Founded twenty eight years ago, the Computing Technology Industry Association (or CompTIA in short) is a not for profit institution. They've built over the years to become the leader in vendor-neutral IT certification. This essentially means they're free to independently generate and monitor examinations and accreditations that are needed by the IT sector, irrespective of a specific business' commercial interests. With the current shift to inter-connectivity & systems 'convergence', this is a great move for the IT trainee, as it delivers cross platform learning & a comprehension of 'integration'. Whenever a new syllabus is produced, CompTIA invites a number of academic & industrial organisations to join them & validate that every area has been considered equally, & the training programs are appropriate from a commercial perspective.

For the A+ exams set aside for yourself approximately 100-150 hrs to study & prepare, and a bit less for the N+ examinations (maybe close to 100 hours). This means acquiring both of them within 6 months part time study very viable, providing quality multimedia training products are used, together with decent examination preparation-software.

The Network+ 2009 exam is now known as N10-004, updating the earlier 'N10-003'. In addition to keeping its focus on network infrastructure & management, the up-dated '2009' exam places a wider emphasis on security, wireless networking skills & network-design principles.

In 2009 each program underwent up-dates, and new examinations are now to be found for each of them. Internationally the 2006-2007 versions of 'A+' (with examination prefix number 600) will disappear over the coming year. Come the end of August 2010, the exams will be retired in Great Britain. As both these, & the recently released '700' examinations are now available to sit in Prometric and Vue test-centres, it's sensible to study for the '700' examinations now, and not have to certify again later. 'CompTIA' 'A+' Essentials & 'CompTIA' 'A+' Practical Application are the new examination titles (220-701 & 220/702 respectively). The four earlier exams have been re-structured in to 2 brand new exams, and some additional up-dated information has been added. Even though the previous 'A+' had four exams within the total program, just two were expected for the certification. During the last 4 years, the marketplace has progressed to the point where all 4 exams have become considered necessary - hence the reformatting into 2 required examinations. 'CompTIA' also have released the 'BR-003' 'up-grade' examination, for trainees qualified in the 600 examinations who need to up-date to the current '700' exams. This will almost definitely require additional study, although not so much if you studied all of the previous examinations, as opposed to only the minimum two. Adequate training time need to be factored in for the new aspects however.

The A+ program and the Network+ training are CompTIAs flagship accreditations. Together they comprise the first step toward a good number of career-paths in I.T., and therefore are leaders in their field. Individuals get to grips with many basic computer concepts with 'A+' , including repair, maintenance, support security, installation and fault finding. In addition , it handles various personal & communication skillsets required to get into IT. 'Network+' takes the subject further, by developing a more significant knowledge of how networks operate & communicate with each other. 'Security' is of course very important, & wireless-technology is dealt with to a certain extent. 'CompTIA' 'A+' and N+ will give you a firm base for a systems career in IT, and furthermore an excellent basis for other more more senior qualification programs.

These certifications and job roles are often done on the way to a advanced I.T. placement. Before you go for a training-program, look at exactly where you intend your final destination to be. The way to maximise your career path fully is to get guidance from an IT specialist prior to starting out on your training course. it is often a good idea to think about personalised career-training bundles that feature the 'A+' & Network+ courses. 'Bundling' a number of course materials into one is usually quite cost effective.

New students to the I.T. market can turn to CompTIA for a good deal of their preliminary study courses. Generally, trainees who are interested in careers in Networking, Servers, Systems, Security, Support and Communications can begin with 'CompTIA', but in fact trainees in any IT sector could find a CompTIA certification a helpful component of their Curriculum Vitae. 'CompTIA' are also now producing STRATA qualifications - these are not designed for men and women employed in the IT market, but for those whose careers would benefit from a basic knowledge of computers.

The CompTIA 'A+' exams are mainly designed for anyone interested to start work in any of the following roles: Depot Technician, Call Centre Technician, Remote Support Technician, Help Desk Technician, Field Service Technician, IT Administrator and PC Technician . 'CompTIA' Network+ unwraps possibilities for Network Technicians & Administrators, IT Cable Installers and Network Installers.

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