Computing Technology Industry Association

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a non-profit trade association, was created in 1982 as the Association of Better Computer Dealers, Inc. (ABCD) by representatives of five microcomputer dealerships. Over the course of a decade, ABCD laid the groundwork for many of CompTIA’s initiatives and member benefits.

ABCD later changed its name to the Computing Technology Industry Association. The new name clearly reflected the association’s evolving role in the computer industry and in the U.S. business landscape at large. The nineties were a period of extensive growth for the association as it broadened the scope of its activities to address the needs of the ever‐expanding computer industry. Its initiatives increased to include the networking, UNIX, imaging, mobile computing, and multimedia arenas. In an effort to monitor and take positions on public policy issues, the association added a full‐time Director of Public Policy position.

Currently, it is known as a provider of professional certifications for the information technology (IT) industry. CompTIA chairs and manages the Initiative for Software Choice.

Certificate programs

CompTIA’s certification exams themselves are actually administered through Pearson VUE and Prometric testing centers. In addition to certification, CompTIA also provides corporate membership.

A+

See also, A+ Certification on Wikibooks.

The A+ certification demonstrates competency as a computer technician. CompTIA A+ certification is a vendor neutral certification.

The CompTIA A+ certification exam was developed in 1993. There has been three versions of the A+ exam, the 1993 objectives, the 2003 objectives and the 2006 objectives, which are both broken down into two separate exams; however, the 2003 objectives exam was retired on June 30, 2007. The 2003 objectives contained the A+ Core Hardware Exam and the A+ Core Operating System Technologies Exam. The 2006 objectives require that a candidate successfully pass the A+ Essentials and one elective: IT technician, remote support technician, or depot technician. CompTIA is vendor neutral but does lean toward Microsoft Windows.

The A+ exam is intended for information technology professionals who have the equivalent of 500 hours of hands on experience. The exams are computer based and composed of multiple choice questions, of which there may be more than one correct answer. Over 800,000 people have earned the A+ credential worldwide, to date.

Topics of the Core examination include IRQs, direct memory access, and practical computer repair, including the installation and repair of hard drives, modems, network cards, CPUs, power supplies, printers, and so forth. The focus of the exam is not theory, but practice. Sometimes graphics are used in exam questions. Topics included in the Operating Systems Exam include memory management, configuration files, and historical operating environments rather than newer, cutting edge technologies.

In September 2006, the CompTIA A+ test was updated so that the test taker must take the CompTIA A+ Essentials (220-601) test along with one of three other tests (220-602, 220-603, or 220-604). Each of these elective exams offers the candidate the opportunity to specialize their A+ certification to match their desired career path.

With the introduction of the 2006 A+ exam, candidates were offered a grace period whereby both the 2003 and 2006 versions were available. As of June 2007, the 2003 version of exams is no longer available in the United States. In some countries, the grace period was extended to December 2007. The 2003 version was also extended in cases where the A+ certification exam was included in a course of study. Also, most legacy support questions have been excluded.

2003 Exam

Time Allocated: 90 minutes per exam.
Number of Questions: 100 (only 80 of which count)
Total Marks: 900
Score Needed to Pass: 515 (hardware), 505 (OS)

220-301 CompTIA A+ 2003 Linear Core Exam
220-302 CompTIA A+ 2003 Linear OS Exam
JK0-301 CompTIA A+ 2003 E2C Core Exam
JK0-302 CompTIA A+ 2003 E2C OS Exam

2006 Exam

CompTIA A+ Essentials (220‐601) and one of the following: 220‐602 or 220‐603 or 220‐604
Time Allocated: 90 minutes per exam.

Number of Questions are as Follows:

CompTIA A+ Essentials 100
220‐602 (IT Technician) 90
220‐603 (Remote Support Technician) 90
220‐604 (Depot Technician) 90
220‐605 [to be decided]

Total Marks: 900
Score Needed to Pass: 675

CompTIA A+ Essentials 675
220‐602 (IT Technician) 700
220‐603 (Remote Support Technician) 700
220‐604 (Depot Technician) 700

Note: Marks are points. Questions on the actual exam are assigned a point value.

Network+

See also, Network Plus Certification on Wikibooks.

Network+ is a certification that attempts to measure skill as a network technician: understanding of network hardware, installation, and troubleshooting. Network+ was first launched in 1999, and exam updates followed in 2002 and 2005. Topics include network hardware, connections, software, and different protocols used in local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs). Network+ prepares one for continuing to Microsoft certifications and Cisco certifications. A combination A+/Network+ or A+/Server+ certification can fulfill the elective exam requirement of the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) certification. The exam itself is 90 minutes in duration consisting of 90 questions with a passing score of 554 out of 900. You are allowed a whiteboard and pen to assist you.

N10-002 CompTIA Network+ Exam (2002 Edition)
N10-003 CompTIA Network+ Exam (2007 Edition)
JK0-012 CompTIA Network+ E2C Exam (2007 Edition)

Server+

Server+ is CompTIA's certification pathway that focuses on server-specific hardware and operating systems, and certifies technical knowledge in areas such as RAID, SCSI, and multiple CPUs, as well as capabilities with server issues, including disaster recovery. It was developed in 2001, with an update that followed in 2005. The eight domains of the Server+ exam are General Server Hardware Knowledge, Installation, Configuration, Upgrading, Proactive Maintenance, Environment Troubleshooting and Problem Determination, and Disaster Recovery. A combination A+/Network+, A+/Server+ or Security+ certification(s) can fulfill the elective exam requirement for the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) certification.
The exam is 90 minutes in duration and consists of 80 questions with a passing score of 615 out of 900. CompTIA recommends that the candidate possesses 18–24 months of experience with Industry Standard Server Architecture (ISSA) technology before taking the exam.

Security+

Security+ is a certification dealing with computer security topics such as cryptography and access control. It was developed in 2002 to address the rise of security issues. Currently and according to CompTIA, there are more than 45,000 people around the world who have earned this certification. It is recommended that candidates have two years of security‐related work experience (although not a requirement) and pass the 100 question multiple choice exam. The Security+ exam can be applied as an elective to the MCSA:Security and the MCSE:Security specializations from Microsoft. The exam is 90 minutes in duration and consists of 100 questions with a passing score of 764 out of 900.

A new 2008 update has been announced which will be released in October 2008 incorporating new objectives.

SY0-101 CompTIA Security+ 2002 Exam
JK0-010 CompTIA Security+ E2C 2002 Exam

HTI+

Home Technology Integrator (HTI+) covers installation, integration, and troubleshooting of automated home subsystems. Replaced by Digital Home Technology Integrator (DHTI+), the CompTIA HTI+ Certification was retired September 30, 2007.

e‐Biz+

The e‐Biz+ certification covers basic knowledge about e‐commerce. The e‐Biz+ certification was discontinued in English on December 31, 2005, but it can still be taken in Japanese or Korean.

CTT+

CompTIA’s CTT+ certification is a vendor‐neutral certification that is applicable to training professionals in all industries. It proves the mastery of core instructor skills, including preparation, presentation, communication, facilitation, and evaluation in a classroom environment. The challenging CTT+ exam consists of two parts: a computer‐based exam (CBT) and a video‐based exam (VBT).

CTT+ certification can be used as proof of instructional expertise for the following industry certifications: ACI (Adobe Certified Instructor), MCT (Microsoft Certified Trainer), and CNI (Certified Novell Instructor).

CDIA+

Certified Document Imaging Architech [sic], or CDIA+, is a certification for competency in document imaging, document management, and enterprise content management. It certifies that one has the skills necessary to develop a system for scanning, storing, and retrieving digital versions of documents and is currently the only industry recognized certification in this area. The test covers the following domains:

• Gather Business Requirements - 25%
• Analyze Business Process - 22%
• Recommend Solution - 16%
• Design Solution - 24%
• Plan for Implementation - 13%

Linux+

Linux+ is a certification of knowledge of Linux operating systems, from their installation and use to the basics of applicable free software and open source licenses.

The Linux+ exam is intended for information technology professionals who have between six to twelve months of practical experience using Linux. The exam is broken down into several areas of Linux expertise: installation, management, configuration, security, documentation, and hardware.

The test is a computer‐based multiple-choice exam, with a question followed by four possible answers, at least one (but possibly more) of which must be correct. Common subject matter for exam topics include installation methods, boot loader configuration, managing packages (Debian and RPM management systems are covered), navigating directories via the command line, using the bash shell, security considerations, network administration including TCP/IP configuration), mounting file systems (such as NFS, SMB or ext3) and managing configuration files for the more common applications that Linux servers are expected to run. Although configuring and running the X Window system is included in the formal exam objectives, there are rarely any questions pertaining to this as the exam focuses on Linux as a server and network operating system rather than for use as a desktop platform.

The Linux+ exam has undergone some criticism since its inception, due to the excessive amount of hardware‐related questions that were on the exam initially, many of which were covered on the A+ exam. The newest version of the exam, available as of February 2005, does away with this problem.

The Linux+ has not proven to be very popular among IT professionals, primarily because of the much greater level of popularity of the RHCE exam, whereas the Linux+ exam is designed to remain vendor‐neutral. Although aimed at technicians rather than system administrators, the LPI exams, which go into much greater depth, also provide a lot of competition for this exam.

i‐Net+

The i‐Net+ certification deals with basic knowledge of “Internet, Intranet, Extranet, and e‐commerce technologies”. Topics on the exam include distinguishing between server‐side and client‐side scripting, basic networking via command line, e‐commerce, and e‐business, security via digital signatures, copyright licenses (including the GPL), and basic HTML coding. The i‐Net+ certification was retired on December 31, 2007. The exam will be available in Japan and Korea until March 31, 2008. Those who currently have the i‐Net+ certification will continue to be certified.

Project+

Project+ is a certification showing that one has the knowledge needed to manage projects.

RFID+

RFID+ tests the knowledge and skills necessary for working with radio-frequency identification technology.

Convergence+

Convergence+ validates the knowledge and skills in the area of communications technologies (CT), where datacomm, telephony/telecommunications, video and broadcast multimedia technologies combine into a single IP‐based delivery system. It is an international, vendor‐neutral certification that recognizes a technician’s ability to design, implement, and manage both data and voice networking. Although not a prerequisite, it is recommended that CompTIA Convergence+ candidates are CompTIA Network+ certified and have 18 to 24 months of work experience in areas that include data networking, VoIP, and other convergence‐related technologies.

PDI+

PDI+ is for entry‐level service and support technicians involved in the installation, connectivity, maintenance, repair, and support of devices in printing and document imaging technologies. The CompTIA PDI+ Beta Exam was available from July 24 through August 31, 2007. The live exam will be available on January 7th, 2008.

See also

• Computer repair technician

References

External links

• CompTIA official website
• A+ Fundamental Principles - an Unofficial Wikipedia course