The non-profit institution 'CompTIA' - 'Computing Technology Industry Association' - was formed in the early 1980's. The company offers vendor-neutral accreditations that have made it a global leader in its industry. Which means they're able to independently produce & control a whole collection of IT industry exams and produce their own certifications which don't apply to just one specific vendor's solutions. With the current move to 'inter-connectivity' & systems 'convergence', this is a welcome step for the IT trainee, as it delivers cross platform learning & an understanding of integration. Every time a new examination is being developed (or an old one upgraded), 'CompTIA' consults with leading members of the commercial and educational world in order to produce balanced and highly relevant material.

By far the most well-known of all of the 'CompTIA' accreditations are undoubtedly the A+ & Network+. Jointly they encompass the basis of many career paths in I.T., & therefore are leaders within their industry. Individuals learn a good deal of fundamental computer concepts with A+ , such as repair, maintenance, support security, installation and fault-finding. So that you can establish yourself within the IT market, the 'A+' also handles a variety of communication and personal abilities. Advancing this knowledge, the N+ certification examines networks, (this includes routers and servers) & explains how they inter-connect. 'Security' is obviously extremely important, and wireless-technology is dealt with to a certain extent. Getting both of these certifications will give a good grounding for anyone wanting to get into the systems side of the IT marketplace, along with a foundation of understanding for additional certification.

For the A+ examinations set aside for yourself roughly 100-150 hrs to train & prepare, and somewhat less for the N+ examinations (maybe close to 100 hours). With the best multi-media training package that is backed up by authorised exam practice software, the two accreditations could very well be completed inside half a year for the individual who is learning around a job.

As a part of their 'ISO' standardisation move, 'CompTIA' have up-dated both 'A+' & Network+ examinations to 2009 editions. Globally the 2006/2007 versions of 'A+' (those with examination prefix numbers '600') will be phased out over the next year. After the 31st August '10 they will no longer be accessible in the UK. Up until that time, students can sit either the 600 or the more recent 700 examinations in regional test centres (namely Vue & 'Prometric'). Logic suggests that new entrant students should study edition 2009. CompTIA 'A+' Essentials and 'CompTIA' A+ Practical Application are the new examination titles (220/701 and 220-702 respectively). The main modifications were an entire re-structuring of the past 4 exams into just 2 examinations, and the inclusion of some information on more recent technologies. The old format was one required 'essentials' examination and 3 'electives', of which only one needed to be taken. Over the last 4 years, the market has developed to the stage where all 4 exams are actually regarded as essential - hence the re-formatting into 2 essential examinations. Those who have formerly passed the '600' examination may bring their certification up-to-date by sitting a bridging exam : BR-003. Extra training will almost certainly end up being required, especially for many who only originally worked on two of the four electives. The extra topics will undoubtedly require some fresh studying.

The CompTIA 'A+' exams are primarily suitable for anybody wanting to start work in any of these roles: Depot Technician, Call Centre Technician, Help Desk Technician, Field Service Technician, PC Technician, IT Administrator & Remote Support Technician. With 'CompTIA' Network+ on top of that, you could consider becoming an IT Cable Installer, a Network Installer, a Network Administrator or a Network Technician .

Anyone starting in I.T. will profit from programs & certifications produced by 'CompTIA'. Anyone considering getting into networks and support, or security, systems & servers will usually start with 'CompTIA', though its true to state that CompTIA certifications will enhance just about any CV targeted towards the I.T. marketplace. There is certainly now also a push within CompTIA to deliver their starter-level 'STRATA' products to those men and women who don't work within I.T., but would gain from a knowledge of basic IT & how it impacts their job.

A number of these roles are often starting points for advanced level IT careers, and so, as with all career tracks, its vital that you first look at what your end goals are, and which kind of learning-style you prefer. Do take time to discuss everything with a training and I.T. expert - it will help safeguard you against set backs as time goes on. IT Training companies can often build a tailored training path by combining a combination of training programs to get the trainee from wherever they are now to where they would like to go.

With regards to 'Network+' , the previous N10-003 has today been updated by the 'N10-004', the 2009 edition. As well as the strong element of managing and running networks & their internal infrastructure, the new examination focuses heavily on design, security & wireless-skills.

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