Customer Reviews

A+ Exam Prep, Third Edition (Exam: 220-201, 220-202)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book doesn't even get close to being complete or useful. First off it is for the new A+ exams, the Core Hardware Exam 220-201 and the Operating Systems Technologies exam 220-202. It is NOT for the Core Exam or the Windows/DOS exams as the editorial review states, those are the old exams and are being retired March 31. Nor does this book cover Windows 3.1 in any detail as another reviewer states, that OS is no longer part of the A+ exams. There is an older book with the exact same title as this book (written by Andrews) and the comments by other reviewers appear to be for that book.

This 3rd edition of Reeves et al. A+ Exam Prep is little more than the old book with a few sections dropped and a few paragraphs added to cover some new material. There are new sections covering Windows 2000 but in general the book appears to have been written without any knowledge of what the new exams would cover. The new exams are much harder than the old and this book takes a very superficial approach and does not provide the detail that you will need to know to pass the exam. To make matters worse, the practice exams on the CD ROM that comes with this book appear to be for the old exam, they in no way prepare you for the type of questions you will see on the new exams.

I ordered some more of these books for my next class but I will return them. They will in no way help me prepare my students for the exams.

When I read the A+ Exam Prep 2nd edition from Coriolis I knew they were serious about making sure you have the need information to pass the exams. Now with the 3rd edition, which is updated for the newest exams, Coriolis is once again taking the lead in the certifications and you are the ones reaping the benefits.

The 840 plus page book starts off by putting the exam objective in the very front of the book, making sure you know what is ahead of you. The authors take every opportunity to give you more than enough information to pass both exams on the first try.

The first part of the book is the coverage of the Core Hardware, which includes topics like Safety, system boards, CPUs, memory, PC Busses, storage systems, peripherals, printers including the laser printer process, networking hardware and troubleshooting.

The second part, Operating Systems Technologies, goes over the boot sequence, DOS, Windows 3.X, Windows 9.X, NT Workstation, 2000 Professional, installation and configuration, file management, memory management, networking and troubleshooting.

There are review questions and projects with each chapter, a sample test for both Core Hardware and Operating Systems and all answers are included in the book. Also included is a cd-rom with over 150 questions in several testing formats.

Overall an excellent value for the money and once again Coriolis is the name in the certification world.

This book doesn't waste any time covering items not on the A+ exam like alot of other resources. I et you could pass the A+ exam with zero PC experience and just this book. If your going to be taking the A+ exam soon, don't listen to any of the hype and just buy this excellent resource now. many thanx to the Coriolis group for putting out a book that focuses on PASSING THE EXAM and not learning a bunch of useless facts, or tips and tricks, that are nowhere on the real test.

I have read about 2/3 of this book and I have to vent. Let me say this first. The book seems fairly solid in its curriculum. It covers a lot in a bit of depth. Until I take the exam I won't really know, but I feel like I'm getting a good background. Through experience I already know a lot of what's covered, and so far I haven't found any information that I know to be wrong. Usually it's stuff I already know, plus some more depth. Okay, that's good.

Now let me say this. Stylistically this is the worst pile of humus I have ever read. It is written so sloppily that every third sentence I have to stop and figure out what it means because the way it is written leaves the meaning ambiguous. It can mean any of three things. Often the only way I can figure out what they're trying to say is because I already know the subject. I know that they must mean this or that. When I get to parts I don't know about I find myself continually referencing all over the place to make sure that they're trying to say what I've guessed they are. Heaven help me if I didn't already have some background in PC hardware and operating systems.

The thing is, this isn't advanced mathematics or physics. There's nothing particularly subtle or difficult to understand. But these folks have written it as though they were on a strict deadline that left no time to go back and make things more clear so long as the facts were straight. It's making it quite a bit more trouble for me than it needs to be.

This book has everything needed to pass the test. It has a lot of details that are not stated in some of the other books. The CD does not have many questions and they are always repeated. This book is worth looking at.

I purchased this book with the thought in mind that it would be the only study guide needed to pass the A+ exam. On the core hardware side, it was adequate. I passed the Core Hardware part of the exam with no problem. However, the OS Technologies study information is outdated and insufficient. I spent a great deal of time on DOS and Win 3.1, and the exam didn't really focus on that aspect of it at all. Most of the questions on the exam were for Windows 2000, which the book does not do a good job of preparing the student for. After studying the OS section, I took the exam from the CD ROM and scored a 98%. In addition, I answered all the questions at the end of the book with no difficulty. I failed OS Technologies exam with a score of 576 (needed 600 to pass)...I do not recommend this book.

this is a good book that is must read for the comptia a+ exam, i just pass that exam. also this is a good reference book that is good to keep in your bookcase.

you won't good wrong to buy this book.

* I need tow books from(A+:Exam 220-201,Exam220-202) ISBN:1576106993.
receiving : Dammam in Saudia Arabia or Cairo in Egypt.
* Payment : Visa cart by internet.
* Can i find This book in any agent or bookstor in the Golf countries or Egypt ?
*Send the profoma invoice to: Numan Cabbani P.O.Box:6535Dammam31452 Saudia Arabia , Fax : 00966 3 8572493.

This book really helped me pass my A+