PASS-IT A+ Exam Preparation

About

Features

• Exam Tips, Notes, and highlighted text throughout.
  • Offers students advice on test taking, reinforces key content, and alerts them to information they will most likely see on the exam.
• Embedded challenge items.
  • Supplies students with scenario-based questions for information application reinforcementand solutions at the end of each chapter.
• Multiple-choice review questionsConcludes each chapter.
  • Allows students to concentrate on the subject areas that are tested on the A+ certification exam.
• Answers and ExplanationsAt the end of each chapter.
  • Ensures students have learned the material in each chapter.
• Concise formatWith built-in retention aids.
  • Enables students to carry and use the text anywhere, and easily brush up on key topics.
• Exam Gear is a marvelous test engineActing as a "study buddy" which simulates actual adaptive certification testing.
  • Allows students to complete practice tests, determine weak areas and study more strategically. The CD-ROM found in all books provides three modes of general study: Traditional Study/Review, Standard Testing, and Adaptive Testing. If a question is missed, a mouse click will return students to the corresponding section where the material was introduced and discussed.

Description

The Marcraft Pass IT A+ Exam Preparation Course is designed to prepare students and technicians for the CompTIA Certification Program exams (220-201 & 220-202), which are exams required to achieve an A+ Certification.

Marcraft's Test Prep Guide covers the following A+ exam topics:

• Installation, configuring, and upgrading
• Diagnosing and troubleshooting
• Preventive maintenance
• Motherboard/processors/memory
• Printers
• Basic networking
• Operating system fundamentals
• OS installation, configuration, and upgrading
• OS diagnosing and troubleshooting

Marcraft is confident that you will be thoroughly prepared for exam success.

Our Test Prep Guide gives you easy access to content areas and to the ExamGear simulation software included on the CD-ROM. ExamGear is a custom-developed set of fully functioning software applications, and in conjunction with the Test Prep Guide provides you with:

• Exam Tips get you ready for the test.
• Study Strategies help you study more efficiently.
• Review Questions at the end of each chapter gauge your retention.
• Electronic reference material provides quick explanations for each question and compact, mobile study,
• Our Practice Exam puts your study efforts to the test.
• ExamGear Software simulates the exam situation you'll encounter at the test center.

Sample Content

Table of Contents

1. Basic Terms and Concepts.
2. Adding and Removing FRU Models.
3. System Resources.
4. Peripherals and Ports.
5. Installing Disk Devices.
6. Installing and Configuring Peripheral Devices.
7. System Upgrading and Optimizing.
8. Symptoms and Troubleshooting.
9. Basic Troubleshooting Techniques.
10. Preventive Maintenance.
11. System Protection.
12. Microprocessors.
13. Random Access Memory.
14. Motherboards.
15. CMOS RAM.
16. Basic Printer Concepts.
17. Servicing Printers.
18. Basic Networking Concepts.
19. Operating System Fundamentals.
20. Navigating Operating Systems.
21. Creating and Managing Files.
22. Basic Disk Management.
23. Installing and Upgrading Operating Systems.
24. Starting the System.
25. Working with Devices, Applications, and Printers.
26. Troubleshooting OS Setup/Startup Problems.
27. Common OS Operational Problems.
28. Networking with Windows.
29. Internet Concepts.

Preface

The PassIT series of books are designed to prepare the reader to pass specific certification exams and typically range from 250 to 320 pages. The A+ Certification exam from CompTIA is a two-test certification designed to ensure minimum competencies with both desktop computer hardware and with stand-alone desktop operating systems. Therefore, this book is considerably larger than a single exam PassIT. However, only the information necessary to pass the exam has been included in this book. It should be used in conjunction with either existing industry expertise or with other text and reference materials.

The book is divided into 29 chapters with individual exam objectives listed at the beginning of each chapter. The subjects that are likely to appear on the test are treated in plain and simple language. The subjects that are most likely to be on the test are highlighted and marked with an asterisk to focus the reader. To reinforce each potential exam question area there is an associated exam tip that defines exactly what must be studied to pass the exam. Each chapter has between 3 and 7 Challenges that provide a scenario-based review environment to develop your understanding of a particular test-related concept. Finally, every chapter also includes a cluster of exam-related review questions. These questions are very good samples that closely resemble actual test content.

This book is accompanied by a comprehensive A+ test bank, which is sealed on the back cover of the book. The ExamGear testing material was developed to simulate the A+ Certification Exam testing process and materials to enable you to complete practice tests, determine your weak points, and study more strategically. We do not believe you will be disappointed when it comes time to take the test.

This book is designed to focus your attention on the testable items of the A+ exam. It is not a substitute for actual job experience. However, it will greatly enhance your chances of passing the exam. With that in mind, let us examine how you can use this book and its associated test bank to help you prepare for both A+ exam modules.

Each chapter begins with an introduction that basically takes the test objectives and defines them in easy to understand terms. As material is presented in the text you may see some of the information highlighted in bold italic letters with an ""preceding it. Pay very close attention to this information. The likelihood of seeing this information on the test is very high. Not only do we highlight the really important information, but we also place this information in what we call the Exam Tips. Exam Tips are just that, tips to pass the exam.

As you encounter Challenges in the chapter, stop to work through them and check your answer with the Challenge answers and explanations at the end of the chapter. If your answer does not coincide with the one in the book, re-examine the material leading up to the Challenge to better comprehend the thoughts and circumstances behind it.

At the end of the chapter, answer the Review Questions and compare them to the answers provided after the questions. Review any missed questions against the material in the chapter and reconcile the answers and the material.

Finally, refer to the additional comprehensive A+ test bank on the CD that is sealed on the back cover of the book. Use the Practice option to select a test of questions focused on the chapter you have been working in. After taking the test, review your results and reconcile the answers to the text material.

After you have completed every chapter, use the Test option on the CD to take simulated Core Hardware and Operating System Technologies tests. When you are consistently scoring in the 90% range on these exams you should be ready to spend the money to take the real A+ exams. Don't worry too much about the Adaptive test option since the other options give you greater access to the question pool.

When you have taken the actual A+ test, we would appreciate an e-mail at marketing@mic-inc.com. Your input will be used to make this book better in the future.

Ideally, this A+ PassIT book should be the last thing you concentrate on before going to take the exam. To use this test preparation tool, you must remember that we have only provided the information necessary to pass the test.

As always, I want to dedicate this book to Robbie my wife for her support in all the things I do. I also want to thank my Mom, who passed away recently, for her love and support through all these years. Also, thanks to Cathy Boulay, Evan Samaritano, and Yu Wen Ho at Marcraft International, as well as Charles Stewart, Bret Workman, Alex Wolf, and the Prentice Hall staff for all their support in making this a truly useful study tool.

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