Established twenty-eight years ago, the 'Computing Technology Industry Association' (or CompTIA for short) is a not-for-profit association. They have developed through the years to become the leader in vendor-neutral IT accreditation. This effectively means they are absolutely free to independently generate & monitor exams & qualifications that are required by the I.T. industry, regardless of a specific business' commercial interests. This really is very good for students, because they can be taught about different platforms and how they inter-connect and integrate with each other - a not unusual situation today. 'CompTIA' brings together different business & learned industry groups when creating or upgrading an examination, to make sure that all things are thought about and the most industry relevant syllabuses are crafted.

Obviously these positions frequently lead on to more senior jobs if the appropriate accreditations are in place. That is why it is very important to look at your long-term ideas prior to picking out your career-training track. Take the opportunity to discuss everything with a training & I.T. specialist - it will safeguard you against set backs down the road. IT Training organisations may offer to develop a personalised training-path by combining a selection of training programs to get the student from wherever they're starting from to where they want to end up.

New students to the I.T. marketplace can look to CompTIA for quite a number of their preliminary study packages. Anyone considering getting into networking & support, or servers, security & systems should most often start with 'CompTIA', although it's fair to state that 'CompTIA' certifications can enhance just about any Curriculum Vitae geared for the I.T. industry. CompTIA are also now offering STRATA certifications : they're not specifically for those working in the IT industry, but for people whose jobs need a fundamental understanding of computers.

In 2009 each programme under-went upgrades, and new examinations are actually available for each of them. 'A+' exams which began using the number 600 (i.e. the 2006-2007 edition) are now being phased out around the world. At the close of August 2010, the examinations will retire in Britain. As '2009' exams ('700') are currently available at test centres up and down the country, the newer learning programs are probably a more practical solution for anyone just starting out. The specific 'A+' 2009 exams have become: CompTIA 'A+' Essentials (exam 220-701) & CompTIA 'A+' Practical Application (exam 220/702.) The 4 previous examinations have been stream-lined in to two new exams, & some further up-dated material has been added in. The old format was 1 compulsory 'essentials' exam and 3 'electives', of which only one was required to be taken. Over the last several years, the industry has grown to the point where all 4 examinations have become regarded as essential - hence the reformatting into 2 essential examinations. An upgrade examination has been produced by CompTIA for those who have the old certification. BR/003 is the reference number. Successfully passing the up-grade exam will almost always demand further study, although this shouldn't be especially onerous for those who formerly studied all electives. Enough training hours must be allowed for the new technology elements though.

For the A+ examinations set aside for yourself somewhere around 100-150 hrs to train & prepare, and a bit less for the Network+ examinations (possibly up to 75 to 100 hrs). This makes achieving them both within 6 months part-time studying entirely feasible, provided that superior multi-media training materials utilised, along with decent exam preparation software.

As for the 2009 edition of the Network+ : N10-004 is currently the exam reference number. As well as maintaining it's focus on network management & infrastructure, the up-graded '2009' examination places a wider emphasis on Security, wireless networking skills & network design standards.

'CompTIA' 'A+' and the Network+ are certainly the most commonly accepted of their qualifications. Both of them, as a group, create the building blocks of many current I.T. career tracks - & justly so . Students learn many basic PC principles with A+ , such as maintenance, support, repair, security, installation and fault finding. In addition, the A+ covers several relationship building skills to help you communicate better with other people. Expanding on this knowledge, the Network+ qualification covers networks, (which includes routers and servers) & explains how they communicate with each other. Both 'Security' and Wi-Fi are covered to a certain level. Obtaining these two certifications will give a solid platform for anybody considering getting into the systems area of the IT industry, along with a platform of knowledge for additional accreditation.

Any of the employment roles that follow will be possible for the individual with a CompTIA 'A+' qualification: Depot Technician, Call Centre Technician, PC Technician, Help Desk Technician, Field Services Technician, IT Administrator, and Remote Support Technician. Job opportunities open up to include Network Installers, Administrators & Technicians for those who attain the 'CompTIA' Network+ as well.

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