The not-for-profit institution 'CompTIA' - Computing Technology Industry Association - was formed in 1982. The organisation offers vendor-neutral qualifications that have made it a global number one in it's industry. This fundamentally means they are absolutely free to independently develop & monitor examinations & accreditations that are required by the IT sector, regardless of a particular company's commercial interests. As systems frequently 'converge' & inter-connect in the business world, this provides the IT trainee with a more wholesome knowledge & grasp of cross-platform 'integration'. CompTIA brings together several business and academic industry organisations when designing or upgrading an exam, to make sure that all sides are considered & the very best commercially relevant syllabuses are crafted.

As part of their 'ISO' standardisation drive, CompTIA have upgraded both A+ and N+ examinations to '2009' versions. A+ examinations which began using the prefix '600' (that is the 2006/2007 version) are being phased-out internationally. In the UK, they cease being offered on 31.08.2010. Since both these, and the recently released '700' exams are currently allowed to be taken in Prometric and Vue test centres, it makes sense to study the 700 examinations now, and not have to certify again later on. The individual 'A+' 2009 examinations are now: CompTIA 'A+' Essentials (exam 220-701) and CompTIA A+ Practical Application (examination 220/702.) The main modifications were a whole restructuring of the earlier four exams in to only two examinations, & the inclusion of some information on newer technologies. Even though the old A+ had four examinations in the complete program, only two were needed to get the qualification. During the last four years, the marketplace has evolved to the stage where all 4 exams have become considered necessary - hence the reformatting in to 2 required examinations. CompTIA also have introduced the 'BR-003' 'up-grade' examination, for trainees accredited in the '600' exams who want to update to the new '700' exams. Successfully passing the up-grade examination will generally take more study, although it ought not to be especially much of a challenge for those who originally studied all four. Clearly however the new technological subjects will need to be learned about.

For the new entrant to IT, 'CompTIA' offers the basic foundation training courses in many areas. Typically, individuals who are aiming for employment opportunities within Networking, Servers, Systems, Security, Support & Communications will begin with CompTIA, however students within any sector would likely find a 'CompTIA' accreditation a worthwhile component of their CV. There is also now a push within 'CompTIA' to supply their starter-level 'STRATA' courses to those men and women who do not work in I.T., but would benefit from an awareness of the basics of IT and exactly how it influences their career.

These accreditations and job roles are often taken on the way to a much more senior IT job. Before you decide to go for a training-program, consider just where you want your ultimate destination to be. Do take time to discuss the whole thing with a training and IT expert - it will safeguard you against set backs as time goes on. Training organisations can often develop a personalised training path by putting together a series of training programs that will get the individual from where they're starting from to where they would like to end up.

Any of the career roles that follow will be feasible for the individual holding a 'CompTIA' 'A+' qualification: Call Centre Technician, Remote Support Technician, Depot Technician, Field Service Technician, Help Desk Technician, PC Technician and IT Administrator. Employment prospects will also include Network Administrators, Technicians and Installers for those who hold the CompTIA Network+ too.

The most popular of all of the CompTIA qualifications are undoubtedly the A+ and Network+. Both of them, as a group, create the building blocks for many modern I.T. career-tracks - and for good reason. Trainees learn a good deal of basic PC principles with 'A+' , including repair, maintenance, support security, installation & fault finding. Additionally , it handles several personal & communication skillsets required to get established in IT. The CompTIA Network+ qualification extends this experience to a more thorough grasp of networks, servers and routers, & just how they connect together. The important challenge of Security is underlined, and Wireless networks are outlined at an elementary level. Having both of these accreditations will provide a good grounding for anybody wanting to get into the 'systems' side of the IT industry, together with a foundation of knowledge for further certification.

For the A+ examinations set aside for yourself approximately 100-150 hrs to study and prepare, & a bit less for the 'Network+' examinations (maybe around 75 to 100 hours). Using the right multimedia training package that is backed up by authorised exam preparation software, the two certifications could be completed inside half a year for the student who is learning around employment.

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