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The CompTIA A+ training program covers four areas of training; you’re seen as competent at A+ when you’ve achieved certifications for two of the four areas. This is why the majority of training establishments offer only two of the training courses. The truth is you will need the training for all four areas as many jobs will be looking for the skills and knowledge of each specialist area. Don’t feel pressured to take all four exams, but we would recommend you study for all four areas.

Courses in A+ computer training teach diagnostic techniques and fault-finding – remotely as well as hands on, in addition to building and fixing and having knowledge of antistatic conditions.

If you feel it appropriate to add Network+ to your A+ course, you’ll additionally be equipped to look after networks, allowing you to move further up the career path.

Proper support is incredibly important – locate a good company providing 24×7 full access, as anything else will annoy you and definitely hold up your pace and restrict your intake.

You’ll be waiting ages for an answer with email based support, and phone support is often to a call-centre that will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor – who will call back over the next day or so (assuming you’re there), when it’s convenient to them. This isn’t a lot of good if you’re stuck with a particular problem and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.

Keep your eyes open for colleges that utilise many support facilities from around the world. Every one of them needs to be seamlessly combined to provide a single interface and also access round-the-clock, when you need it, with the minimum of hassle.

Unless you insist on online 24×7 support, you’ll end up kicking yourself. You might not want to use the service late in the night, but you may need weekends, evenings and early mornings at some point.

Don’t put too much store, as a lot of students can, on the training process. Training is not an end in itself; you’re training to become commercially employable. Focus on the end-goal.

It’s an awful thing, but a great many students begin programs that seem wonderful in the prospectus, but which provides the end-result of a job that doesn’t fulfil at all. Just ask several college leavers and you’ll see where we’re coming from.

Make sure you investigate your leanings around earning potential and career progression, plus your level of ambition. It’s vital to know what the role will demand of you, which particular exams will be required and how to develop your experience.

Have a conversation with a professional advisor that has a commercial understanding of the realities faced in the industry, and is able to give you detailed descriptions of what you actually do in that role. Researching these areas before commencement of any training program has obvious benefits.

A sneaky way that course providers make extra profits is via an ‘exam inclusive’ package and offering an exam guarantee. It looks like a good deal, until you think it through:

We all know that we’re still footing the bill for it – obviously it has been added into the gross price invoiced by the college. It’s definitely not free – and it’s insulting that we’re supposed to think it is!

People who take each progressive exam, funding them one at a time are much more likely to pass. They are thoughtful of the cost and so are more inclined to ensure they are ready.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you take the exam, and keep hold of your own money. In addition, it’s then your choice where to do the examinations – so you can choose somewhere closer to home.

Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for exam fees when you don’t need to? A great deal of money is made because training colleges are charging upfront for all their exams – and then cashing in when they’re not all taken.

Additionally, many exam guarantees are worthless. Many training companies won’t pay for you to re-take until you have demonstrated conclusively that you won’t fail again.

On average, exams cost approximately 112 pounds in the last 12 months through UK VUE or Prometric centres. So don’t be talked into shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds more to have ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when it’s obvious that the most successful method is consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software.

It’s essential to have accredited simulation materials and an exam preparation system included in your course.

Because most IT examination boards tend to be American, you need to become familiar with their phraseology. It’s no use simply answering any old technical questions – they need to be in the proper exam format.

Always have some simulated exam questions in order to test your knowledge along the way. Practice exams prepare you properly – then you won’t be quite so nervous at the actual exam.

Written by Scott Edwards. Navigate to Career Retraining Courses or Job Qualifications.