The CompTIA A+ certification has become a must-have for the majority of entry-level IT specialists. IT experts mention that this credential is one of the best top 7 accreditations for fresh graduates who want to make a big step further in their careers, according to PrepAway.com. It helps exam-takers learn the do’s and don’ts of tech support and how to proficiently manage field operations.
Since it was launched, the A Plus Exams credential consisted of two exams. As the IT sector is permanently evolving and upgrading, CompTIA’s experts reviewed the structure of two tests and decided to change them. Thus, they shaped 220-1001 and 220-1002 assessments which became available starting with January 15th, 2019. Also, the old exams, 220-901 and 220-902, were retired from the vendor’s catalog starting with July 31st, 2019. So, in case you want to know what avenues the A+ accreditation can open for you, then you are most than welcome to keep reading this article. We will tell you more about the structure of the two exams and why it is important to add this badge to your resume. Are you curious to find more?
What Topics Are Different in Old & New CompTIA A+ Exams?
To start with, the previous exams necessary to obtain the Exam-Labs.com accreditation focused more on the operating systems developed by Windows. Given the current trends in IT, the new tests concentrate on security, cloud, networking, and connectivity issues. In addition, with the new series of exams, the students will receive fewer items related to hardware and mobile.
So, let’s take both previous and new assessments separately and analyze carefully their differences. From the total number of items that exam-takers had to solve during 220-901 assessment, 34% of them focused on hardware topics, 21% on networking, 17% on mobile devices, and 28% on network troubleshooting and hardware. If you take a close look at the new exam, 220-1001, you will see how the focus moves from mobile devices which cover just 14% of total items to networking (20%) and virtualization and cloud computing (12%). The rest of the items concentrate around hardware and network troubleshooting topics, each with 27% exam coverage.
Now let’s compare previous test Exam-Labs A+ Certification Dumps . Assessment 220-902 was focusing on Windows OS (29% of the total items) and other operating systems (12%), security (22%), software troubleshooting (24%), and operational procedures (13%). The new test version changes the focus a little bit. Thus, students will have to solve items related to operating systems (27% of the total number), security (24%), software troubleshooting (26%), and operational procedures (23%). As you can see, the topics related to operational procedures become more important in the renewed version and ask higher attention from the candidates.
CompTIA 220-1001 Exam Details
New exam 220-1001 includes more items related to cloud and virtualization. Previously, this topic was merged with other technologies and systems. Also, candidates found more items related to this domain in 220-902 test, rather than in Exam-Labs CompTIA Security+ Practice Test 1 one. To dive deeper, in the old version of the CompTIA 220-901 assessment, this section also incorporated items related to the mobile OS, servers, Mac and Linux, mobile device synchronization, and connectivity. However, in 220-1001 assessment, cloud and virtualization have become a topic on its own covering 12% of the total items on its own, as you remember.
Why did this change appear? As the IT environment continues to evolve and upgrade, young specialists need to know how to focus more on supporting and managing IoT devices, rather than just laptops and mobile phones. As technological environments become more sophisticated, candidates need to shift their attention towards new technologies.
The newest topics evaluated in 220-1001 exam are the following:
- Virtual desktops and cloud-based apps;
- Cloud file-storage services;
- Shared internal and external resources;
- Off-site email applications.
When it comes to the characteristics of this Exam-Labs Network+ Practice Test assessment, it contains 90 performance-based, multiple choice and drag and drop tasks that a candidate must finish in 90 minutes. Gaining 675 points out of 900 means that s/he passed the exam. The registration fee to be considered for 220-1001 is $226.
CompTIA 220-1002 Test Objectives & Features
As you already know now 220-1002 is the final exam necessary to become CompTIA A+ certified. The vendor’s trainers carefully analyzed the market and understood that entry-level IT specialists are required to know more than simply recognizing malware signs. If you want to work in a dynamic and international environment, you should also demonstrate advanced skills in detecting and quickly removing malware whenever it appears. With this idea in mind and considering the market’s newest trends, CompTIA experts have made the following changes that you can now observe in 220-1002 exam:
– Separate topics were created for physical and digital security practices and each of them has been enhanced with new sections. For example, candidates will need to develop in-depth knowledge of mobile-device management policies or “principle of at least privilege”.
– More items related to social engineering have been added. For instance, exam-takers will have to solve items related to shoulder-surfing or spear phishing.
– While candidates had to answer questions about workstation security, exam 220-1002 asks them to know more than the basic concepts. They should also show that they are familiar with basic functions for active directory.
The features of this A+ Practice Test accreditation are the same as for 220-1001 except for the passing score. In the case of 220-1002, you must get at least 700 points to overcome this test.
Conclusion
The CompTIA A+ certification is a strong stepping stone for your career development. Even if you have already some years of experience under your belt but you haven’t yet obtained any IT badge, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity. CompTIA is an international vendor that offers different credentials to help you build a successful career in IT. Still, if you are just starting out adding badges to your resume, then this A+ accreditation should be the first one which can be obtained through passing two CompTIA exams 220-1001 & 220-1002.
You shouldn’t also forget that the success of each test lies in the preparation process. So, you should be prepared to study hard and develop an in-depth knowledge of the tested topics. We hope that the outline of the evaluated domains of the two assessments will help you organize your prep efficiently. Good luck!