The not for profit organisation 'CompTIA' - 'Computing Technology Industry Association' - was established in 1982. They have grown progressively & right now lead the world in I.T. qualifications that are vendor neutral. What this means is they are able to provide and over-see independent industry-recognised IT exams and certifications that do not reflect a single organisation's interests over another. This is excellent for IT students, because they can be taught about different platforms & how they inter-connect and 'integrate' with each other - a not unusual situation today. CompTIA brings together different commercial & academic industry organisations when creating or upgrading an exam, to make sure that all sides are thought about & the most commercially relevant syllabuses are crafted.

On to the '09 version of the Network+ - N10-004 has become the examination number. A greater importance is placed upon Security in the 2009 Network+ exam, as well as network-design and wireless-networking. This obviously is as well as the primary aspects of network management & infrastructure.

For the 'A+' exams allow yourself roughly 100 to 150 hrs to train and prepare, and slightly less for the 'Network+' exams (perhaps close to 100 hrs). This means obtaining them both inside of 6 months part-time studying very likely, provided that quality multi-media training materials utilised, in conjunction with excellent exam preparation-software.

Both examinations have quite recently undergone a 2009 update in line with the company's move towards ISO standardisation. The earlier 'A+' (version 2006-2007) exams that were categorised using the 600 prefix are now being retired globally during 2010. At the close of Aug 2010, the examinations will be retired in Great Britain. Up to then, students can take either the 600 or the more recent 700 examinations in regional test-centres (specifically 'Vue' & 'Prometric'). Reason dictates that new entrant students should study version '2009'. CompTIA 'A+' Essentials and 'CompTIA' A+ Practical Application are the new exam titles (220/701 & 220-702 respectively). Along with some extra material on more recent technologies, there are now 2 examinations that cover elements of all four of the earlier exams. The old structure was one required Essentials exam and three 'electives', of which only one needed to be taken. As the market has developed, the know-how from all 4 examinations is now considered crucial, & thus has been fine-tuned into 2 compulsory assessments. Those who have formerly achieved the 600 examination can bring their certification up-to-date by sitting a bridging examination : 'BR-003'. Passing the upgrade exam will in most cases demand further study, although this ought not to be too much of a challenge for people who originally studied all 4. Obviously though the new technology topics will need to be mastered.

Many of these jobs can be starting-points for higher level IT positions, and so, as with all career tracks, it is extremely important to first explore what your end-goals are, and which kind of learning style you want. Do take the opportunity to go through every little thing with a training program & I.T. professional - it will protect you from any set backs as time goes on. The best companies offer 'packaged' career paths which can include these accreditations, and so buying in a training 'bundle' can give you significant cost-savings.

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