Established twenty eight years ago, the 'Computing Technology Industry Association' (or CompTIA in short) is a non profit establishment. They have developed progressively & now lead the world in I.T. accreditations that are vendor-neutral. What this means is they can supply and oversee independent industry recognised IT exams and certifications that do not reflect any one company's interests above another. With today's shift to 'inter-connectivity' and systems convergence, this is a welcome move for the I.T. student, because it delivers cross platform learning and a comprehension of 'integration'. Whenever a new exam is being assembled (or an earlier one up-dated), 'CompTIA' discusses the content with top associates of the commercial & educational world in order to provide balanced and very relevant material.

For the new trainee to I.T., CompTIA supplies the initial foundation training in a number of areas. Typically, individuals who are looking for careers within Networking, Servers, Systems, Security, Communications and Support can start with 'CompTIA', however trainees within any sector would likely find a CompTIA accreditation a helpful addition to their CV. A new set of starter-level courses called STRATA have been created by CompTIA. These are for those who could do with a more effective understanding of fundamental I.T. information, but do not essentially work in I.T. themselves.

The 'CompTIA' 'A+' exams are predominantly aimed at anybody looking to start work in any of these roles: Call Centre Technician, Depot Technician, Help Desk Technician, Field Service Technician, PC Technician, IT Administrator, and Remote Support Technician. 'CompTIA' 'Network+' presents possibilities for Network Administrators & Technicians, IT Cable Installers & Network Installers.

With regard to 'Network+' , the earlier N10-003 has today been superseded by the 'N10-004', the 2009 edition. As well as the strong element of managing and running networks and their infrastructures, this latest examination concentrates to a great extent on security, design & wireless-skills.

As you can imagine these jobs often lead onto far more advanced jobs if the relevant qualifications have been put in place. That is why it is very important to look at your long term plans prior to picking out your career-training track. Do take the opportunity to discuss everything with a training program & IT advisor - it will safeguard you against set-backs as time goes on. It's often beneficial to consider tailored career-training programs that incorporate the 'A+' and Network+ courses. 'Bundling' several course materials into one is often very cost effective.

Be expecting to allow yourself close to a hundred to a hundred and fifty hrs studying time for the 'A+' exams, & for the N+ about seventy-five to a hundred hrs. Learning part-time, this could be done over a six month time period if you select the right quality of training matter and first-rate examination prep materials.

By far the most renowned of all the 'CompTIA' accreditations are undoubtedly the A+ & Network+. An incredibly important pair considered as a package, they're the starting place for many thriving career paths. The 'CompTIA' A+ certification goes over the fundamentals of PC maintenance, support, security, installation, fault-finding and repair. Additionally , it handles several personal & communication skills required to get established in I.T.. The CompTIA Network+ accreditation expands this experience to a deeper understanding of networks, servers and routers, and exactly how they communicate. Security is of course very important, and wireless-technology is dealt with to some degree. Both accreditations complement one another nicely, & together form a good start-up platform for other examination packages, or a solid career in IT support.

The two examinations have recently been subject to a 2009 'facelift' in line with the company's advance towards 'ISO' standardisation. The former A+ (edition 2006/2007) exams which were classified using the 600 pre-fix are now being phased out internationally throughout 2010. In the United Kingdom, they cease being offered on August 31st 2010. Up until that date, students can sit either the 600 or the more recent 700 examinations in local test centres (namely 'Vue' & 'Prometric'). Common sense dictates that new trainees should study version '2009'. The specific 'A+' 2009 examinations have become: CompTIA 'A+' Essentials (exam 220/701) and CompTIA 'A+' Practical Application (examination 220/702.) In addition to some extra subject matter on more recent technologies, we now have two exams which cover aspects of all 4 of the earlier examinations. Although the old A+ had four exams within the complete program, only two were needed for the accreditation. As the market has progressed, the know-how from all 4 exams is currently regarded as essential, & thus has been fine-tuned in to two compulsory assessments. Anybody who has previously achieved the '600' examination is allowed to bring their qualification up-to-date by sitting an up-grade exam : 'BR-003'. This will almost certainly call for further learning, although not so much if you covered information on all four of the older examinations, as opposed to only the required 2. The extra subjects will clearly involve some fresh studying.

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