Haven’t had a chance to really sit down and write it up yet, but on October 30th I passed 2 exams: The CompTIA 220-601 and the 220-602, officially moving me to A+ Technician status. After 17 years in the IT field, I finally managed to pass the most “basic” of certifications, LOL.
The 602 test was actually pretty easy. I got an 850 out of a possible 900, roughly 94%. The 601… the “Essentials” (i.e. “foundation”) test was actually MUCH more difficult. It required a score of 675 to pass, or 75%, I got… a 690! That’s 76%. A “C” in “essentials”, and I’ve been a IT professional for a little over 17 years! I’ve run IT operations for multi-million dollar companies, performed HUNDREDS of system installations, worked on thousands of desktop systems, and am familiar with over 15 different operating system versions and flavors and I still only got 76% of the answers correct on this exam. That’s a tough exam!
Ironically, I spent over $6000 and took 18 months to prepare for the PMP, and I wasn’t as nervous as I was about A+. I must say, I have a whole new respect for those who pass this test. It is not an easy thing to do. So now I’m preparing for the CompTIA Project+ certification. Having skimmed through the material a couple of times, it doesn’t appear to be any more complex than the PMP, in fact it appears to be muct, much easier. I’ll take a couple of practice exams this weekend and see how I do. Regardless, I have to be ready for it by the 20th. Once complete, I’ll have finally knocked out my first semester towards my B.S. in I.T.
