The non profit institution CompTIA - Computing Technology Industry Association - was established in 1982. The organisation offers vendor neutral certifications that have made it a global leader in this industry. This essentially means they are absolutely free to independently create and monitor exams and qualifications that are required by the I.T. sector, regardless of a specific business' commercial interests. This is very good for students, as they can be taught about different platforms & how they inter-connect & 'integrate' with each other - a not unusual situation today. Each time a new syllabus is produced, 'CompTIA' invites several educational & commercial groups to come together and verify that every area has been thought about equally, and the packages are appropriate from a commercial perspective.

Many of these positions can be starting points for more professional I.T. careers, and so, as with all career-tracks, it is vital that you first consider just what your end-goals are, & what type of learning style suits you. Do take the opportunity to go through the whole thing with a training & IT expert - it will help safeguard you against set backs as time goes on. The best companies also offer packaged career-tracks which include these certifications, and so investing in a training 'bundle' frequently offers substantial reductions in price.

Be prepared to allow yourself around a hundred to a hundred & fifty hours learning time for the A+ exams, and for the 'Network+' close to seventy five to one hundred hrs. Studying part time, this could be done over a 6 month period if you choose an appropriate quality of training matter & superior examination preparation materials.

In 2009 each program underwent updates, and new exams are actually available for each of them. 'A+' exams which began using the prefix 600 (i.e. the 2006-2007 edition) are being phased out internationally. Come the close of Aug 2010, the examinations will retire in Britain. Because both these, and the recently released 700 exams are now available to sit in 'prometric' and Vue test centres, it's sensible to study the 700 exams now, & avoid having to re-certify later. 'A+' '09 is now presented as 220-701 'CompTIA' A+ Essentials & 220/702 CompTIA 'A+' Practical Application. The main changes were an entire restructuring of the past four exams into only 2 examinations, and the inclusion of some coverage on more recent relevant technologies. Although the older 'A+' had 4 examinations in the total program, only 2 were needed for the accreditation. Over the last 4 years, the market has grown to the point where all four exams are now thought to be essential - hence the reformatting into 2 essential exams. Those who have formerly achieved the '600' exam can bring their qualification up-to-date by sitting a bridging exam - BR/003. Successfully passing the upgrade examination will normally demand additional study, but it ought not to be too difficult for people who initially studied all four. Obviously though the new technological subjects will have to be learned about.

Any of the career roles listed here will be possible for the individual with a 'CompTIA' A+ accreditation: Call Centre Technician, Depot Technician, PC Technician, Help Desk Technician, Field Services Technician, Remote Support Technician and IT Administrator. 'CompTIA' 'Network+' opens up opportunities for Network Administrators & Technicians, IT Cable Installers & Network Installers.

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