In 2009 both programs under-went up-dates, & new exams are actually in existence for them both. Worldwide the 2006-2007 versions of A+ (with the exam prefix number 600) will be retired over the coming twelve months. In the United Kingdom, they discontinue on 31.08.2010. Up to then, trainees can sit either the '600' or the more recent '700' exams at local test-centres (specifically Vue and Prometric). Common sense suggests that new entrant students should take edition 2009. 'A+' 2009 is now presented as 220-701 CompTIA A+ Essentials & 220/702 CompTIA A+ Practical Application. As well as some extra material on more recent technologies, we now have two exams that cover elements of all 4 of the preceding exams. Initially, the A+ was split into 4 exams: 1 essential and three elective specialisations. Over the last four years, the market has grown to the stage where all four examinations have become considered essential - hence the reformatting in to 2 essential examinations. An upgrade exam has been produced by CompTIA for everyone with the older certification. 'BR-003' is the reference number. Successfully passing the bridging examination will in most cases demand more study, although it ought not to be too onerous for those who originally studied all electives. Enough study hours should be allowed for the new technology elements though.

Be prepared to allow yourself about one hundred to a hundred & fifty hrs studying time for the 'A+' examinations, and for the N+ in the region of seventy five to one hundred hrs. This makes acquiring them both inside of 6 months part time study entirely viable, as long as superior multimedia training materials utilised, together with good examination preparation-software.

At the top of your shopping list for a training program should be 24x7 round-the-clock support from professional mentors and instructors. So many companies we come across will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend. Avoid, like the plague, any organisations that use 'out-of-hours' call-centres - with the call-back coming in during normal office hours. It's no use when you're stuck on a problem and need an answer now.

The most successful trainers have many support offices from around the world. By utilising an interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, any time of the day or night, help is just seconds away, without any contact issues or hassle. If you accept anything less than support round-the-clock, you'll quickly find yourself regretting it. You might not want to use the service during late nights, but you're bound to use weekends, late evenings or early mornings.

CompTIA A+ & the Network+ are undoubtedly the most extensively recognised of their accreditations. Collectively they comprise the first step toward a good number of career paths in I.T., & consequently are frontrunners within their field. The CompTIA A+ accreditation goes over the fundamentals of computer maintenance, support, security, installation, fault-finding and repair. So that you can establish yourself in the I.T. market, the 'A+' also addresses a number of communication & personal skills. 'Network+' takes the subject further, by working on a greater understanding of how networks function & connect with one another. Security is needless to say paramount, & wireless technology is discussed to some degree. The two qualifications complement one another well, & collectively provide a very good starting platform for further exam programs, or a strong career in IT support.

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