Set up twenty-eight years ago, the 'Computing Technology Industry Association' (or CompTIA in short) is a not for profit institution. They've developed step by step and now are world leaders in IT accreditations that are vendor neutral. This means they can supply & oversee independent industry recognised I.T. exams and accreditations that don't reflect a single company's interests more than another. This is very good for trainees, because they can learn about various platforms and how they 'inter-connect' & 'integrate' with one another - a common scenario in industry today. When a new examination is being assembled (or a previous one up-graded), CompTIA consults with leading associates of the professional and educational world to produce well balanced & extremely relevant material.

Naturally these careers often lead on to far more senior jobs if the appropriate accreditations have been put in place. That's why its important to look at your long-term options before picking out your personal career training path. The best way to optimise your career path the most is always to obtain guidance from an industry expert prior to starting out with your training program. Many companies offer discounted career-paths which can include these accreditations, and so purchasing in a training 'bundle' can offer considerable cost-savings.

In 2009 each program underwent up-dates, and new exams are now in existence for them both. A+ exams that began with the number 600 (that is the 2006/2007 version) are being phased out worldwide. In the United Kingdom, they cease being offered on August 31st 2010. Up until that time, individuals can take either the 600 or the more recent '700' exams in local test centres (namely 'Vue' and Prometric). Common sense suggests that new entrant students should study edition 2009. The individual A+ 2009 exams have become: 'CompTIA' 'A+' Essentials (examination 220-701) and CompTIA A+ Practical Application (examination 220/702.) The key changes were a complete re-structuring of the earlier 4 examinations in to only 2 examinations, & the addition of some information on more recent relevant technologies. Formerly, the A+ was broken into 4 examinations: 1 essential and three elective specialisations. But as the market has moved on, the know-how from all four examinations is actually regarded as necessary, & therefore has been fine-tuned in to 2 compulsory assessments. 'CompTIA' have also introduced the BR-003 bridging exam, for people accredited in the '600' examinations who want to update to the new '700' exams. Supplemental training will undoubtedly be required, particularly for those who just originally studied for two of the 4 electives. Clearly though the newer technological subjects will need to be learned about.

For a new entrant to IT, CompTIA supplies the preliminary foundation training programs in numerous sectors. Anyone thinking of getting into networking and support, or servers, security & systems will usually start with CompTIA, although its true to state that 'CompTIA' qualifications can improve any CV targeted towards the IT market. CompTIA are now also marketing STRATA qualifications - they're not especially for men and women employed in the I.T. market, but for those whose positions would benefit from a fundamental understanding of computers.

Standard learning time for these exams are thought to be about 100 to 150 hrs for the 'A+' , and 75 to 100 hrs for the 'Network+' . Using the appropriate multimedia training package that is backed up by authorised exam practice software, the two accreditations could very well be accomplished inside of half a year for the trainee who is learning around a job.

The job roles that follow are all feasible for the individual holding a 'CompTIA' 'A+' qualification: Call Centre Technician, Depot Technician, Help Desk Technician, Field Service Technician, PC Technician, IT Administrator, and Remote Support Technician. With CompTIA Network+ as well, you can consider becoming a Network Installer, an IT Cable Installer, a Network Administrator or a Network Technician .

The 'A+' training and the 'Network+' training are CompTIAs most widely recognised qualifications. These two, as a set, create the building blocks of many modern I.T. career tracks - & rightly so. A+ training covers all of the fundamentals of Computer maintenance, fault finding and repair; including security, installation and support. To help you to establish yourself within the IT industry, the 'A+' also handles a number of communication and personal skill-sets. Expanding on this knowledge, the Network+ certification looks at networks, (this includes routers & servers) & explains exactly how they communicate with each other. The critical challenge of Security is underlined, & Wireless technologies are reviewed at a basic level. Obtaining both of these qualifications will give a solid grounding for anybody wanting to get into the systems side of the IT sector, along with a platform of understanding for further accreditation.

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