CompTIA Certification

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icor1031

[H]ard|Gawd
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Seeing this thread, http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1514067
It sounds like a good idea to get my CompTIA certs this year....

I am interested in Server, Networking, and A+, and most of all: Security... (Are any of the others real important?)

Please suggest some study materials. :)

Also, is the Server cert a lifetime cert???
 
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I believe all Comptia Certs are valid for 3 years, and as for study materials i recommend the Comptia books and the CBT Nuggets videos. The CBT Nuggets videos have worked well for net+ and Microsoft tests.
 
once you complete them before dec 31st, 2010. they are lifetime

suggested order if you are doing also those

network+, a+, security+ and server+ as this order gives you the best follow from one cert to the next.

But real question is what kind of IT job are you looking at?
 
lt_shiro said:
once you complete them before dec 31st, 2010. they are lifetime

suggested order if you are doing also those

network+, a+, security+ and server+ as this order gives you the best follow from one cert to the next.

But real question is what kind of IT job are you looking at?
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Network+, and A+ certifications are just about basic requirements for any entry level tech jobs.
 
All my CompTIA certs are valid for lifetime.

A+ (2002), Network+ (2005), Security+ (2008), & Linux+ (2009).
 
Carlosinfl said:
All my CompTIA certs are valid for lifetime.

A+ (2002), Network+ (2005), Security+ (2008), & Linux+ (2009).
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what do you think of linux+? does it prepare you for a linux admin job or is is just the basics?

OP, check out the DoD cert levels:

http://www.giac.org/8570/

a+ and net+ are considered the same level. i'd skip net+ and get ccna.

i'd get one of the certs on the dod list first, it will help you get a job w/ the gov and/or contractor.
 
mycomputersucks said:
what do you think of linux+? does it prepare you for a linux admin job or is is just the basics?
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I am a Linux System Administrator for the DoD here in Orlando and have been using Linux heavily since 2002. I decided to take the Linux+ exam for my own benefit and was surprised at the material covered on it. I knew it was going to be hard when I skipped the 1st 4 exam questions. Nothing I studied from the prep guide was listed on the CompTIA exam so I freaked out for a moment but then sat down and really read the questions. I did pass but some questions on there were extremely confusing and difficult. I recommend it but not for someone who doesn't know Linux that well. I don't just mean "I have installed Ubuntu" people but know your UMASK, CLI utilities, understand 'chroot', granting permissions, ACL, and some kernel roles / functions.
 
just give up on certs already. be real. how many unemployed people with oodles of certs are there?
3 schools in my area which did cert courses shut down. One school became an internet cafe... and that was after trying to talk me into taking their A+ & Network+ for 1 price course.
Mike Meyers and the rest of them sheisters are pushing this scam and milking folks dry. Look, IT in America is as dead as Elvis. I got out of this biz and have never looked back.
 
I completely disagree. I always encourage certifications and ongoing education. I have had a lot of success with my certifications.
 
If you encourage wasting hundreds if not thousands on some multiple choice quiz and a worthless piece of paper from this ponzi scammer Michael Meyers and his Comptia, then you are living in a fantasy world of self-delusion.
 
Gomar said:
If you encourage wasting hundreds if not thousands on some multiple choice quiz and a worthless piece of paper from this ponzi scammer Michael Meyers and his Comptia, then you are living in a fantasy world of self-delusion.
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Because you had a crappy experience with certs that must mean they are completely useless and worthless right?? There's no way that certs have helped anyone else, correct?

Great logic...maybe that's why you're not in IT anymore.
 
lt_shiro said:
once you complete them before dec 31st, 2010. they are lifetime

suggested order if you are doing also those

network+, a+, security+ and server+ as this order gives you the best follow from one cert to the next.

But real question is what kind of IT job are you looking at?
Click to expand...
I have a couple questions for you. I recently passed the A+ and am looking at the Network+ and Security+. The Server+ seems to really be just an offshoot of the A+. The practice questions I've seen look very similar. As for the Network+, I feel confident outside of converting decimal to binary. Should I be worried?

Do you have any comments on that?
 
Gomar said:
If you encourage wasting hundreds if not thousands on some multiple choice quiz and a worthless piece of paper from this ponzi scammer Michael Meyers and his Comptia, then you are living in a fantasy world of self-delusion.
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This is an absolute and objective truth?

Cynicism was a fad that never caught on, my friend. Over-generalizations and wild assumptions based on singular experiences are in the same boat.
 
A+ and Net+ alone are imo worthless backed up with some thing else like a CCNA or 2 year degree they will put you ahead of the other slobs
all an A+ is good for is getting you a job with geeksquad at best
Security+, Linux+, and Server+ are good ones and pretty hard to get
also if you dont get them this year youll have to renew every thing 3 years but only your highest iirc thats Linux+ and/or Security+ not sure which is higher Net+ is technically higher then A+
SAIR Linux certs are good to imo more in depth but most low level managers never heard of it lol
 
Thing is to get in with a company that will pay for your certs. :) But I agree with most of the comments about A+ & Network+ being basically worthless. One of my co-workers just got his Network+ (and has his A+) and this guy couldn't find his way out of a wet paper sack with a lit stick of TNT. Proof that anybody can cram for, and pass a test.

But as far as resume padding goes the more the better. Most HR people only care about that and how many questions have you ever had at an interview that actually forced you to think on your feet?
 
Gomar said:
If you encourage wasting hundreds if not thousands on some multiple choice quiz and a worthless piece of paper from this ponzi scammer Michael Meyers and his Comptia, then you are living in a fantasy world of self-delusion.
Click to expand...

You sound pretty bitter and the fact that you didn't end up in I.T. makes your post less relevant to begin with. Certifications are a stepping stone and count for nothing in regards to experience. I have been in IT for 8 years and now work for a leading DoD contractor. Whiles certifications didn't make this job cake, it gave me the edge and allowed me to get my foot in where it would have been harder w/o. Sucks they didn't work for you but millions of people are working because they got noticed with certifications.
 
The one i took had a lot of trick questions for the part 2 of the test. Gotta take two of them to get A+. Don't take the technician one for the second test. It has some dumb ridiculous non related trick questions on it. Take any other one than that :). One was like what would you do if the ground was all cracked in the warehouse and you need to transfer parts from one side of the facility to the other. All the answers were right but you had to choose the best one. A lot were like that. Ridiculous questions like that were on there to bring you down so you can pay another 100 something bucks to come back and retake the test to make them money.
 
yea they added a TON of OSHA crap to the A+ no idea why
was helping a friend of mine with it soo much bs in it now imo it was better off keeping all the IRQ tables and other old stuff then bogging people down with OSHA regs
 
bigdogchris said:
I have a couple questions for you. I recently passed the A+ and am looking at the Network+ and Security+. The Server+ seems to really be just an offshoot of the A+. The practice questions I've seen look very similar. As for the Network+, I feel confident outside of converting decimal to binary. Should I be worried?

Do you have any comments on that?
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Like other people has stated these Comptia exams are about remembering data and correct way to answer these foolish questions Comptia comes up with.

I teach these for a living and get a 92.5% pass rate, only about 40% understand how to be a tech.
 
I have A+ and Net+. I have some MCSA courses paid for but haven't taken them yet. I think A+ is good to get a good solid understanding on how things work. Then go for Net + . I know a lot of Gov. Jobs want you to have Security +. Oh and both of my CompTia Certs are lifetime I believe. I've done a few Gov. contract jobs with just A+ and Net+ but i also have technical training as a Network Admin.

Some of the stuff in the A+ test that i took was so out dated i'd never heard of it and never used it since then. IT was pretty crazy. Like it was said above the CompTIA test are nothing but memorization tests. I've yet to use anything i learned from the A+ tests.
 
Just saying, I got my A+ and Net+ when I was 16, and my MCP when I was 17. I was one exam away from Windows Server 2003 MCSA, but I never bothered to get it because no one wanted to hire a 17 year old tech at the time... I'm 23 now.

I never took any courses. I just sat down for a week reading that 1000 page A+ book written by Mike Myers.

My point is this: I have full confidence that you can pass the exam if you aren't a total dumbass. Net+ was easier for me than A+ IMO.
 
Gomar said:
If you encourage wasting hundreds if not thousands on some multiple choice quiz and a worthless piece of paper from this ponzi scammer Michael Meyers and his Comptia, then you are living in a fantasy world of self-delusion.
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I work as an Army contractor. In order to even get a job here as an entry level tech (roughly $18 an hour) you MUST have Sec+. In order to move up past $25 an hour, you MUST have A+ and Sec+.
 
Yeah - I too am a contractor for the Army and they forced me to get the Sec+ training. Glad I did though. It was interesting.
 
I have the potential for my IT internship to turn into a full time position, but I still plan on getting my A+ and possibly CCNA as a backup plan. I highly recommend it. Anything that gives you an advantage over someone else is key in the job market.
 
Look up ITIL thats quite handy.

I did the A+ back in 1999 which was easy.

PRINCE2 is quite good but thats IT projects.
 
Conker said:
Ridiculous questions like that were on there to bring you down so you can pay another 100 something bucks to come back and retake the test to make them money.
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I applaude you my good man! Bravo!
Ifcourse it is a business, Comptia has to make money. And what better way then to force lemmings to re-take tests. LOL! What a scam!
And then, it was valid for just a few years, so you are forced to come back and ante up more $$$. ha! Might as well take your dough and spend in Vegas baby.
 
Since the A+ (and others) are no longer lifetime after this year, I'm going to take the plunge, scam or not. Question - I have a lot of "practical" computer experience (I build 'em), but I don't really delve into more of the arcane stuff, like overclocking, FSB speeds, registry settings, and the like. I'm thinking of taking the test cold. Have any of you done that and passed? And what's with all the OSHA questions?
 
I would highly recommend not going into the A+ exam cold. Even if you think you know a lot of IT details, there will be stuff on there that will stump you. Or there will be questions that are somewhat ambiguous with multiple correct answers. If you take pre-tests and study you will likely know which potentially correct answer they are looking for.
 
Standpoint said:
Or there will be questions that are somewhat ambiguous with multiple correct answers.
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<groan> Sounds like my old college psychology exams.

If you take pre-tests and study you will likely know which potentially correct answer they are looking for.
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Can you point me toward a good one? Thanks.
 
I was taking a required course that was taught basically as an CompTIA A+ course - judging from the questions we were given, the test seems relatively simple to someone inclined in that field already. Most of it is focused on memorization of the various acronyms, interfaces, etc. I am looking into getting my certs.

Loads of fun - well, not really
 
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