# CompTia A+ essentials vs The MCTS



## pbracing33b (Dec 22, 2010)

Which is better to have? I'm not 100% sure on my career path, maybe an IT Tech, or Software Development! Or Something entirely different!

I planning on Graduating from College next year, (btw I am not some young punk kid I am 33yrs, no offense is intended on the younger generation either, my job that I formly had I worked there for 8 yrs B4 they started firing people left and right) and I was planning on taking the A+ essentials exam in Feb. Then the MCTS, maybe a month or two later! So is the A+ essentials something that I really need? Are the people who does the hiring for these kind of fields really interested in that?

Plus for the A+ is there any real good practice exams that I could take that doesn't cost 500.00 or even $ 100.00, something practical would be nice. I can't see spending $500 on practice exams, we get discounts at my college, so I could take one test 6 times for that price, which will be just as good then the stupid practice test they offer. I don't plan on taking it 6 times either, it would be nice if I could pass it the first time around! 

Onto the MCTS is there any equivelant to the A+ essentials, or is that the best thing out there for testing? (and widely accepted in the career field). For Software Developing what kind of tests should I be taking? (since their are so many) Plus I am taking a course next quarter on this type of exam, so I may not know all the terms here. I know that I am pretty good at Databases, such as Sqlserver, Programming on the other hand, I understand it, but Its just really to understand all the concepts, bc I have never ever done any type of programming before! On the otherhand sometimes I think I understand programming, then it will stump me, and I don't think I understand anything at all!

So I am just trying to figure out what is the best thing for me to do for exams, cause even though we get a discount its still expensive! 

Thanks for any reply's in advance!:grin:


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## epshatto (Dec 23, 2010)

Well, the principle advantage of A+ over MCTS is that MCTS is vendor-specific, and A+ is vendor neutral. You learn Microsoft technologies with A+, but you also learn Mac technologies and various implementations of Linux. A+ is a highly desirable certification to have. 

Also, I'm not sure what you mean when you say you want to take "the A+ Essentials exam". A+ has two exams - Essentials and Practical Application. Certification is granted on the completion of _both_ exams. Taking only one doesn't grant certification in anything. Just wanted to make sure you were clear on that.

If you want to pursue Microsoft certification, you can take the A+ and Network+ certifications, and that grants you partial credits for MCITP/SA (system administrator). Or you could just take Security+ and that grants the same credits, but I wouldn't really recommend taking just the one.


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## pbracing33b (Dec 22, 2010)

Yes I did know that epshatto, If I remember right it is 701 and 702, If my memeory serves me correct, and I do plan on taking both of them. But is there really any good practice exams that I could take, for these tests, I have been looking around, and I have seen tests from CompTia for like $500 or more for practice tests, I'm like I'm not paying that kind of money just for practice exams. I know there are some out there but I have heard that some are very bad and some are very good! I just don't know which ones those are! I want to take as many practice exams as I can b4 I take the test. So I can be ready for it! So any one have any sources like that on here?


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## tim19889 (Jan 24, 2010)

Mike Meyer's has a bunch of practice exams with his A+ all in one study guide book. The book costs about $30 on Amazon right now. At the end of each chapter there are practice questions, and then he has two, 100 question tests to take when you are done reading the book that cover everything. I got like 85% in these and when I actually took the real tests I got a little over 90% .

Also, google professor messer's free online a+ training videos. These are great to watch to help get you prepared, although I wouldn't use them as your only training source. He also has network+ videos which I used to pass the Net+ exam and he's putting up MCTS: Windows 7 videos which I'm going to use once I get done reading/studying the book I got for MCTS: Configuring Windows 7.


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## pbracing33b (Dec 22, 2010)

For school we had to buy a book (Its a big green book) called A+ essentials on it, it does have practice ?'s but I don't want to just get used to one writers style of ?'s, I would like to take different ones, to really test my knowledge!

And yes I have thought about buy the Mike Meyers book just for the practice exams, but I don't know yet for sure! I have very seriously thought about buying some practice tests, but I really don't know how good they are! I have seen several, and some places are charging 100 just for one practice test, I don't think I will do that! But I don't know yet either!


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## pbracing33b (Dec 22, 2010)

Correction to the last post, the book is called A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining your PC


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## epshatto (Dec 23, 2010)

pbracing33b, that's the book I have for my A+ class. You should have a CD that came with it. That CD has CertBlaster practice exams for both 701 and 702 that you can use.


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## pbracing33b (Dec 22, 2010)

Yea I know epshatto, I just don't want to get hooked on one writers style of questions, if that makes sense! I mean I could take it over and over again but I get used to the questions! (and remember them too) So thats why I am looking for more and more different exams! I think the questions are very good, in the book that I have, I just don't want to get used to them, if that makes sense!


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## epshatto (Dec 23, 2010)

When you say you don't want to get stuck with one author's questions, are you referring to the end-of-chapter questions? I meant there's actual 100 question tests for both exams on the CD. I think there's several (something like 4-6 tests).

If you're looking for more than the Jean Andrews resources, you can also try LabSim. [url]http://www.labsimonline.com[/URL]

I don't know how much it costs, but it's more than tests too, it's a whole course. Also, they guarantee that if you complete LabSim you will pass the test on the first try, otherwise they will pay for retests.

I also did a quick search on Amazon.com, and it looks like coming up in February there'll be a book of A+ practice exams by James Pyle and Michael Pastore, _Comptia A+ Certification and Practice Exams_. It's currently $19.80 for preorder. The page says it has "1000+ practice questions and four full tests on cd". That might be something to check out.


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## pbracing33b (Dec 22, 2010)

No I wasn't referring to the end of chapter ?'s I was refferring to the ?'s on the CD, I think their good! But I think as well you know, that u can get use to an authors type of Questions pretty easily! So thats really the main reason for asking! I know that is a lot of ?'s but I still somehow memorize the ?, once I see it, like 2-3 times! I just do!


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## epshatto (Dec 23, 2010)

Yeah I know what you mean. A lot of the practice exams out there are for outdated versions of the exams (600-series). And for those that aren't, you read through the questions and remember the answers, and that can get you into trouble because it makes it seem like you know more than you really do. I'd keep an eye on books coming out from Amazon and books already there.


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## pbracing33b (Dec 22, 2010)

Hey epshatto, I check out the one u suggested, just for the A+ they wanted $500 for it, (both 701-702) and prep logic wasn't much better! Thats crazy, I want to know who's buying these products! But anyhow, I think I will con't to study, and just take as many practice exams as I can find! (for free or little cost)


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## epshatto (Dec 23, 2010)

Wow that's crazy. I have a subscription to LabSim I didn't have to pay seperate for, but I got it as part of my A+ class, which was a few thousand dollars.


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## pbracing33b (Dec 22, 2010)

Well in my school (MarionTechcollege) we can take a whole year for a little of $5000 grand! So that may be why! But yea I did check those websites out. Plus for our class all we got was the book and the cd, plus in class work too! But I wish we had a practice tests for the A+ essentials. Other than the book I mentioned above, maybe like my instructor would set up! Bc at my school they make it so that u can pass the classes, but sometimes doesn't equal the real world stuff! Even one of my teachers said that for the MCTS practice class you could pass the class and still fail the exam! He said u will need to study! ALOT! I think the most we pay for a qtr is 4 or 5 hundred I think?


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