Set up twenty-eight years ago, the Computing Technology Industry Association (or 'CompTIA' in short) is a non-profit association. They have developed step by step & now are world leaders in I.T. accreditations that are vendor-neutral. This means they are able to provide & over-see independent industry-recognised IT examinations and accreditations that do not reflect any one organisation's interests over another. Because systems frequently converge and inter connect in industry, this supplies the IT student with a more wholesome knowledge and understanding of cross platform 'integration'. 'CompTIA' brings together various commercial & learned industry organisations when building or upgrading an exam, to ensure all things are considered and the very best industry relevant syllabuses are crafted.

Anyone looking to establish themselves in IT will certainly profit from training & qualifications produced by 'CompTIA'. Generally, individuals who are interested in careers within Networking, Systems, Security, Servers, Support & Communications will start out with CompTIA, although students within any IT sector would likely find a CompTIA accreditation a worthwhile addition to their Resume. The latest package of starter level courses called STRATA have been compiled by 'CompTIA'. These are for people who need a greater idea of basic I.T. knowledge, but don't always work in I.T. themselves.

For the 'A+' examinations set aside for yourself roughly 100 to 150 hours to train & prepare, and somewhat less for the 'Network+' exams (perhaps close to 100 hours). Studying part-time, this could be accomplished over a six month time period if you pick out the appropriate quality of training & superior examination prep products.

Both examinations have quite recently been subject to a 2009 upgrade in-line with CompTIA's advance towards ISO standardisation. Worldwide the 2006-2007 versions of 'A+' (with examination pre-fix number 600) will be retired within the coming twelve months. At the end of Aug 2010, the examinations will retire in Great Britain. Up until that time, individuals can sit either the 600 or the newer '700' examinations at local test-centres (specifically Vue and 'Prometric'). Reason suggests that new entrant trainees should take version 2009. 'CompTIA' 'A+' Essentials & 'CompTIA' 'A+' Practical Application are the new examination titles (220-701 and 220/702 respectively). The principle changes were a whole re-structuring of the past 4 exams into only 2 examinations, and the addition of some coverage on more recent relevant technologies. Initially, the 'A+' was broken into 4 examinations: 1 essential & 3 'elective' specialisations. Over the last several years, the market has developed to the point where all four examinations are now considered essential - hence the re-formatting in to two required exams. Those who have previously taken the 600 exam is allowed to bring their qualification up-to-date by taking an up-grade examination : BR/003. Passing the up-grade exam will generally need additional study, but it ought not to be too much of a challenge for those who formerly studied all four. The new technology subject areas will undoubtedly require some extra studying.

The career roles listed here will be appropriate for the candidate with a CompTIA 'A+' certification: IT Administrator, PC Technician, Remote Support Technician, Field Service Technician, Help Desk Technician and Call Centre & Depot Technician. Career opportunities will also include Network Administrators, Technicians and Installers for those who attain the 'CompTIA' Network+ too.

The 'A+' program and the Network+ training are 'CompTIA's' most widely recognised accreditations. Both of them, as a pair, create the foundation of many current I.T. career-tracks - & rightly so. Students learn many basic computer concepts with A+ , such as repair, maintenance, support security, installation & fault-finding. On top of that, the A+ teaches several relationship-building skill-sets that may help you communicate better with other people. The 'CompTIA' 'Network+' qualification extends this knowledge to a wider understanding of networking, servers and routers, & just how they communicate. Both 'Security' and 'Wi-Fi' are covered to a certain level. Acquiring both of these accreditations will provide a good grounding for anyone seeking to get into the 'systems' side of the I.T. industry, along with a platform of understanding for further qualification.

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