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Hardware
The A+ Core Hardware Service Technician Examination measures essential competencies for an entry-level PC hardware service technician with six months of on-the-job experience. The examinee must demonstrate basic knowledge of installing, configuring, upgrading, troubleshooting, and repairing microcomputer systems at the standard defined by this test specification. Following are the key focus areas along with a summary of what is to be learned in that particular section.
Installation, Configuration, and Upgrading - Students will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to identify, install, configure, and upgrade microcomputer modules and peripherals by following established basic procedures for system assembly and disassembly of field replaceable modules.
Diagnosing and Troubleshooting - Students will acquire the ability to diagnose and troubleshoot common module problems and system malfunctions. This includes learning the symptoms that accompany common problems.
Preventive Maintenance - Students will learn about safety and preventive maintenance. With regard to safety, this includes the potential hazards to personnel and equipment when working with lasers, high voltage equipment, ESD, and items that require special disposal procedures to comply with environmental regulation. With regard to preventive maintenance, this includes knowledge of preventive maintenance products, procedures, environmental hazards, and precautions when working on microcomputer systems.
Motherboard, Processors, and Memory - Students will learn specific terminology, facts, categories, and principles of motherboards, processors, and memory in microcomputer systems.
Printers - Students will learn basic concepts and types of printers and printer components: how they work, how they print onto a page, paper path, care and service techniques, and common problems.
Basic Networking - Students will learn basic network concepts and terminology, how to determine whether a computer is networked, procedures for swapping and configuring network interface cards, and the ramifications of repairs on a networked computer.
Operating Systems
The A+ Operating System Technologies Examination measures essential operating system competencies for a microcomputer hardware service technician with six months of on-the-job experience. The examinee must demonstrate basic knowledge of Command Line Prompt, Windows 9x and Windows 2000 for installing, configuring, upgrading, troubleshooting, and repairing microcomputer systems. Following are the key focus areas along with a summary of what is to be learned in that particular section.
Operating System Fundamentals - Students will learn about underlying DOS (command prompt functions) in Windows 9x and Windows 2000 in terms of its function and structure. This section also covers navigating through the operating system from command line prompts and Windows procedures for accessing and retrieving information.
Installation, Configuration, and Upgrading - Students will learn how to install, configure, and upgrade Windows 9x and Windows 2000. This includes knowledge of system boot sequences and minimum hardware requirements.
Diagnosing and Troubleshooting - Students will acquire the ability to diagnose and troubleshoot common problems relating to Windows 9x and Windows 2000. This includes understanding normal operations and identifying symptoms relating to common problems.
Networks - Students will learn about the network capabilities of Windows, specifically how to connect to networks on the client side. Students will also learn about the Internet: basic concepts, Internet capabilities, and generic procedures for system setup. This topic covers only what is needed on the desktop side to connect to a network.
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