Bita Beigishah
CompTIA’s go to certification for establishing a career IT, A+, has undergone a significant transformation as it moves from the 900 certification series to the 1000 core series. The CompTIA A+ exam changes include expanded content related to today’s understanding of an IT Support role, which heavily focuses on enabling end users and devices to securely access the data needed to complete a task.
Who Should Take The CompTIA A+ Certification Exams?
Not much has changed in regards to the target audience for the CompTIA A+ certification. It is still the ideal certification for anyone starting out in IT. Job titles include:
- Support Specialist
- Field Service Technician
- Desktop Support Analyst
- Help Desk Tier 2 Support
No experience is required and it is an entry level certification.
CompTIA A+ Exam Changes – What Content Was Added To The CompTIA A+ 1001 and 1002 Exams?
Technology and how we use it in daily work and play has changed dramatically over the past three years; it is no wonder that the A+ exam had to change significantly along with it. The new A+ exam focuses less on hardware and software components and more on baseline security and how to securely access the data you need. Below are the main CompTIA A+ exam changes according to CompTIA:
- Internet of Things (IoT) is a more robust content area and addresses device hardware and connectivity
- Scripting makes its way onto the exam as a vital technical support tool
- Cloud and virtualization are expanded as their own domain area
- Devices covered include laptops, desktop PCs, smartphones, tablets, wearables, e-readers, GPS
- Operating systems covered include Windows 10, 7, 8, 8.1, Android, iOS, Linux, Mac OS X, Chrome OS
- Mobile device network connectivity, application support and device synchronization
- Routers, switches, access points, cloud-based network controller, PoE, etc. are some of the networking hardware devices covered
- Networked hosts, server role, Internet appliances, legacy systems
- PC hardware tools and components, BIOS/UEFI settings, solid state drives (M2, NVME, SATA 2.5), RAID 10, hot swappable storage configurations
- Custom PC configurations including virtualization workstations and NAS devices
- Sharing multifunction devices and printers via OS settings, wired and wireless connections, 3D printing
- Logical security concepts, Active Directory security settings, software tokens, MDM policies, MAC address filtering, certificates, VPN, DLP, email filtering
- Security protocols and encryption (WEP, WPA, WPA2, TKIP, AES), authentication methods (single-factor, multifactor, RADIUS, TACACS), security threat identification and prevention
- Privacy concerns and policies (PII, PCI, GDPR, PHI)
When Can I Take The CompTIA A+ 1001 and 1002 Exams?
They are available now! You can start preparing for the new CompTIA A+ core series exams without delay and test for the certification at any time. If you have been preparing the 900 series exams, don’t worry, you can still sit for that exam up until July 31, 2019. However, it is suggested to test for it sooner rather than later. In the event you fail, you want to make sure you still have time to brush up on the 900 series content and sit for the exam again before it is no longer an option.
How Is The A+ Exam Set Up?
To earn your CompTIA A+ fortification you need to pass two exams:
- CORE 1 (220-1001)
- CORE 2 (220-1002)
CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1001) Exam Details
The 220-1001 measures the following exam objectives:
- 1.0 Mobile Devices 14%
- 2.0 Networking 20%
- 3.0 Hardware 27%
- 4.0 Virtualization and Cloud Computing 12%
- 5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting 27%
The exam is a maximum of 90 questions and a score of 675 is required to pass. The exam features multiple choice, performance-based and drag and drop questions. Candidates have 90 minutes to take the exam.
CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1002) Exam Details
The 220-1002 measures the following exam objectives:
- 1.0 Operating Systems 27%
- 2.0 Security 24%
- 3.0 Software Troubleshooting 26%
- 4.0 Operational Procedures 23%
The exam is a maximum of 90 questions and a score of 700 is required to pass. The exam features multiple choice, performance-based and drag and drop questions. Candidates have 90 minutes to take the exam.