Absolute Beginners Guide to A+ Certification. Covers the Hardware and Operating Systems Exam

Don't wait until the last minute to select your exam site and make your payment. There's such a thing as "overtraining" for any challenge, so take time early in the process to determine the following:

• Where you'll take the exam

• When you'll take the exam

• Which exam you'll take

Budgeting for Your Exams

In the United States, the non-CompTIA member price per exam is $145. So, you're looking at $290 for both exams. If your company is a CompTIA member, there are significant savings, so check with your corporate office.

Scheduling Your Exam

You can schedule your exams through two different organizations:

• Pearson VUE (a sister company to Pearson Education, the owner of Que Publishing, my publisher); http://www.vue.com/comptia/

• Thomson Prometric; http://www.2test.com/index.jsp

tip

Both offer online registration and an exam center locator feature.

Before you register for the exam, call the first center you want to use and make sure the location and other information listed online is correct. When I took my Core Hardware Exam, I scared myself pretty badly by forgetting to double-check the location. The address listed online was incorrect, and I arrived at a deserted office a half- hour before the exam was scheduled to start. Fortunately, the company had relocated less than a mile away, so I still arrived on time. (You can lose your fee for being lateit's also counted as a "no-show!") Save yourself a scare by calling first.

After you decide which vendor's test locations are more convenient, you will need to register with the vendor before you can register for the tests. During registration, you provide contact information and a username and password. Use this information to log on to the registration process. There is usually a delay of 24 hours between the time that you register and the time that your registration is activated for use online; it's longer on weekends. If it's Friday and you want to take the test on Monday, call in your registration instead.

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Which test vendor should you choose? I recommend that you choose your test vendor based on convenience because you'll take the same test and pay the same price per test regardless of whether you take it at a Thomson Prometric or a Pearson VUE site. To determine which is most convenient for you, check both vendors' lists of test center locations.

After you have registered with either vendor, the process for registering for tests online is similar. You must do the following (the order might vary by vendor):

• Provide your username and password to log in to the registration system.

• Select the tests you want to take: Test 220-301 is the 2003 revision of the Core Hardware exam; 220-302 is the 2003 revision of the Operating Systems exam.

• Select the test center. You will select Country, and then State/Province to see a list of centers. Note the number assigned to the test center; you might need to refer to it during registration.

• Select the testing language when this option is available.

• Select the date and times of your tests. The testing centers have a limited number of test stations available for the exam. Choose alternative dates and times before you start the process in case your first choice isn't available.

• Complete the registration process by providing a credit card for payment; see the vendor Web sites for the cards accepted.

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Whether you register online or over the telephone, make sure you do the following:

• Double-check all information you provide, including dates, exam names , times, and contact information. The exam confirmation and A+ Certificate will be mailed to you, so make sure your address is correct.

• Record the confirmation number you're given. If you need to reschedule one of your exams, you'll need that confirmation number to select a different date.

• Mark your calendar with the exam date, time, and location. There are no refunds for no-shows (or late arrivals).

• Watch your mail for the confirmation information, which will arrive in a few days. If you are on a tight deadline, ask the operator about expedited test taking.