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Apologies for the late reply.
As far as getting certified goes, it's super simple provided you have the $300 or so to pay for the exam and have a university campus or other local testing facility. CompTIA and Pearson I believe have a map of authorized centers.
Experience wise, A+ (to me) is very simple. One of the easiest certifications to get as stepping up to Network+ and Security+ (oh god... sec+...) gets much harder. Your best bet would be to find a study guide on Amazon and read it through and through, or even look up free stuff online to help you get going. Anyone can get certified provided they have the patience and dedication.
As far as getting certified goes, it's super simple provided you have the $300 or so to pay for the exam and have a university campus or other local testing facility. CompTIA and Pearson I believe have a map of authorized centers.
Experience wise, A+ (to me) is very simple. One of the easiest certifications to get as stepping up to Network+ and Security+ (oh god... sec+...) gets much harder. Your best bet would be to find a study guide on Amazon and read it through and through, or even look up free stuff online to help you get going. Anyone can get certified provided they have the patience and dedication.
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Here are a couple of online (free) books to use as study guides. From what I remember about obtaining my A+ cert was it was extremely easy, just needed the $, the time and a place to test.
Pearson / CompTIA A+ 220-801 and 220-802 Authorized Cert Guide
CCILearning | CompTIA A+ Cert (exam 220-901) Official Study Guide
Free practice exams:
A+ 220-801 practice exam
A+ 220-802 practice exam
(note: these practice exams have some of the exact same questions you'll find on the actual exam.)
Pearson / CompTIA A+ 220-801 and 220-802 Authorized Cert Guide
CCILearning | CompTIA A+ Cert (exam 220-901) Official Study Guide
Free practice exams:
A+ 220-801 practice exam
A+ 220-802 practice exam
(note: these practice exams have some of the exact same questions you'll find on the actual exam.)
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Although the real question here is - why are you looking for an A+ certificate? and is it the right choice for you.
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Never hurts to have certs! Theyre like a mini degree in themselves.
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Yeah, but 9/10 people who come to me with just an A+ cert and degree I end up turning down. it really doesn't mean much anymore. Depending on what he's going after there may be a better cert out there
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Where do you work, out of curiosity? I'm currently trying to hunt down an IT job in my area (Reno, NV) using my time in the Signal Corps and Sec+ as experience. No college yet, currently working on a bachelors. My leadership has told me I can easily score a $50k plus job, I just don't know how true that is. Honestly I'd be happy with $40k at this point.
Hardest part about going back to civilian life....
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On the flip side, I have a really good tech job with no formal training or certifications, but still I am probably going to get some of them eventually. It's definitely a "stepping stone" sort of thing except for the most basic of positions.
Best ability for tech jobs is how fast you can learn, not necessarily what you already know.
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I, myself, will be getting A+ Certified soon. A lot of places I'd like to work for want you to have that cert, but it depends on what kind of job you're looking for. I was also referred to get ITIL certs. ITIL is all about best practices, processes, etc. Most help desk positions will pay well for that.
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Had it. It was basically useless. Most certs are really, especially if they are easily brain-dumped. In all honesty they exist purely to get you passed HR.
The Rabbit hole goes pretty deep. Look at a bunch of different career paths and decide which fits you best. In IT it's all about how fast you can learn and keep learning. Source: Working for Cisco Gold Partner for 1.5yrs and learning everyday about how little I know about things and how much is out there.
Reading RFCs is good for making you sleep, at least.
The Rabbit hole goes pretty deep. Look at a bunch of different career paths and decide which fits you best. In IT it's all about how fast you can learn and keep learning. Source: Working for Cisco Gold Partner for 1.5yrs and learning everyday about how little I know about things and how much is out there.
Reading RFCs is good for making you sleep, at least.
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Certs are usually useless at beginner level. If you are going to go for a certificate, try to go into something more advance and not a beginner level certificate. This includes Network+, ITIL, Cisco Certificates, and Security +. There are some really good ones out there that employers look at. I would say that A+ would not be looked at as much especially if you have a degree in the IT/Computer field. As GoT HiTReG stated, it is only to impress Non-tech people.
I am not saying that it might not be required for some jobs but those jobs are rare and/or they are tech support jobs.
Now this all depends on what field you are in. If you are not specializing in IT/computer field, an A+ certificate can help because it will tell the employers that you are at least technically sound (able to use a computer and use specific programs/tools on software and hardware level)
I have looked into it myself (I am a systems engineer with a Computer Science Degree) but I saw it as a waste. I am working on ITIL training though and some more advanced certificates through Cisco.
I am not saying that it might not be required for some jobs but those jobs are rare and/or they are tech support jobs.
Now this all depends on what field you are in. If you are not specializing in IT/computer field, an A+ certificate can help because it will tell the employers that you are at least technically sound (able to use a computer and use specific programs/tools on software and hardware level)
I have looked into it myself (I am a systems engineer with a Computer Science Degree) but I saw it as a waste. I am working on ITIL training though and some more advanced certificates through Cisco.
