A+ Certification Theory & Study Guide [ILLUSTRATED] (Textbook Binding)

by Charles J. Brooks (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
A+ Certification Theory and Study Guide does a fine job of integrating into a single book the hardware and software information that A+ candidates need. Brooks frequently provides more information than the test requires--there's even a drawing that shows how to pack a hard disk in a box for shipment. This breadth of coverage ensures that the book will be a valuable resource long after the exam, but the surplus of data and examples can be overwhelming. Though the author does a good job of cataloging the full line of Intel processors up to and including the Pentium II, as well as some chips from other manufacturers, he provides lots of information that probably won't be essential for most repair technicians. There's no need to include pinout diagrams here, for example.

The book focuses on old operating-system technology, though there is some mention of Windows 95. Generally, however, the guide shines when it comes to hardware. Elaborate conceptual diagrams show how components work together, and tables reveal common problems and solutions. Though there's no discussion of modern hardware features like Infrared Data Association (IrDa) or SCSI-3, Brooks nonetheless successfully introduces the critical thought processes that figure in PC troubleshooting.

Each chapter concludes with a couple dozen or more short-answer questions--reasonably tough ones. Answers appear in an appendix, unfortunately without discussion or page references. There's also a CD-ROM, but it has only 40 free questions on it--you have to pay for 500 more. --David Wall

Product Description
A+ Certification Training Guide provides users with all the information needed to pass the A+ Certification exams. Written by expert trainers, this book contains all the insider strategies users need to successfully become A+-certified. This study guide contains hundreds of test questions, lists, tables, notes, tips, and tricks to completely prepare users for the exams.

• A+ Certification is a testing program that certifies the competency of service technicians in the computer industry
• The number of candidates taking the exam increased from 20,000 to 40,000 (projected end of 1997)
• Study from hundreds of test questions, and practice taking the exam on the TestPrep test engine on the CD-ROM
• CD-ROM contains Macmillan's exclusive TestPrep simulation, the closest thing to the actual Sylvan Prometric test engine used for A+ Certification exams

Product Details

• Textbook Binding: 1104 pages
• Publisher: Que Pub (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562058665
• ISBN-13: 978-1562058661
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,038,965 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, May 11, 2000

By	Jamie Swoish (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent reference book to use with your other A+ study guides. For anyone wanting to get the proper materials to study with, this is one of them you should have.

3.0 out of 5 stars totally upset with an useless cd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, February 26, 1999

By A Customer

How can they give u such an useless CD .really a waste of time exploring the CD!!!!!!! the lab_procedure is o.k and diagrams is o.k. the presentation is NOT O.K. exactly like an encyclopedia,as one comment put it.final word--what a damn CD!!!!

2.0 out of 5 stars A good reference book, but not much else., February 10, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Mount Laurel, NJ) - See all my reviews

I used the book to help pass my A+ tests, but there were several shortcomings. First, some of the info was wrong, such as the Cyrix DLC processor including a FPU. Also, the writing style is worse than an encyclopedia. It's simply too dry to keep your attention, but the book is nice to have around as a reference manual.

The CD that comes with the book is of some value in preparing for the test, provided you unlock it for extra money. The problem is that the test program has bugs that incorrectly graph scores and give error messages during scoring, and some of the diagrams do not match the questions. In addition, some of my answers to the questions were marked wrong when, according to the book, my answer was right. Looking on the web site provided an errata for the book (which didn't mention the Cyrix CPU), but there was no patch to fix the test CD. Talk about a defective product!

Finally, the book is unneccesarily detailed in some cases, such as CPU pins config, but not detailed enough in other cases. Again, its better as a reference manual than an exam prep, especially because of the problems with the CD, which could have been a great prep if done right.