Introduction to the World of IT

By Christopher Lee and Cheryl A. Schmidt
Oct 25, 2022

📄 Contents

␡

Who Needs This Book?
Technician Qualities
Breaking into IT with the CompTIA A+ Certification
Basic Skills for This Course
Types of Computers
Basic Computer Hardware
Mice and Keyboards
Common Peripherals
1s and 0s
Safety Notes
Chapter Summary
Key Terms
Review Questions
Exercises
Activities

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This chapter is from the book 

Complete A+ Guide to IT Hardware and Software: CompTIA A+ Exams 220-1101 & 220-1102, 9th Edition

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Breaking into IT with the CompTIA A+ Certification

Many IT-related jobs require the A+ certification. Even if not required, the certification shows that you have a good understanding of how computers work. This certification does not guarantee you a job, but it does open doors in that a company may interview you if you lack IT experience but have the A+ certification.

A+ certification requires that you take two exams: Core 1 (220-1101) and Core 2 (220-1102). Each of these exams covers specific material. Tables 1.1 and 1.2 show the major categories (domains) for each exam and the extent to which they are represented.

Table 1.1 CompTIA Core 1 (220-1101) A+ certification domains

Domain	Percentage of examination	Chapter(s)
1.0 Mobile Devices	15%	10
2.0 Networking	20%	12–13
3.0 Hardware	25%	1–9, 11
4.0 Virtualization and Cloud Computing	11%	3, 12
5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting	29%	1–13

Table 1.2 CompTIA Core 2 (220-1102) A+ certification domains

Domain	Percentage of examination	Chapter(s)
1.0 Operating Systems	31%	14–17
2.0 Security	25%	18
3.0 Software Troubleshooting	22%	14–18
4.0 Operational Procedures	22%	19

“What are the exams like?” you might ask. The exams include multiple-choice and performance-based questions. A performance-based question might be a drag-and-drop scenario or might ask you to do something specific on a particular device or within a particular operating system environment. Each exam is 90 minutes long and contains a maximum of 90 questions. The testing system allows you to bookmark questions that you might want to return to at the end if you have time. More information can be found on the CompTIA website (www.comptia.org).

At the beginning of each chapter, you will see a list of the CompTIA A+ exam objectives that are covered in that chapter. At the end of each chapter, we’ve provided some A+ certification exam tips—tips to definitely pay attention to if you plan on taking the A+ exams. I recommend that you review the exam objectives, study material specific to them, and take some practice exams. Pearson IT Certification, the publisher of this book, develops many different certification exam prep resources that suit various study styles. Go to http://pearsonitcertification.com/aplus to browse the options.

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