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A+ Certification Is A Testing Program Sponsored By The Computing Technology Industry Association (Comptia) That Certifies The Competency Of Service Technicians In The Computer Industry.
Anyone Who Wants A Nationally - Recognized Credential As A Competent Computer Service Professional Can Take The A+ Exams.
The Program Is Backed By Major Computer Hardware And Software Vendors, Distributors, Resellers And Publications, As Well As A Leading Industry Service Organization, The Association Of Field Service Management, Inc.
The Test, Which Is Administered By Drake Prometric (Bloomington, MN), Was First Available In July 1993, With Periodic Updates Since Then.
Earning A+ Certification Means That You Possess The Knowledge, Skills, And Customer Relations Skills Essential For A Successful Computer Service Technician, As Defined By Experts From Companies Across The Industry.
The Exams Cover A Broad Range Of Hardware And Software Technologies, But Are Not Related To Any Vendor-Specific Products.
More Than 40 Organizations Have Contributed Time And Budget Resources To Develop The A+ Computer-Based Tests.
To Become Certified, You Must Pass Two Test Modules – The Core And One Of Two Other Specialties, Either The Microsoft™ Windows/Dos Module Or Macintosh Module.
When Candidates Pass The Core Plus A Specialty, They Receive A Certificate That Mentions The Specialty Module They Passed, Such As:
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A+ Certification Exam
With A Specialty In Microsoft™ |
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Windows®/DOS® Environments |
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A+ Certification Exam With A Specialty In Macintosh™
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OS-Based
Computers |
Enhanced Exams Went
Live In April 1995, Candidates Who Pass The Two Computer - Based Test Modules
Become Certified, Demonstrating Knowledge Of Configuring, Installing,
Diagnosing, Repairing, Upgrading, And Maintaining Microcomputers And Associated
Technologies.
Individual Service Technicians Gain Valuable Benefits From
Becoming A+ Certified, Including:
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Recognized Proof Of Professional Achievement |
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The A+ Credential
Validates That The Holder Has |
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Reached A Level Of
Competence Commonly Accepted |
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And Valued By The
Industry |
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Enhanced Jobs & Opportunities |
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Many Employers Give
Preference In Hiring Applicants |
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With A+ Certification |
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Some Employers May
Require A+ As A Condition Of |
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Employment. They View A+
As Proof That A New Hire |
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Knows The Procedures And
Technologies Required To |
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Be
A Successful Computer Service Technician |
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Opportunity For Advancement |
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The A+ Credential Can Be
A Plus When An Employer |
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Awards Job Advancements
And Promotions |
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Training Requirement |
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A+ Certification May Be
Required As A Pre-Requisite To |
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Attending A Vendor's
Training Course, So Employers |
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Will Offer Advanced
Training To Those Employees Who |
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Are Already A+ Certified |
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Customer Confidence |
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As The General Public
Learns About A+, Customers Will |
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Require That Only
Certified Technicians Be Assigned To |
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Their Accounts. The
Technician Then Arrives At A Client |
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Site Already Known As A
Competent Computer Service |
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Professional |
The Industry Also Gains Benefits From The Widespread
Acceptance Of The A+ Credential, Including:
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Lower Training Costs |
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Resellers And Other
Employers Of Service Technicians |
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Can Save Money And
Increase Productive Work-Time |
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When Vendors Eliminate
Redundant, Time-Consuming |
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Base-Level Training And
Instead Require A+ |
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Certification As A
Pre-Requisite |
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Customer Satisfaction |
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When Employees Have A
Credential That Proves Their |
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Competency, Customer
Expectations Are More Likely |
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Met. More Business May
Then Be Generated For The |
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Employer Through Repeat
Sales To These Satisfied |
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Customers |
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Self-Regulation Of The Industry |
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Several States Have
Proposed Legislation That Would |
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Regulate The
Microcomputer Industry. A Self- |
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Regulating Industry That
Certifies Its Own Members |
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With A Program Such As
A+ Can Often Minimize Such |
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Government-Imposed
Controls |
Developing The A+ Service Technician Test Modules Is A Rigorous,
Continuous And Thorough Process, Resulting In Statistically -
Proven Validity And Reliability.
A Long List Of Comptia Member Companies, Including The World's
Largest Computer Vendors, Distributors, Resellers, And
Third-Party Maintenance Organizations, Joined Together To
Develop The A+ Test.
Committees Consisting Of Comptia Members Spent Hundreds Of Hours
To Develop A Certification Program That Is Relevant To The
Industry As A Whole.
They Contributed Enormous Resources To Ensure That All Aspects
Of The A+ Certification Exams Meet The Highest Quality
Standards.
Hands-On Service Technicians From Manufacturers And Resellers
Defined The Test Content.
The Questions Were Written By Experts In The Field Of
Microcomputer Service. A Multi-Level Review Process For All The
Questions Ensured That They Are Accurate As Well As
Psychometrically Sound.
Those Who Participated In Writing The Questions And Reviewing
Them Are Confident That Candidates Will Find The Tests Tough But
Fair.
The Representatives From Comptia, With The Assistance And Advice
Of Drake Prometric Experts Who Administer The Test, Prepared The
Examination.
The Two Organizations Jointly Hold Responsibility For Its
Validity.
The Following Is A List
Of The Organizations That Have Funded The Development Of And
On-Going Enhancements To The A+ Certification Program:
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AMERICAN INSTITUTE |
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AMERICAN POWER |
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AT&T GLOBAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (FORMERLY NCR/AT&T)
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AURORA/CENTURY COMPUTER MARKETING |
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BANCTEC SERVICE CORP |
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COMPAQ COMPUTER CORPORATION |
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COMPUTER RESELLER NEWS (CMP PUBLICATIONS, INC.)
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COMPUCOM SYSTEMS INC |
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COMPUSA |
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COMPUTER CURRICULUM CORPORATION |
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CONNER PERIPHERALS |
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DATA TRAIN INSTITUTE |
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DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION |
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ENTEX INFORMATION SERVICES |
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EPSON AMERICA, INC. |
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EXIDE ELECTRONICS GROUP INC. |
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GE CAPITAL TECHNOLOGY Service |
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GE INFORMATION |
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HAYES MICROCOMPUTER PRODUCTS, INC. |
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HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY |
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IBM EDUCATION & TRAINING |
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IBM PC COMPANY, N.A. |
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INACOM CORPORATION |
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INGRAM MICRO INC. |
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INTEL CORPORATION, INC. |
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INTELLIGENT ELECTRONICS, FRANCHISE DIVISION, INC. |
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LEARNING TREE |
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LEXMARK |
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MICROAGE INC. |
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MICROSOFT CORP. |
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OKIDATA |
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PACKARD BELL ELECTRONICS |
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PC PARTS EXPRESS |
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PERMOND SOLUTIONS GROUP INC. |
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PC WEEK (ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING) |
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SELF TEST SOFTWARE |
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SERVICE NEWS |
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SHL TECHNICAL SERVICE |
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SYSTEMS & SUPPORT MANAGEMENT
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TANDY SERVICES/COMPUTER CITY |
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TECHFORCE |
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TECHNOLOGY SERVICE SOLUTIONS |
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TOSHIBA AMERICA INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC. |
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U. S. ROBOTICS INC. |
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VAR BUSINESS (CMP PUBLICATIONS, INC.) |
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VANSTAR |
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WANG LABORATORIES |
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WAVE TECHNOLOGIES |
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WURTS & ASSOCIATES |
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ZENITH DATA SYSTEMS/GROUP BULL |
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Recognized Proof Of Professional Achievement
Enhanced Job
Opportunities
Opportunity For Advancement
Training Requirement
Customer
Confidence
Widespread Acceptance Of The A+ Credential
Lower
Training Costs
Customer Satisfaction
Self-Regulation Of The Industry |
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