Maximum PC

I was wondering how much Getting the Network + and the a+ certifications are? Someone told me that the a+ should be a joke for Heavy PC users but the Networking one is a bit tougher.

Any thoughts? I'm hoping to get out of Highschool with both certs.


*changed college to Highschool*

you should ask a mod/admin to have this moved to Education and Certification. Might get a better / more focus response there.

Last I heard about the issue when I was looking, the A+ is two exams, $150 each, and the Network+ is a single exam costing around the $200 mark. Neither tests are very hard. I found the A+ material very easy to follow, but the Network+ was a bit tougher. If you're new to TCP/IP networking at all, then don't start by reading a Network+ book. Start with something like Networking for Dummies.

As far as how far you can go with just those certs, you might be able to land an entry level job as Helpdesk, or possibly as a DST (Desktop Support Technician).

Yeah. Not meant as a lifelong degree. Cisco is next on my list after I get the necessary other certs.

It looks as though you've done your research a bit then. Glad to see you're not stopping with entry level certs

Network+ is great for establishing that you know the details about basic networking. Believe it or not, many network admins and techs don't really have a good fundamental understanding of networking in general. So it's not just for "entry-level" positions as noted here - every organization can benefit from having all staffed Network+ certified...probably more so than A+.

A+ is always a good cert to have...Network+ is just an added perk for the employer.
Not sure if the A+ is still a two part test but when I took it, each part took about 15mins and that was without studying and about an hour notice that it was scheduled.

be aware that the A+ exam goes back into detail and expects you to know about all the unused raid arrays, specific features on older generation processors and such going back as far as the old 8080s and 8086s. you also have to make an 80 to pass. its not something you can just jump into.