A comprehensive study guide for both hardware and software technologies that are non-vendor specific and includes coverage of the general "core" concepts module, DOS/Windows module, plus key Macintosh topics, and printer and monitor topics. Features real-world examples, interactive activities, and over 100 hands-on projects that reinforce key concepts and help prepare for the exam. Content developed by Course Technology, a publisher specializing in technical content development for adult education. Presents a unique content and study approach.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
The A+ Exam Prep is a woefully mismarketed book. As a guide for prospective technicians who really want to make it in the outside world, it is exhaustive and far-reaching, revealing in minute detail what it would take to be a PC repairperson in a real-world situation. But if this is your only guide for the A+ exam, you might consider using it as your main introduction--and then buying another book to keep your focus on the facts.
You see, the A+ Exam Prep gives equal weight to all facts, emphasizing none--and given that the A+ is about knowing certain concepts, this can be a major drawback. It's not designed in the least to help you study for the A+; the chapter-end tests are fill-in-the-blanks 90 percent of the time, not the multiple-choice questions you'll see on the actual exam. Don't expect to study the Core and the DOS/Windows exams separately, because they're mixed together in the book without regard to test sectioning. And worst of all, the obvious test questions aren't stressed at all but rather are presented once in passing--or mentioned, almost misleadingly, as a sideline.
For example, the two chapters that deal with disk drives imply that most drives need low-level formatting, except for modern drives, and that autodetection is a newfangled technology that you might come in contact with ("modern" and "newfangled" drives being almost any drive made since 1996). Likewise, the book mentions that one drive on an IDE connection must be configured as a master drive only once; says once that the SCSI controller counts as a slot toward the eight-device limit on SCSI chains; doesn't even mention that the usual SCSI boot ID is zero; focuses in on old disk-encoding methods; and doesn't say that some system boards have on-board disk controllers. In general, the text leaves the reader swimming through a mass of facts, with the testworthy facts camouflaged neatly among the sea of otherwise-vital but untestable topics.
It's not that the information isn't here: all of the left-out topics mentioned above are addressed eventually. As stated, it's very comprehensive, going so far as to provide extensive details on topics that are barely touched on in the actual exam, like Windows NT. But the nature of the writing makes this an all-or-nothing gambit: if you're willing to read through it diligently and study every last word and concept, you will not only have an easy time passing your A+, you will also be well-schooled in many methods of repair that the A+ doesn't cover. However, if you skim the book and don't pay attention to the right subjects, you could easily fail. This is a book that depends heavily on commitment.
The A+ Exam Prep has some valuable features that no other exam book offers: the "Projects" section is a commendable addition, for one thing. By giving you hands-on, real-world Things To Do, like opening up your PC to identify cardslots or creating Emergency Boot Disks, the Exam Prep both expands your knowledge and gets you more comfortable with the technology. Likewise, there is much wisdom to be found here on the frequently misunderstood Debug command. (If there is a minor flaw in the Projects section, it's that it pretty much assumes you already own Norton Utilities--but then again, anyone who's serious about PC troubleshooting should probably have a copy anyway.)
The tests at the ends of the chapters are tough (though they're not in the A+ exam format), and the two sample tests are real teethgrinders. In addition, the tests presented on disk are plentiful--over 150 questions--a nice change from the usual meager array of questions found on most bundled CD-ROMs.
To sum up, this is a great book if you really want to know everything about PCs; the information here is clear and understandable if you apply a bit of effort. It will also serve you very well as a reference in your post-exam career. But if you're not willing to give it the attention it deserves, you may need to buy another book to tell you exactly what topics you need to focus on for the actual exam. --William Steinmetz --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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More About the Author
Jean Andrews has more than 30 years of experience in the computer industry, including more than 13 years in the college classroom. She has worked in a variety of businesses and corporations designing, writing, and supporting application software; managing a PC repair help desk; and troubleshooting wide area networks. She has written numerous books on software, hardware, and the Internet, including the bestselling A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, A+ Guide to Hardware: Managing, Maintaining and Troubleshooting, and A+ Guide to Software: Managing, Maintaining and Troubleshooting. Jean lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another vistory for Coriolis in the A+ Arena,
By Michael J Woznicki "Michael J Woznicki" (Holland, MA USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: A+ Exam Prep (Paperback)
Right about now your saying I will be ready to take the A+ Exam in two months. You study for 2-70 question tests, you're reading the A+ Exam Prep book by Coriolis and you've got it down cold. Then we find out that the exam is changing and now what do you do?If you're like me, you get a copy of the A+ Exam Prep adaptive edition. CompTIA is changing the A+ Exam to an adaptive format, removing DOS and Windows 3.X, adding NT Workstation, Windows 98, and Linux and this book will get you more than ready for the new format. Over 1,100 pages of text you have been given tables, pictures, diagrams, screen shots, figures, 450+ review questions, projects, hands-on exercises and a practice test, and that's just the book. The book also includes appendices for error messages; hard drive types, troubleshooting guidelines and more. Coriolis also included, not 1 but 2, cd-roms in their latest edition. CD 1 is the practice test questions in fixed length, adaptive, random and review formats. CD 2is a 1-hour audio review with questions and answers that further enhance the material covered in this book. Coriolis you have done it again - right in the nick of time! The review refers to the HARDCOVER edition
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
too much information for the A+,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A+ Exam Prep (Paperback)
While I thought this book was well written, very informative, I also found it to be too long, and very dry. I would recommend the EXAM CRAM book for the A+ test. If you have other resources they will help you all the better. The Exam Cram book helped me get a 93/91 on the Core/DOS-Win. Good Luck
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good but missing stuff and outdated,
By
This review is from: A+ Exam Prep (Paperback)
I got this book to study for the A+ exams. In the middle of chapter 2 I began realizing that this book is good for reference, good for learning computer history, great for computer history. But lacking in the newer hardware concepts.I have been a tech now for more than 5 years and I recognize everything in the book, but so many new things have poped up in the market. For example the author mentions 32 of Ram to be the highest newest thing, please, that was a few years back. This book should really be updated to make it not only good as a reference or history book, but as a tool
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