Updated April 26, 2023
Introduction to CompTIA Certification Exam
The following article provides an outline for CompTIA Certification Exam. Career growth is one of the most important aspects of a person’s professional life. Working in a company, however, cannot guarantee individuals of career growth under all circumstances. This is because an organization will always look after their interests rather than the employee’s individual interests. Nevertheless, a company can help employees to manage their careers by giving them opportunities to grow and develop. At the same time, it is important to plan your career by deciding both your short and long-term goals. Planning your career is, therefore, extremely critical and important.
Every job requires a certain amount of qualification and credentials in order for someone to qualify for it. Therefore, improving your credentials is one of the best ways in which individuals can effectively increase their employability level. In addition, companies are always on the lookout for people who can add more value to their brand and effectively meet their goals and objectives. That is why it is important that employees put in some extra effort and hard work in creating a suitable profile that is a combination of educational skills and practical learnings.
Two ways individuals can enhance their professional experience are by earning it an accreditation or getting certified in a unique skill. Earning accreditation gives individuals an opportunity to build their credibility on the one hand and build their knowledge and experience on the other hand. Also, by gaining certifications in a particular area of expertise can help individuals to gain in-depth knowledge about their field while at the same time, enhance their skills in a practical manner.
It is therefore important that professionals improve their resumes through good and qualified credential programs. This will help them stay ahead of their competitors in an effective fashion on the one hand and gain expertise in a particular field on the other hand. One of those certifications is CompTIA certification, a highly valued certification. It includes a lot of fields like IT security, Linux programming, and computer networking, among other things. Therefore, one way to be ahead of others is to choose credentials that cannot be ignored in any situation.
CompTIA A+ is the most popular for beginners in the IT field as it allows individuals to gain a lot of expertise in the field of computer systems, making them ideal for the position of a computer technician. Some of the topics covered in this course include security, installation, preventative maintenance, and troubleshooting, among other things. As this CompTIA certification is recognized globally, it is vendor-neutral and relevant for people interested in pursuing a computer technician career. A good certification program shows employees that they can effectively work with computers. That is why obtaining an A+ certification is a step in the direction of obtaining a CompTIA certification.
What is CompTIA?
CompTIA is an abbreviation for the Computing Technology Industry Association. It is a non-profit trade association that was established in the year 1982. It was initially called the Association of Better Computer Dealers (ABCD). The company’s name was changed to reflect the companies expanding role in the computer industry and its inclination to play a better role in the economy of the United States. During the 1990s, computer science was in its expansion stage, and CompTIA wanted to make the best use of this opportunity by catering to the computer industry’s needs.
Some of its initiatives included networking, UNIX, imaging, multimedia arenas, and mobile computing. In the year 2010, the company added a new executive director position for a newly named creating IT futures foundation. The foundation’s philanthropic division has a special focus on providing training and certifications for students of the lower-income groups, so it can help them update their resumes and thereby connect with better opportunities in the market.
People interested in getting CompTIA certification have to sit through their exams administered through the Pearson VUE testing centers. Besides certifications, the organizations also provide some corporate membership as well. In 2008, some CompTIA certifications like A+, Network+, and Security+ had received accreditation from the American National Standards Institute. In January 2010, the ANSI/ISO approved CompTIA certifications were changed in a fundamental manner. While this CompTIA certification was initially valid for a lifetime, they were then changed to expiration in three years. This means that while the earned certificates were still valid for a lifetime, the new certificates that were earned after 2010 will expire in a period of three years.
List of CompTIA Certification
Below is the list of CompTIA certifications:
1. A+certification
This CompTIA certification is undertaken by individuals who want to gain proficiency in handling computers, qualifying them to become computer technicians. Additionally, this certificate is vendor-neutral as it covers a wide range of operating systems and technologies, including Novella, Microsoft, Apple, and even some Linux distributors as well. This exam is targeted towards people who have 500 hours of practical experience and are professionals to a great degree. The exam contains questions that have multiple choices and generally have more than one right answer. As of 2014, more than one million people have successfully completed this accreditation in places around the world.
An A+ certification requires individuals to pass two different exams. The first exam is called CompTIA A+ 220-901, which covers topics that range from computer hardware and peripherals, networking, smartphone devices, network connectivity issues, and troubleshooting problems. Additionally, eligible candidates must also clear their CompTIA A+ exam 220-902, and it covers numerous topics like installation and configuration of systems ranging from Windows, AppleOS X, Linux, Android, and iOS, along with security and cloud computing fundamentals as well.
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2. Network+
Another certification that is used to measure the skill of a network technician is network+. This course was launched in February 2015 and contained a comprehensive range of topics like configuration, management, and troubleshooting of wireless network devices and common wired systems. These certifications also include stress on a number of emerging technologies like unified communication, cloud, virtualization technologies, and mobile. Though CompTIA feels that A+ certification and nine months of networking experience might help candidates to undertake the certification, this is not essential. In addition, this course also prepares candidates to continue to Microsoft and Cisco certifications as well.
3. Security+
Another certification that deals with the security of the computer is Security+; this course contains topics like cryptography and access control on one hand and disaster recovery and risk management of companies on the other hand. The current version of the course was established in the year 2014, and there are more than 45,000 people who have successfully completed this certification so far. Students who have experience in working in a security-related field are preferred, though again, this is not an essential requirement. Some of the exam topics under this certification include data and host security, network security, threats and vulnerabilities, access control, compliance and operation security, cryptography, identity management, among other related topics.
4. CASP
The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certification was released on September 15, 2011, by CompTIA., Another program that is vendor-neutral, this certification is supposed to follow up to the above certification program. (CompTIA Security+) In December 2011, this certification also received accreditation from the International Organisation for Standardisation and the American National Standards Institute. A certification program is a testimony to the fact that candidates who have successfully completed the course have the required technical skills and knowledge to conceptualize, design, and engineer comprehensive and strong solutions for enterprise environments, even complex and difficult. This certification is aimed generally for IT security professionals who have experience in IT administration for a period of ten years with a minimum of technical security experience of five years.
5. Server+
Another certification offered by CompTIA is Server+ which is focused on server-specific hardware and operating systems. It also includes technical knowledge in fields like SCSI, RAID, and multiple CPUs, as well as issues related to servers and disaster recovery. Developed in the year 2001, the course was updated and refined in the year 2005 and 2009 as well. There are eight domains in these certifications, and they include Installation, General Server Hardware Knowledge, Configuration, Upgrading, Disaster Recovery, Proactive Maintenance, Problem Determination, and Environment Troubleshooting.
6. CDIA+
Also called Certified Document Imaging Architect, this certification enables individuals to gain competency in document management, document imaging, and enterprise content management. This certificate is a document that provides professionals with the skills to develop a system that can scan, store and retrieve digital versions of documents. As of now, this is the only recognized certification in this domain.
Let’s move to the next CompTIA certification.
7. Linux+
A certification programme, CompTIA offers comprehensive and full-scaled knowledge about the Linux operating systems, right from their installation and use to the basics of free software and open-source licenses. Intended for people who have practical experience in the field of information technology and handling of Linux systems, this exam is divided into multiple segments. Some of the segments include hardware, documentation, configuration, security, management, among other topics. A computer-based question has multiple-choice questions that can have more than one correct answer. Some of the topics in the exam include boot loader configuration, managing packages, navigating directories via the command line, security considerations, network administration, among other topics.
Although there are a few questions that are related to windows, most of the topics in this exam are related to the running of Linux and its related platforms. This certification received some criticism because it has a lot of questions related to hardware, but the questionnaire was revised in February 2005, thereby resolving this issue. In July 2008, CompTIA updated the Linux+ certification, and now the exam is for 90 minutes and has a total of 98 questions. Further, students who appear for the exam have to obtain a score of 675 to pass the certification in a successful manner.
8. Project+
Another certificate offered by CompTIA is Project+ which helps to develop the skills and knowledge needed to manage projects in an effective manner. According to CompTIA, this certification is recognized globally and provides a good base for people who want to discover and enhance their project management skills. With 100 questions and a duration of 90 minutes, students need to obtain a score of 710 in order to pass the certifications in a successful manner.
Let’s move to the next CompTIA certification.
9. Storage+
Storage + is a certification exam that helps students focus on the skills needed to configure basic networks to archive, backup, and restore technologies. The candidate must be able to understand the fundamentals of business continuity, system integration, and system administration, among other topics.
10. PDI+
An entry-level, vendor-neutral certification, PDI+ enables students to gain proficiency in the maintenance of printers, scanners, copiers, and fax machines. Recognized by several industry leaders like Xerox and Canon, this certification is considered a benchmark for professionals responsible for servicing and supporting imaging devices. This certification is comprehensive in such a manner that it covers a wide range of topics like basic electromechanical components, color theory, networking, and connectivity. It also covers a lot of soft skills like safety and environment, customer service, and professionalism. While there are no required qualifications required for this course, a basic understanding of printing and document imaging devices can truly go a long way.
CompTIA also offers a few loud Essential certificates that will help individuals to understand the growing and complex world of cloud computing. Cloud is today an essential part of commercial and business environments, making people who have in-depth knowledge about this field extremely important and essential. In conclusion, CompTIA is one of the best and comprehensive ways professionals can gain comprehensive knowledge and get ahead of their careers. This will enable them to gain a higher professional stature and earn a higher and better salary. As higher salaries are directly related to better qualifications, obtaining a CompTIA certification is definitely the path to success.
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