Questions about CompTIA series exam preparation

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Hello ITProTV community, I just signed up after using my trial period. I really like the way the material is presented by the instructors like Ronnie and Daniel. In my current situation I can't physically attend college because of my work schedule. I am a full time firefighter and work 24 hrs shift with 48 hrs off. I always had a passion for computers and IT since I was 16 years old. I graduated with an Associate Degree in Computers and Microprocessors back in 1999. I started building my own PC's back then once I got into PC gaming. So pretty much my experience has been building PC's and some troubleshooting.

While I love what I do as a firefighter I still have the passion for computers. I want to continue learning and educating myself more in the IT field and hopefully one day get a job as well. Now from 1999 to present day technology had changed, so I need to educate and prepare myself. I have a growing interest in Cybersecurity field. I had talked to friends that work in the IT/Cybersecurity field and based on my situation they recommended me to start by taking my basic certifications. They all told me to sign up for ITProTv. I could also do an online degree in Cybersecurity but it will take me a long time.

Well enough with the intro, my questions about the CompTIA A+ and future certifications are:

1. Does studying the video material on ITProTV enough for me to prepare for the exam and pass it? Most of the reviews and actual feedback from friends are that you guys get me ready for it as long as I complete the material. I do see these certifications get expensive and the fees are for a one time exam so i want to make sure I can pass it the first time.

2. Any particular study strategy? Like do all the videos in the certification curriculum and then do all VLabs, etc.

3. In your opinion, Do you agree with my friend's recommendation to get back in the field and start learning? Do certifications first and start getting experience.

4. Do you think I should pursue a degree as well and do it at the same time i'm studying for my certifications?

My plan would be to get A+, Security and Network+ first. I would look for a part-time job to gain experience or even do an internship. Unfortunately I found out that my college degree is old and I can't get an credits towards a new degree. I will have to start from the beginning again which is fine as I mentioned before technology had changed. Sorry for the long post I just wanted to present the whole picture so I can get the best response from you guys. Thanks in advance. Jay.

@Juan-Colon said in Questions about CompTIA series exam preparation:

First, Glad you're a member and like the shows! If you're watching A+ with me and Daniel. You're going to see that you're going to find that that the other show hosts, inlcuding Daniel are way better than I am. So you're only going to get better content as you get more advanced!

1. Does studying the video material on ITProTV enough for me to prepare for the exam and pass it? Most of the reviews and actual feedback from friends are that you guys get me ready for it as long as I complete the material. I do see these certifications get expensive and the fees are for a one time exam so i want to make sure I can pass it the first time.

As in all things, you get out of it what you put into it. OK, so what do I mean. You cannot just "watch" the videos and pass. You must actively study the material, ask questions when something isn't making sense and try and get more information. So this is active engagement and not a passive--"ITProTV is on in the background..."

We cannot say that "watching the videos" is all you need to do. We do recommend studying and using a study guide. Having said that, you can read on the forums here that we've had people successfully use the material, solely or with additional study guides, to achieve success on the exam.

1. Any particular study strategy? Like do all the videos in the certification curriculum and then do all VLabs, etc.

Everyone's strategy will be different. Today, I would probably watch a chunk of material (30 minutes at a time or 90 minutes at a time) and then write questions and research the answer or post here in the comptia section of the forums and try and get some answers. Then I would write out topics under, further study if you have a greater interest in it. The vLabs are helpful especially in the environment where you may not want to "hose" your own machine to do something you're not sure about and to cement those Operating System concepts that you're not so sure about.

1. In your opinion, Do you agree with my friend's recommendation to get back in the field and start learning? Do certifications first and start getting experience.

The certifications in the workplace can work in two ways: Either as replacement for work experience or as the "door opener" into the field of IT you want to pursue.

• As work experience, the company that hires you expects you to be able to cartwheel into the position and be ready to juggle and you're working without a net. This means it is high bar set for you and you're supposed to be ready to work!

• As a door opener, the company says everyone who has a certification show a level of competency that is the base and we hire and train you for what we need you to do the ramp up time is not as fast as above but there is still some skills you've got to be able to do right away.

I agree with your friends that getting a combo of both is what will be of most value to the company you're seeking to be employed.

1. Do you think I should pursue a degree as well and do it at the same time i'm studying for my certifications?

This is where you should take a detailed look at a company before deciding to jump into the pool for work there. There are some companies that will hire you and then after a period of time, expect you to pursue a degree. Even better is, if they say you've got to get your degree and may even pay or reimburse you for the degree you pursue. So check that out before pursuing the degree. But if you feel like you've got to earn the degree first, you're sitting out of a potential hiring boom that may happen while you're trying to finish the degree. This may offer you better compensation when you choose to begin but you may really miss the boom of hiring. So it's a difficult decision

My plan would be to get A+, Security and Network+ first. I would look for a part-time job to gain experience or even do an internship. Unfortunately I found out that my college degree is old and I can't get an credits towards a new degree. I will have to start from the beginning again which is fine as I mentioned before technology had changed. Sorry for the long post I just wanted to present the whole picture so I can get the best response from you guys. Thanks in advance. Jay.

Ronnie, I do understand that it is up to the individual to study the material and it varies from person to person. I will look into some study guides as well. I do believe Pearson makes some study books as well.

I appreciate the suggestions about the degree and further education. Do you think internships in a company are a way to gain experience or just if you are looking for a job? I'm willing to gain experience even if I have to volunteer hours on my days off. I understand I need knowledge and experience for most job offers. Like you mentioned they would expect me to know what I am doing.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am taking steps one at a time. My 1st one would be the A+ certification.

Welcome to the ITProTV community, Juan! We are glad you're enjoying your experience with us. As usual, Ronnie gives you sound advice! I would just add that a Bachelor's degree is a pre-requisite for many government jobs along with certifications. Like Ronnie said, it would be a good idea to check and see if any potential employers offer tuition reimbursement because hey, who doesn't want a free education ;)

You don't NEED a degree to bust into IT, but it can and does open more doors in certain areas. As far as doing it at the same time goes, if you've got the time, skill, and motivation to do both together, then I say get it done. There is no reason to draw the process out any longer than necessary. You can then take advantage of the hiring boom that Ronnie mentioned and also have certs AND work experience when you finish your degree. This will put you at a great advantage to find a better job and continue your climb up the IT ladder.

A degree will also be beneficial for you later down the road. After you accumulate a healthy dose of on-the-job experience, you start becoming an attractive candidate for management positions and a degree in IT management could definitely set you apart from the crowd.

@daniel-lowrie87 Thanks Daniel. I absolutely understand the importance of education. I can start getting classes towards my degree even if it is one at a time. Like you said, by the time I'm done with it I would have some certs and some experience. I also found out that certain certs counts towards college credits which is great.

I just finish the last video on storage devices and I finally got a good understanding of RAID. You guys are the best. I would recommend ITProTV to anyone that even wants to learn more about IT or even learn about computers on their own. When i was trying to learn back 20 years ago was mostly by trial and error and reading books. You guys method is very interactive and easy to follow. Thanks again.

@Juan-Colon,

Any experience is great if you can get it! Trying to learn and apply something you learn on a daily basis is a great part of educating yourself. I've always encouraged my students, when I taught classes, to make IT a hobby. This way you pursue it as fun and not just as work.

The other thing I would suggestion which is something you can do without very much money at all is learn to use a virtualization product too. You'll find that transitioning back to an IT world will be easier if you understand that concept in particular even at the most basic level.

Thanks for the words of wisdom and encouragement. A few more questions, Are the 220-901 and 220-902 consider one test or separate? I did noticed on the compTIA site that I have to pay separate for them. Does this mean that I can concentrate on 220-901 first and I take its test? Could I do the same for 220-902? Thanks.

@Juan-Colon,

The 220-901 and 220-902 are separate individual exams. Each one will be a separate fee, scheduled separately and do not have to be taken back to back. You can just take one or other and wait until you're ready for the next exam. Usually, the order is that the 901 then the 902 exam but that's really up to your comfort level.

I suggest preparation of for both exams EVEN BEFORE you take the first. One, there is overlap in the exams, I cannot tell you how much but you'll see the bigger picture and that always helps. Two, You'll kind of know what to expect for the second exam once you get the first one passed and that will make you more successful for the second and you'll be already prepared and be able to sit for that one much quicker than the first if you've been preparing for it anyways! But everyone is different!

@Ronnie-Wong Thanks Ronnie.