The not for profit organisation 'CompTIA' - Computing Technology Industry Association - was formed in 1982. They've built over the years to become the leader in vendor-neutral IT accreditation. This essentially means they are free to independently generate and monitor examinations and certifications which are needed by the I.T. industry, irrespective of a specific company's commercial interests. This really is excellent for students, as they can learn about different platforms & how they inter-connect and 'integrate' with one another - a not unusual situation today. Whenever new syllabuses are created, CompTIA invites a number of educational and commercial organisations to join them and verify that every area has been considered equally, & the packages are appropriate from a commercial perspective.

For the 'A+' examinations give yourself roughly 100 to 150 hours to train and prepare, & somewhat less for the 'Network+' examinations (maybe around 75 to 100 hours). This means accomplishing both of them within six months part time study very likely, as long as high quality multimedia training products are used, in conjunction with excellent examination preparation-software.

The 'A+' training & the 'Network+' training are CompTIA's flagship qualifications. Both of them, as a group, form the foundation of many contemporary IT career-tracks - and for good reason. The 'CompTIA' 'A+' qualification covers the basics of PC maintenance, security, installation, support, fault-finding & repair. In addition , it handles various personal and communication skill-sets required to get established in I.T.. The CompTIA Network+ qualification expands this awareness to a more thorough grasp of networks, servers & routers, & just how they connect together. Security is of course very important, & wireless technology is discussed to a certain extent. CompTIA 'A+' and Network+ provide a solid foundation for a systems career in I.T., & also an excellent basis for various other more senior accreditation programs.

Any of the career roles that follow are all possible for the candidate holding a 'CompTIA' 'A+' qualification: Depot Technician, Call Centre Technician, Remote Support Technician, Field Service Technician, Help Desk Technician, PC Technician and IT Administrator. 'CompTIA' 'Network+' opens up opportunities for Network Administrators and Technicians, IT Cable Installers & Network Installers.

Obviously these positions often lead to more senior assignments if the correct qualifications have been put in place. That is why it is very important to look at your long-term options prior to selecting your career training route. The way to optimise your career path fully is to receive advice from an industry professional before getting started with your training program. IT Training organisations should offer to produce a bespoke training path by assembling a combination of programs that will take the individual from where they are now to wherever they would like to end up.

On to the '2009' version of the Network+ - N10-004 is currently the examination number. A greater importance is placed on security in the 2009 Network+ exam, as well as network design and wireless networking. This naturally is in addition to the foremost aspects of network management and infrastructure.

Both of the examinations have quite recently been subject to a 2009 update in-line with the company's efforts towards 'ISO' standardisation. A+ exams which commenced with the prefix 600 (that is the 2006/2007 edition) are now being phased out globally. At the end of August 2010, the exams will retire in Great Britain. Since both the '600', and the recently released 700 examinations at the moment are available to sit in 'prometric' & Vue test centres, it's sensible to study the 700 exams now, & not have to re-certify later. The specific 'A+' 2009 exams are now: CompTIA A+ Essentials (exam 220/701) & 'CompTIA' 'A+' Practical Application (examination 220-702.) The key changes were an entire re-structuring of the previous four exams into just 2 examinations, & the addition of some coverage on more recent technologies. The old structure was 1 compulsory Essentials exam and 3 'electives', of which only one was required to be taken. These days the market requires professionals with knowledge that was in all four preceding exams. Students will get that knowledge from the two '2009' compulsory 'A+' programs. An up-grade exam has been produced by CompTIA for anyone with the older qualification. BR/003 is the reference number. This could almost certainly involve additional learning, although less so if you covered information on all 4 of the earlier exams, rather than just the minimum of two. Plainly however the newer technological subjects will need to be studied.

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