The A+ certification by CompTIA is an international industry credential that verifies the knowledge of computer service technicians equivalent to at least 500 hours of hands-on experience. The certifications is widely accepted by major hardware and software vendors, distributors and resellers. The CompTIA A+ is one of the major foundation-level, vendor-neutral certifications for service techs. The exams cover a broad range of hardware and software topics in general, but are not really bound to any vendor-specific product lines. The knowledge, skills, and abilities measured by the CompTIA A+ exams were created from an worldwide job task analysis in the techncian industry. At this time, over 550,000 individuals have obtained their CompTIA A+ certification.

Earning the CompTIA A+ certification proves to a potential employer that a candidate has a broad knowledgebase and competency in core hardware and operating system technologies including installation, configuration, diagnosing, and preventive maintenance. The exam also covers basic networking.

The CompTIA A+ certification is well accepted in the industry as an entry path to an IT career. Many major corporations including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Novell, and Certiport recognize the A+ certification as part of their program tracks. Many of today's top companies including CompuCom, CompUSA and IBM have also made CompTIA A+ certification a requirement for their service techs. More than 100 companies now ask that their employees acquire A+ certifications as part of their employment agreement. To learn more about the A+ exam visit www.comptia.org