Passed Core Hardware Exam
 

I've just passed the Core Hardware exam with a score of 962. I'm
writing the OS exam this coming weekend, so I'll be cramming a litle
longer. My career is mostly in programming; it's been about 7 years
since I did any tech work professionally, so I was a bit rusty. A lot
of new technologies have evolved, so I bought Mike Meyers' Passport A+
Certificaion and read the whole book. I read quite a bit of Exam Cram
A+, as well, but I had difficulty with it due to an overabundance of
information in certain areas and a few minor technical differences I
had with the text.

A few questions that gave me problems were related to docking stations
(I don't recall seeing anything about them in either text) and some
stuff about testing serial ports with loopbacks. I have looked for an
explanation of serial port loopbacks but was unable to find anything
(not that I looked real hard).

On the docking station, it had something about whether they are
proprietary to a manufacturer and if they are specific to a particular
laptop. If I had to re-take the test I would focus on laptops more as
I have not had much exposure to them.

The worst question on the test was asking me to point out the PS/2
connecter on a fuzzy, top-down view of a system board.

I took the exam for my own benefit and to expand my skillset within
the small software development company I work for.

HTH,

Ben

Re: Passed Core Hardware Exam
 

The Exam Cram books are kind of bad that way. I don't
think that they are a bad source, as they do touch on
some things that the other books do not, but one should
definitely not use them alone.

Docking stations are proprietary and usually specific
to a particular model or family of models.
--

Nick
A+, Network+, MCP

Re: Passed Core Hardware Exam
 

"Hydroman" <hydroman@comcast.net> wrote in news:L-KcnZ97GJvlM4GiU-
KYvA@comcast.com:

> www.freecomptia.com

Thanks for the link.

Re: Passed Core Hardware Exam
 

"Hydroman" <hydroman@comcast.net> wrote:

> Congrats on passing the core exam!

Thanks!

> I found that the software exam was much easier than hardware.

I expect that will be the case for me, too, since software
has been my area of concentration for many years now. I mastered
DOS back in '91 and have worked with all PC-based versions of
Windows up to XP, so I have a pretty solid background. The
things that worry me most are the things I've not used in a long
time and forgotten and the fact that you can usually perform the
same task 50 different ways in software. Thanks for the link--
I'll give it a look!

Ben
"Almost A+", NTCP

Re: Passed Core Hardware Exam
 

One thing I wanted to mention about the A+ exam:

I know there are those that think the exam is a waste of time or that
the questions are often not applicable to the field. Looking back on
the whole thing I have realized that we do come away from the exam
with a much better understanding of the machines and software than we
may have previously had. I had to study my butt off for this test and
spent a lot of time thinking about these subjects much more than I
ever had before. Even with over a decade of experience in the field I
was able to learn some things I never knew before and some things that
I just didn't know as well as I should have. Admittedly there are
some inane things on the test, but there's a ton of good things on it
too.

So I hope that if anyone has any doubts as to the value of the
certification that they will bear in mind that the act of passing test
is not the real goal-- the act of learning and being able to convey
that learning is the goal.

Ben

Re: Passed Core Hardware Exam
 

Just passed the OS Technologies exam with an 848, so I'm A+ certified now!

Ben

Re: Passed Core Hardware Exam
 

"Mike Smith" <smith@in.net> wrote...
> Congratulations! I hope I do as well as you.
>

Why, thanks! I hope you do too! No matter what your score it will
probably be a big relief just getting it over with. I know it was for
me.

Good luck,

Ben