Dear Listmembers:

   I took the two adaptive beta A+ Technician tests Wednesday morning
and passed the Windows/DOS test with a 90 (66 required) and the Core
exam with an 82 (65 required). I think they would be fairly difficult
for most people to pass the tests in their present format, but hopefully
the new revised tests will be more realistic for what most Americans do
with computers (it's an international standardized test so it is
understandable it has questions about the wide range of what technicians
typically see (there's still a lot of older computers with older
operating systems out there...even in America).

It was a huge download of the test that took nearly 30 minutes (slow
modem access at the test site didn't help) and then I began the tests.
Guess what? It was 6 tests! Each section included the original A+ tests
(but with no backward browsing capability) and then two more adaptive
beta tests which did not count towards passing  (and they did not
release the scores of the beta sections to me).

Each three-test section was set at a 2 hour countdown clock (four hours
total). I whipped them all out in 1 hour total and made a 90 on the
DOS/Windows and 82 on the Core. I think I did better on the adaptive
tests...maybe 90-95 on each section, but didn't get a score to confirm
that.

I'd have to say they were much tougher than I expected and my main
reference book (the A+ for Dummies book) was only slightly helpful
(maybe gained me 10 questions out of the 70).

They had a blurry black and white diagram of a motherboard and asked
several identification questions about the blurry blobs they pointed
to...what a joke! *;-) No questions on cable lengths of any kind, either
network cables or personal peripherals. Very few questions on many of
the things I had been led to believe would be on the test. Only my ten
years of DOS and Windows and hardware repairs saved me from a much lower
test score. I think I could have passed it without studying at all, but
I would have been in the 70s for a passing score without looking at some
reference materials. My advice to beginning technicians is to buy every
reference you can afford to help you in preparation for these tests.
Also really study your multimeter booklet and learn all the possible
readouts for ohms...there were a bunch of questions there.

   Thanks to this group for the help over the years. I'm not a fulltime
practicing commercial technician, but part of my job in the future will
be teaching high school computer teachers how to train students for A+
certification. PCBUILD is a great resource for computer users everywhere
and I thank the owners for their hard work and time involved in
maintaining the list.

   The beta tests are still available for two more days (through June 9)
at the bargain price of $68 each. After that they will back at the
regular price (retail over $120 each). I used http://www.prometric.com
and got same day testing.

Later,


Russell Smith
Edtech Consultant, Journalist
Region 14 ESC Abilene
http://camalott.com/~rssmith
mailto:[log in to unmask]

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