Reddit reviews CompTIA A+ 220-801 and 220-802 Exam Cram (6th Edition)
We found 16 Reddit comments about CompTIA A+ 220-801 and 220-802 Exam Cram (6th Edition). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Used Book in Good Condition
Definitely start with your A+ and follow the cert path mentioned by others in this thread. However, you probably don't need to buy a training course. I passed my A+ about a month ago using the book [Exam Cram] (http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Edition/dp/0789749718/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374555603&sr=8-1&keywords=exam+cram+a%2B) and the free online videos from Professor Messer. Good luck!
I liked the exam cram book.
Ok,
Now that I'm a bit more rested I'll do my best to answer your questions in detail.
With the videos obviously there are a set amount of hours, but what it typically did was study/take notes on a specific objective and then watched the videos afterwards to supplement any info I might have lost. (Toward the end of the objectives I only watched videos and took notes on those because my textbook was a bit lacking but we'll get to that)
Some people take both Exams at the same time and thats cool if you think you can then go for it, save yourself an extra trip. I decided to Study/pass one exam and then the other. The first exam took me over a year because i only studied off and on and that was for the 701/702 so then those went out and i started over. As for my actual exams they were EXACTLY 3 months apart, but that was just a happy coincidence.
For my study materials i used a combination of things. My textbook was
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Guide/dp/0789748509/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413033916&sr=1-13&keywords=a%2B+study+guide
It's a good book and i loved the software that came with it as you can add additional practice exams to it from other guides. It is a very in depth text and a bit less casual than the mike meyers books. My only gripe about this book is that it doesn't cover the objectives in order so you'll wind up flipping through looking for data on a specific subject alot. (hence why i just switched to videos toward the end)
for practice exams i used this
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Edition/dp/0789749718/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=05FH7YZJ8527K4AGNB9B
The practice exams in this book are amazing and the cheat sheet in the back is pretty helpful as well. Also all of the practice exams are also on a disc so you can take them on a computer or laptop if you wish.
Finally when you start drilling the practice exams head to
http://www.examcompass.com/ they offer 10 short and sweet practice exams that you can even take on your phone.
Studying is fairly simple. If you haven't already you should start with downloading and printing out the exam objectives found here.
801- http://certification.comptia.org/docs/default-source/exam-objectives/comptia_a_220-801_objectives.pdf
802- http://certification.comptia.org/docs/default-source/exam-objectives/comptia_a_220-802_objectives.pdf
then just start at the top and work your way down. When you reach the point that you think you could easily explain each point to someone else properly then you're probably safe to move ahead. TAKE YOUR TIME do a little each day trust me it's wayyyyyyyyy to much data to just shove in your head all at once. What i did was take notes on all the objectives using the videos afterward, then once I'd reviewed everything i started drilling practice exams. Once i started scoring at least 90% I would buy my vouchers and schedule my test about a week ahead of time.
The test itself can be a bit intimidating but just take your time and read everything in detail. There will be some performance based simulations (i'm not sure how much detail i can go into with those) suffice to say if your confident in your knowledge then you'll be able to complete them. Worst case just flag them for later and skip ahead to the multi choice questions, flag anything you're not sure of so you can double check it at the end of the exam.
Lastly people very rarely pay the full 188 for the voucher comptia usually offers a 10% off coupon on their website. if you google it i'm sure you'll find it.
In conclusion If you want to test in a week go over the exam objectives and cross off the subjects that you know like the back of your hand. and study up on the ones that you don't. Don't let the exam room intimidate you when you go to test. It's just another practice exam just with uglier lighting :P
I hope this has helped you at least a little. happy studying and good luck!
use www.professormesser.com
watch his videos and
buy his study guides
If you need more prep buy this book
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Edition/dp/0789749718
be warned though that if you wait too long they are changing the test at the begining of next year to include windows 8 and newer tech, the test will change from the 801 and 802 to 901 902 might have to brush up again if you wait too long. This isnt supposed to happen until like may 2015 though
Obligatory Professor Messer link.
Those videos and a good book like this one or this one seem to do the trick for most people.
Ok, I just passed the A+ a few weeks ago (didn't need it, but figured I needed something to get me over the hump and actually start getting my certs).
I used Mike Meyer's CompTIA Cert Guide (I took the 2009 version of the test btw)
I used Transcender test prep (it was provided for free as part of the 5 day class I took)
I watched all of the Professor Messor videos on youtube.
I took a class (more on this below)
I used Exam Cram
The first exam is the difficult one. It's not difficult in that you'll need to have a lot of experience or that the questions are tricky. It's difficult in the sense that you'll need to know a little about a LOT of stuff. For example, do you know how many pins are in a centronics cable? Do you know if it's serial or parallel? Do you know what device it's primarily used for? (36, parallel, printer) I studied for about 2-3 weeks pretty seriously (daily sample tests, questions, etc...did it during free time at work and after work at home). This study took place after I had read both of the books cover to cover (it's boring).
The second example (practical application) is cake walk if you've a) passed the essentials and b) have worked in IT support at all. Just a bunch of scenario questions. I studied about 3 hours for this exam.
I passed both exams on the first try about 2 months apart (I took a vacation in between).
The class was pointless knowledge wise. I've been in IT for a long time so it really was just for people who have ZERO experience. It helped since my work paid for the class and it included the Exam Cram book, transcender test prep access, and vouchers for both exams.
So to summarize my huge wall of text.
There will be people who disagree or study differently. More power to them. This is how it worked for me though. I will say that it's probably possible to pass the exam without doing some of this, but I really hate wasting money and would have been devastated if I had to re-take the exam.
Anyway. Here are some links. I'm sending you the 800 exam stuff since I imagine you'll be doing that instead of the 700 series (which is discontinued in a few months).
Mike Meyers
Exam Cram
Transcender test prep
Professor Messor videos
Definitely! I've been studying from Mike Meyers All in One Exam Guide, Professor Messer, Carey Holzman from Tech-Vets, and the Exam Cram Practice Question Book. They are all great resources, especially Carey's hands-on build videos. Which will help if your never built a PC yourself. I will update you tomorrow on my opinion of the test and things I came across.
I have this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0789749718
I used this book and this book of practice tests. A very easy read it comes with a cheat sheet.
You are on the right track. Get your A+ cert, prof. messer has great videos that helped me:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG49S3nxzAnnmMVTdd4v4ryJ7_qoQCrF4
and this book:
http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Exam-Edition/dp/0789749718
With your A+ cert you can go to sites like justanswers.com and register as a professional to help people on there for experience. Also guru.com and other freelance work will help when it comes to the next part.
Work on your resume, taking your work experience and molding it to show off your IT experience. For example: you said you worked retail, so take your customer support and your interaction with the POS (assuming it was computer based) and put something like: maintained point of sale computer, various printers, payment processing terminals, and peripheral devices. Basically anything even remotely IT related, make it relevant, and apparent that you have extensive knowledge with it.
I personally would NOT go for a "school" like centriq or ITT or any of that crap. You can get into entry level positions with certs and work your way up far faster and cheaper. Get on linkedIn and create a profile if you don't already have one. This will help you network, and search for jobs. Depending on what you can get, you might have to start with a help desk type position to get more experience. The idea entry level IT job for you to aim for (that you can work your way up with) would be a technical support analyst doing tier 1 work.
You can do this, and if you have any questions or anything feel free to hit me up.
It was the Exam Cram by David Prowse. http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Exam-Edition/dp/0789749718 It has included software that you can do practice exams with. A few of the questions were almost word-for-word exactly on the exam. No simulations though, I have yet to find anything that includes sims.
Haven't checked Meyers study material so not informed enough to give an opinion.
A lot of people recommend Professor Messer's Youtube Videos. They're free to use and I believe are current. This is great since it'll show you what you'll be learning about as you're given information on it. Many people recommend that you pause the video and take notes throughout the video. Do this for each one, memorize the information and you should be good for the test.
If you like using a text, then I can personally recommend Exam Cram. The included practice questions and tests are gold (some people buy the book just for them). The information is distilled down to what you need to know without any fluff or unneeded information. I made around 300-ish note cards out of the information given and passed both 801 and 802 on my first try. I have no issue with drilling info and memorization, but you will have to do this no matter which option you choose.
Hope this helps OP!
This is what I used. Meyers and this one are also very popular.
Since you already have that school one, I'd wouldn't worry too much about it though. Though I do recomend a practice book, like this one. And remember that aside from multiple answer questions, there are also a few "labs."
I would recommend either Exam Cram 6th ed. by David L. Prowse or Mike Meyer's A+ passport. There are bigger books (1200+ pages), but I don't think they're necessary if you've already assembled machines and installed various operating systems. You can probably do fine with one of these concise guides. If you really want to browse the various books and determine which you like the best, then you can do that by signing up for a 10-day free trial with SafariBooks. This will give you full access to 10 different books for 10 days...enough time to determine your favorite. Just remember to cancel before the trial ends or they might bill you.
Professor Messer is a good source of videos. CBT Nuggets is also good, but kind of pricey. You might try their 7-day trial and see if you like it. CBT Nuggets is about 35hours of video and Prof. Messer is 20.
I started with a pretty extensive background in hardware/software troubleshooting but studying really helped everything come together. I learned the most from the Printers chapter/videos. I had never taken a Comptia exam before and was a little unsure of how detailed the questions would be, so this made me study a little harder. I studied for each exam separately. About 2 weeks preparing for the 801 and 10 days or so for the 802. The 802 was a little more challenging.
Good luck!
Not a problem. If you are going with Cram Exam then you can find it for cheap on Amazon brand new.
There are a lot of great resources out there and it may be a bit overwhelming.
I would not rely solely on Professor Messer's videos. His videos are great, but lack some of the detail that a large certification book offers.
It also depends on yourself. Are you new to the IT field? Have you ever built a computer before, setup a wireless network, or done some troubleshooting?
Mike Meyer's Book
This book gets a lot of attention and is a good resource.
Exam Cram Series
This book is a great "cram" of all the information. It's shorter than Meyer's book but has a lot of great test preparation questions and strategies.
Those 2 books with supplements from Professor Messer's videos should give you more than enough help. Also don't be afraid to just reserach something that you are unsure of. I use other sources such as Reddit and YouTube just to further dive into things I am unsure of.
I am taking both exams on the 15th of this month and my study habits have been read the books. Then test yourself with exams. Find where your weak points are, and study them. Rinse and repeat. Everyone is different and it all depends on how quickly you want it. A lot of these questions are up to yourself and how you learn/retain knowledge.