Trouble studying for A+ certification

[The Technician]

Hey everyone!

First post, and I'm baring my ignorance to you all, so please go easy!

I'm a dead-end job guy, trying to get into the IT field and on track to a more stable and high paying career. I am self-studying for the CompTIA A+ exam, and let's just say it's not going as well as I'd like. I've been using computers all my life, and my father being an SMS systems admin for 25+ years, I did have a basic understanding of computers, hardware, windows, etc. going into this. So I'm not starting from scratch here.

I decided to use course materials from an online course offered through a county library for free. It turns out you get what you pay for, because the course material doesn't seem to be consistent with the info I'm getting from the CompTIA CertMaster study tools or any the Exam Force and Simulation Exams practice tests I purchased. For example, it told me the final step in the laser printing process was fusing. It also seems to have left out a great deal of specifics that these practice exams are asking me about. So, in short, after about 3 months of studying pretty consistently, I am still getting sub-par scores on practice exams, because I'm still reversing the damage from the online course.

I have made up a ton of flashcards. I have the CertMaster stuff, and the Simulation Exams practice exam (the Exam Force one won't let me use it anymore, even though I purchased the full version). I am trying to find internships or any other way of getting hands-on experience with this stuff, but without experience, that's not working. I do have a few desktop machines to fumble with, but they only have XP on them, and I can't afford to buy a Vista/7/8 installation for them. I also need a monitor for them, which is coming soon enough. And I'm reluctant to go messing with my laptop as it is my only functioning computer to study with.

I know that my problem is likely one of study habits/techniques more than it has to do with the A+ subject matter. It's been 13 years since I last had to study for anything, and I was never any good at it back then either - which is mostly why I dropped out of high school. And if I want to make up for that poor choice and get out of dead-end jobs and into a more stable career, I need to figure this out.

I would ask for specifics, but I wouldn't know what to ask. So, any advice from anyone who's passed the A+ exams, or anyone who's struggled with studying in general, OR any advice that I wouldn't know to ask for, would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

P.S. My 801 exam is scheduled for 9/22, which I already postponed once due to this issue. I know I should have waited until I was getting great practice scores, but I thought 3 months would be enough. Lesson learned. Hopefully 5 more weeks will be enough time for me to get my scores above 80, and I can always postpone it again.

 

[Lexluethar]

First off welcome to the forums and welcome to the wonderful world of IT (sarcasm there). IT is a VERY rewarding career choice but at the same time it's very difficult. Realize in order to not end up in a dead end position in IT you have to keep your certifications up and current. Some people are happy working on the help desk or desktop support for their entire lives - however if you want to move up you will be required to take certifications, study and keep up on technologies. I've been in IT for about 7 or 8 years now and i've worked my way up from help desk to a system admin role. On average i have to take about one large certification a year, with a lot of little certifications for specific products peppered in there (IE we just bought Nimble for a storage array and i had to take a course and pass an exam on administering it).

Sorry long winded but i'm just trying to gear you up for what is to come.

For the A+ i would suggest going to professormesser.com and watching all of the training video's on the A+. They are free and HIGH quality. I would also suggest purchasing a Mike Meyers book and reading it end to end. With lots of studying you should be on your way to becoming certified.

Let us know how we can help.

 

[MidnightShadow]

To add to what Lex has mentioned, I would encourage you to go down to the local Goodwill and pickup an older desktop computer. Use it as a sandbox machine to test and play with. Tear it down, build it back. Rip apart the Windows components such as the registry and services, etc. The more you screw it up and are able to fix it back, the better you'll understand it. It's great for a hands on learner, which is what it sounds like you are (I think most of us are).

If you can swing the cash, do the same thing with a server. Obviously, local Goodwill stores probably won't have those, but you can usually find them online somewhere (if anybody has good links for sandbox machines, feel free to post them). The cheaper the better since it will just be a toy at the end of the day! Spare parts are good as well, in case you actually destroy hardware.

 

[Huckleberry]

I think your biggest problem here is that don't have a suitable computer to get hands on experience.

You should be able to learn all you need with any decent A+ Cert book. Book should have many "hands on exercises" (Labs). It is by doing these Labs on an actual PC that you are going to learn the material. Without doing the labs a PC, you are making it way more difficult to get the cert than it has to be

Reality is self study is much cheaper than attending classes, but still requires some outlay of cash for proper study material & equipment, to have any real chance for success

 

[1etherer]

I think your biggest problem here is that don't have a suitable computer to get hands on experience.

You should be able to learn all you need with any decent A+ Cert book. Book should have many "hands on exercises" (Labs). It is by doing these Labs on an actual PC that you are going to learn the material. Without doing the labs a PC, you are making it way more difficult to get the cert than it has to be

Reality is self study is much cheaper than attending classes, but still requires some outlay of cash for proper study material & equipment, to have any real chance for success

Very old post that OP has not replied to...