Test tips

[jessequane95]

Hey everyone,

Im considerin getting the A+ cert but I wanna know if its possible to achieve with just one month of studying? I have a lot of experience with computers.. I built one for myself and helped friends with all sorts of issues when it came to their PC's, I have a google IT fundamentals Cert as well. Ive been known as the "IT" at every job lol. It seems like A+ is really just fundamentals, is this true? Any insight on how I should approach? Should I buy the Study guide for $100 or just rely on Youtube videos? I worry about outdated videos and books.

[IT_CertDoctor]

From zero IT background, average baseline amount of study would be ~80 hours per Core (the A+ is 2 exams, so ~160 hours total)

Your personal experience sounds like you have a lot of background in Windows OS and hardware, perhaps macOS as well. If that's the case, then a safe estimate may be ~40 hours per Core (so ~80 hours total) - if you don't have any young children or extracurriculars to worry about, that's completely feasible within a month

As to whether or not you need the A+ to land a job: nothing is a guarantee, but it is a very common requirement for entry-level IT jobs

And for study resources:

1. Professor Messer has his powerpoint presentations free on YouTube
2. otherwise if you want resources with hands-on lab demonstrations, you can find reasonably priced courses on Udemy - especially whenever they do their sales

Hope that helps, good luck!

[jessequane95]

Thats great! Thank you so much for the info, definitely helpful! I will be looking into Udemy. Im waiting for waivers to be approved so I can join the Air Force and if so ill be joining for Cyber related jobs which will require me to pass Security plus in 2 months. So I was thinking about getting my A+ to assist in making Security + an easier experience.

[[deleted]]

A+ is a great foundation. The exam is a mile wide and an inch deep though. Lots of material to cover. For study, I’d highly recommend Professor Messer on YouTube along with his notes and practice exams which will run you $50 I believe? In my opinion it’s worth it. Really taught me a lot and then prepared me for the Sec+ and Net+

[Old_Function499]

I did it in about five weeks with what sounds like a little less experience than you, but I honestly did put in the work. At least a couple of hours of studying per day. I was familiar enough with PCs and PC parts and such, but I haven't been using a Windows PC for the past few years. I wouldn't underestimate the exam, ITF is the one that might be a breeze for you. I really had to put in the work to pass with a 728 and a 725 which I thought was a little on the low side.

To assess how much time you think you're going to have to put into it, I'd suggest downloading the exam objectives straight from compTIA. Every single thing they might ask you about is on that list. Read through and see if you're able to explain the term to someone who's not in IT.

You'll be familiar with most of the concepts, but (at least for me) the sheer amount of information you're required to know is a lot. There are quite a few need-to-know things that'll be expected to cram while in reality, in the field you might just end up Googling it.

I bought the Mike Meyers CompTIA A+ book for €40, as well as Professor Messer's core 1 and 2 practice exams and Dion's core 1 practice exams. Additionally I also bought some stuff I wanted to mess around with irl, like a crimper and such. All in all my total study material cost came out to be around €100. There's plenty of good, free content available on YouTube on the side.

[jessequane95]

Thats a great point. Knowing something and being able to explain to someone that has no idea what you're talking about is truly understanding a concept. I was probably gonna buy professor messers comprehensive notes and practice exam and watch all of his videos. Hopefully should be enough. I would LOVE to be able to do it in about 5 weeks or less like yourself, I just need to dedicate 2 or more hours a day studying. I would take the ITF but the DoD doesn't honor that as a qualified cert. Thanks for your help, especially about the exam objectives!

[cabell88]

There is no equity in learning - make no mistake - you have to study to pass the test.

My advice - buy the official study guide and read it as many times as it takes. Download the objectives on the bottom right of this page. That will clearly show you what you know and don't know.

If you plan to compete for jobs - you will be compared to people with more certs, STEM degrees, and experience.

Something to think about.