objectives or chapter content you are having trouble with.

9 Skills to Master for the New CompTIA A+ Exams

What’s new in the CompTIA A+ exams and what skills will you and your IT team need to master? First launched in 1993, the CompTIA A+ certification is considered the foundation for IT careers. It’s ideal for system administrators and IT specialists of all levels since it casts such a wide net across IT topics and is vendor-neutral, unlike AWS or Microsoft Azure certifications.

As of July 31, 2019, the 220-901 and 220-902 exams for the A+ certification were officially retired for the English version of the exams. The translation versions (non English) will be retired October 1, 2019. Changes are made to these exams about every three years to align with the evolution of IT trends and services. The new A+ Core Series replaces the 901 and 902 exams. The A+ Core Series is made up of the Core 1: 220-1001 exam and the Core 2: 220-1002 exam, both of which must be passed to receive the A+ certification.

What is CompTIA?

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a non-profit trade association for IT professionals, is best known for providing vendor-neutral training and certifications for the IT industry. The association counts 200+ IT vendors as members including AT&T, Intel, and Cisco; over 9,000 IT professionals, educators, and students in the US are CompTIA members.

The CompTIA A+ certification is an important credential for those in the IT industry and has seen major changes this year, which I’ll explore in detail here.

What’s new in the CompTIA A+ certification exam?

The new CompTIA A+ exam requires IT specialists to exhibit more knowledge on networking, cloud computing, and virtualization than previous exams. The prior emphasis on hardware and Windows software is now balanced with these additional focus areas:

• IT security fundamentals, including physical security versus logical security, as well as topics like malware detection and removal
• Configuration and support of IoT hardware and knowledge of related network protocols
• Managing network and device connectivity
• Scripting basics so that specialists can readily identify malicious code
• Handling privacy concerns, especially around GDPR
• Basic disaster prevention and recovery

Total Seminars has resources to help you study for your CompTIA Certifications

Practice Tests: TotalTester has hundreds of questions in a pool that allows you to create custom exams by exam domain or by chapter. Take exams in Practice mode with assistance (hints and explanations) or in Final mode to see if you are ready for the real exams. Complete explanations for each question.

Lab Simulations: TotalSims for A+ and Network+ have hundreds of online labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn more about technical concepts covered on the exams.

Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.

9 Skills to master for the CompTIA A+ 1001 and 1002 exams

The two CompTIA A+ exams cover high-level domains foundational for IT specialists. Those domains are then broken down into much more detailed subdomains. The exams themselves are a mix of multiple-choice and scenario-based questions plus performance-based questions to help visualize the real-world application of common technical issues. Each exam is comprised of 90 questions which must be completed in 90 minutes.

Here are the 9 skills areas to focus on as you prepare for the new CompTIA A+ exams, which I cover in detail in my courses for the CompTIA A+ 1001 exam and the 1002 exam.

1. Mobile devices

IT teams have to manage technology that is becoming increasingly mobile. You’ll need to know how to install and configure laptop hardware components and troubleshoot key features on most laptops. Mobile devices go well beyond laptops and exam takers will need to learn their characteristics as well as how to configure tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, e-readers, GPS devices, and even VR headsets.

2. Networking

The exam emphasizes the hardware side of networking with comparisons of the most common networking devices like switches, routers, and firewalls. You’ll also want to be familiar with wireless networking protocols and network configurations concepts.

3. Hardware

The 1001 exam’s hardware emphasis requires knowledge of installing and configuring CPUs, motherboards, RAM, and peripheral devices as well as familiarity with the cabling of these tools. For example, can you identify RJ45 cables and the various connectors needed to support an office-wide Ethernet setup?

4. Virtualization and cloud computing

While you’ll need to show knowledge of fundamental cloud computing concepts like common cloud models and virtual desktops, the exam will also provide scenarios for you to set up and configure client-side virtualizations.

5. Hardware and network troubleshooting

IT technicians are the front line for any sort of hardware and networking issues that occur in the workplace. By carefully learning best practices and troubleshooting for common problems, you’ll not only pass the 220-1001 exam, but you’ll also be a standout at work.

6. Operating systems

We now move on to the skills needed for the 220-1002 exam, which begins with learning the common operating systems including Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. You’ll need to know installation and upgrade methods, command line tools, and how to solve for common operating system questions you’ll face on the job.

7. Security

Learn to keep individual computers and office networks safe by employing host-based and network-based security measures such as encryption, website authentication, and malware removal. You’ll also want to know the basics of physical security to keep your company’s hardware secure.

8. Software troubleshooting

To measure your comprehension of the software and operating systems you’re likely to work closely with, the CompTIA A+ 1002 exam will provide common scenarios that you’ll troubleshoot such as slow computer performance, short battery life on a tablet, or printing issues.

9. Operational procedures

IT technicians will inevitably face tasks that require documentation. This is necessary for inventory management, tracking regulations and compliance, and toxic waste handling, among many other best practices that may affect an IT department. 

Why get A+ certified?

The IT industry is built on certifications. I’ve been in the industry for over 25 years and am still getting certifications. They serve as a reference point for your overall experience level. If the world of IT is built on certifications, the CompTIA A+ should be the first certification pursued in an IT career. In fact, the A+ certification is named among CIO.com’s top 10 certifications to kickstart an IT career.

For individual IT professionals, a certification like the A+ will get you in the door to a company. Certification names are often used as the keywords recruiters and hiring software screen for in open roles. Even when candidates are hired without an A+ certification on their resume, I often see employers insist the new employee take the CompTIA A+ exam within the first 6 months on the job since it’s such a well-known part of an IT specialist’s toolkit.

For IT managers, ensuring your team receives industry-standard certifications validates the team’s knowledge of essential skills required for most IT tasks within the company or with any IT work that may affect customers and clients.

Finally, there are quite a bit of new topics covered in the A+ Core Series exams, so be sure to take the time to study and adequately prepare yourself before sitting for the exam. As topics like cybersecurity, networking, and the internet of things become ubiquitous across organizations of all sizes, it’s important for IT pros to keep their professional skills razor-sharp with the concepts and best practices outlined in certifications like the CompTIA A+. Future-proof your career and team by keeping your certifications current.

CompTIA launched a new version of the CompTIA A+ Exams in January 2019. You still have until July 31^st, 2019 to take the 901/902 exams. I recommend you take the 90x series while you can. No one ever asks which exam version you took. Either series makes you A+ Certified and current for 3 years from the date you take the exams.  After 3 years you must earn Continuing Education credits, pass new A+ Exams or a higher-level CompTIA exam such as Network+ or Security+.

The new exams are called:

CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1001)

CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1002)

The Current 220-901 and 220-902 exams will continue to be offered until July 31, 2019.

Either set of exams will qualify you as a CompTIA A+ Certified Tech. You must take two exams from the same series. You can’t take 901 and 1002 for example.

The new CompTIA A+ Core Series covers expanded content on growing parts of the IT support role including an expansion of baseline security topics and a different approach to defining competency in operational procedures.

Exam Details

Training:

Total Seminars has video courses, lab simulations and practice tests to prepare you for the CompTIA A+ Exams. Save with our A+ Tester + Simulation Bundle

Total Tester; is an interactive practice test software with over 800 practice test questions. You can create custom exams by chapter in Mike’s book or by exam objective.

TotalSims; prepares you for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and reinforces the technical concepts you learn in Mike’s books and videos. A+ TotalSims has over 200 lab simulations.

You can save on the cost of your CompTIA exams by purchasing discount vouchers.

Here’s how it works: CompTIA member companies like Total Seminars are able to purchase vouchers for the CompTIA exams and resell them to our students at a discount to the full price you would pay when you register with VUE or buy at the CompTIA web store.

Before you register for your CompTIA exam purchase a Discount Voucher. When you register for your CompTIA exam online at the VUE web site, you have an option to pay by credit card or by voucher. Select “voucher” and type in the voucher number you received by email when you purchased your discount voucher.

Example: you can save over $50* on the cost of the two CompTIA A+ Exams.

When you purchase a discount voucher from Total Seminars it is good for up to 11 months (the exact date the voucher expires is included in your email). You must register for your exam online with VUE before the date the discount voucher expires.

* prices change from time to time, at the time of this blog the savings sighted in the example were available on the Total Seminars web site when purchasing the “Two VUE A+ Certification Vouchers” bundle.

Live 8-week CompTIA Security+ training for only $500!

 US and International Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.

Interactive simulations: TotalSims for A+, Network+, and Security+, hundreds of online simulated labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn technical concepts covered on the exams.

E-books are available: Check out our e-book titles. Available 24/7 for immediate access on the Total Seminars Training Hub

Effective October 1, 2018 CompTIA is raising prices on all their exams. Total Seminars sells Discount Vouchers and we are holding our voucher prices as long as supplies last. Here’s a summary of the retail pricing:

Exam                     Old Retail Price       New Retail Price       TS Discount Voucher (while they last)

A+ (each)                             $211                          $219                          $194.99

Network+                            $302                           $319                          $282.99

Security+                             $330                           $339                          $309.99

CySA+                                  $346                           $349                          $314.00

Here’s how it works: CompTIA member companies like Total Seminars are able to purchase vouchers for the CompTIA exams and resell them to students at a discount to the full price you would pay when you register with VUE or buy at the CompTIA web store.

Before you register for your CompTIA exam, go to Total Seminars web site and purchase a Discount Voucher. Your order will be processed, and you will receive an email with your voucher number.

When you register for your CompTIA exam online at the VUE web site, you have an option to pay by credit card or by voucher.  Select “voucher” and type in the voucher number you received by email when you purchased the Discount Vouchers from Total Seminars.

Example: While supplies last you can save over $48 on the cost of the two CompTIA A+ Exams.

When you purchase a discount voucher it is good for up to 11 months (the exact date the voucher expires is included in your email). You must register for your exam online with VUE before the date the discount voucher expires.

Act now before we have to raise our prices!

You studied hard, left sweat on the testing center mouse and BAM you passed your certification exam. You are officially certified as an IT pro now what? Beyond the social high-fives, like telling your friends, there are some strategic moves you can make to get the most traction from your new technology certification. Here are four ways to take immediate action.

Effective January 1, 2017 CompTIA is raising the price for all their exams. A quick summary of the old and new full retail prices:

Exam               Old Price         New Price

A+ (each)         $199.00           $205.00

Network+         $285.00           $294.00

Security+          $311.00          $320.00

Total Seminars (www.totalsem.com) sells discount vouchers (priced below the CompTIA web store retail prices) for these CompTIA exams. We are holding last year’s prices until our inventory runs out. Purchase yours now while supplies last.

If you plan on taking your exams this year be sure and purchase your vouchers now before we have to raise our discount voucher prices to reflect the higher CompTIA prices!

Act now before we have to raise our prices!

Here’s how it works: CompTIA member companies like Total Seminars are able to purchase vouchers for the CompTIA exams and resell them to students at a discount to the full retail price you would pay when you register with VUE or buy at the CompTIA web store.

Before you register for your CompTIA exam, go to Total Seminars web site and purchase a Discount Voucher. Your order will be processed and you will receive an email with your voucher number.

When you register for your CompTIA exam online at the VUE web site, you have an option to pay by credit card or by voucher. Select “voucher” and type in the voucher number you received by email when you purchased the Discount Vouchers from Total Seminars.

When you purchase a discount voucher it is good for up to 11 months (the exact date the voucher expires is included in your email). You must register for your exam online with VUE before the date the discount voucher expires.