CST 6468 A+ Preparation Daren Russ All Rights Reserved No part of this material or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials.
Does everyone have a time table? You must be registered in this course to attend it. This course is A+ Preparation CST 6468 section 521
Who am I? Daren Russ Email russd@algonquincollege.com I request that you email me ASAP The email should have the subject line CST-6468 Please detail your computer knowledge and background Any formal courses you have taken Email will be the only way to contact me outside of class hours Web page for class slides to be announced once email is received
Classes Friday, 7:00-10:00 p.m. in Room T110 Classes typically consist of 1 hour + of lecture and 2 hours of lab time. The College may be closed for holidays. You will be advised ahead of time. Unless you hear to the contrary classes will be conducted as scheduled How will you find out if a class is canceled? My Webpage, a phone call from the College, or from me the previous week
Requirements Lecture and Lab requirements 1. Be on time 2. Come prepared for Lecture Preview all material etc prior to class so if you have questions they can be dealt with in the lab. 3. Come prepared for Lab You will need a tool kit ( minimally you need a #2 Phillips screw driver and a anti static strap ). Tool kits are available at the computer store along with the text book and Anti-Static Strap or a multi tip screw driver is sufficient. Your choice. 4. We will be using the text book in great depth, it is a worth while investment. Assignments and test are included in the book and will be assigned as home work
About CST 6468 Course outline. All information covered in this course is listed in the outline along with other important information. A link to the outline will be given with the email reply or through the webpage I setup. What will be covered? Most everything will be covered in some point or another yet due to time constraints we will not be able to cover every aspect of computer hardware and software in great depth. Please take the time to review the book in depth BE prepared for considerable out of school work
Why A+ Prep (CompTIA)? http://www.comptia.org/ Read through this site (a+ section) in detail All questions related to exams, locations prices etc are on this site. Sample questions, objectives and other resources are also listed on the site. Why A+ Prep? CompTIA certification programs are the recognized industry standards for foundation-level information technology (IT) skills. Many companies are now requiring their service, sales and help desk people to have some sort of certification.
CompTIA A+ Essentials Exam code 220-1001 (220-901) CompTIA A+ 220-1001 covers the fundamentals of computer technology, installation and configuration of PCs, laptops and related hardware, and basic networking. measures the necessary competencies of an entry-level IT professional with a recommended 12 months of hands-on experience in the lab or field. It tests for the fundamentals of computer technology, networking and security, as well as the communication skills and professionalism now required of all entry-level IT professionals.
CompTIA A+ Practical Application Exam code 220-1002 (220-902) CompTIA A+ 220-1002 covers the skills required to install and configure PC operating systems, as well as configuring common features (e.g. network connectivity and email) for mobile operating systems Android and Apple ios. is an extension of the knowledge and skills identified in CompTIA A+ Essentials, with more of a "hands-on" orientation focused on scenarios in which troubleshooting and tools must be applied to resolve problems.
900 Series 2016-2018 The 900 series focused on supporting users access to the applications and data needed to complete a task from any given device Apple Mac is back and Linux was added for the first time IoT introduced with expansion outside of general computing devices Security considerations expand into all domains of the two exams cont
900 series Coverage included Desktop PCs, laptops, smartphones, tablets, wearables, e-readers, GPS Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, Android, ios, Linux, Mac OS X Mobile device ports and connection types (e.g, NFC, MicroUSB, miniusb) PC hardware tools and components, BIOS/UEFI tools, motherboard form factors (ITX, mini-itx), expansion cards (network, USB, Firewire, Thunderbolt, video capture) Cloud printing, remote printing Mobile device accessories, e.g., headsets, speakers, docking stations, credit card readers Expanding threats including ransomware, zombie/botnets, spear phishing Multifactor authentication, access control lists (ACLs), Powershell, RDP, icloud, Linux, SaaS applications, and Outlook.com and Google email Mobile device connections (NFC, Bluetooth, Hotspot/tethering, IR) WiFi networking and encryption types (WEP, WPA, WPA2, TKIP, AES) Router configuration (Basic QoS, UPnP, Firmware, etc) RAID arrays
2019 220-1001 220-1002 Series The Core Series focuses on enabling end users and devices to securely access the data needed to complete a task. IoT is expanded with both device hardware and device connectivity addressed Scripting is introduced as an important technical support tool Cloud and virtualization get a dedicated domain
2019 Series Coverage includes: Laptops, desktop PCs, smartphones, tablets, wearables, e-readers, GPS Windows 10, 7, 8, 8.1, Android, ios, Linux, Mac OS X, Chrome OS Mobile device network connectivity, application support and device synchronization Networking hardware devices (Routers, switches, access points, cloudbased network controller, PoE, etc.) Networked hosts, server role, Internet appliances, legacy systems PC hardware tools and components, BIOS/UEFI settings, solid state drives (M2, NVME, SATA 2.5), RAID 10, hot swappable storage configurations Custom PC configurations including virtualization workstations and NAS devices cont
2019 Series cont Sharing multifunction devices and printers via OS settings, wired and wireless connections, 3D printing Logical security concepts, Active Directory security settings, software tokens, MDM policies, MAC address filtering, certificates, VPN, DLP, email filtering Security protocols and encryption (WEP, WPA, WPA2, TKIP, AES), authentication methods (single-factor, multifactor, RADIUS, TACACS), security threat identification and prevention Privacy concerns and policies (PII, PCI, GDPR, PHI)
Exam info cont.. Required exams CompTIA A+ 220-1001, CompTIA A+ 220-1002 Number of questions Maximum of 90 Type of questions Multiple choice and performance-based (see website) Length of test 90 minutes Passing score CompTIA A+ 220-1001: ~ 675 (on a scale of 900) CompTIA A+ 220-1002: ~ 700 (on a scale of 900) Languages English
Exam Objectives 220-1001 1.0 Mobile Devices 14% 2.0 Networking 20% 3.0 Hardware 27% 4.0 Virtualization and Cloud Computing 12% 5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting 27% Total 100%
Exam Objectives 220-1002 1.0 Operating Systems 27% 2.0 Security 24% 3.0 Software Troubleshooting 26% 4.0 Operational Procedures 23% Total 100%
220-1001 You will understand how to Install and configure PC system unit components and peripheral devices. Install, configure, and troubleshoot display and multimedia devices. Install, configure, and troubleshoot storage devices. Install, configure, and troubleshoot internal system components. Explain network infrastructure concepts. Configure and troubleshoot network connections. Implement client virtualization. Support and troubleshoot laptops. Support and troubleshoot mobile devices. Support and troubleshoot print devices.
220-1002 You will understand how to Support operating systems. Install, configure, and maintain operating systems. Maintain and troubleshoot Microsoft Windows. Configure and troubleshoot network connections. Manage users, workstations, and shared resources. Implement physical security. Secure workstations and data. Troubleshoot workstation security issues. Support and troubleshoot mobile operating systems and applications. Implement operational procedures.
the CompTIA A+ 900 series will be available until July 31, 2019. https://certification.comptia.org/it-careernews/post/view/2019/01/18/the-newcomptia-a-your-questions-answered https://certification.comptia.org/certification s/a https://certification.comptia.org/training/self -study/books
The text book and supplemental CD The text book is CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide ISBN 978-1-119-13785-6. $60.00 (listed on the book, book store may be different)
In the lecture We will be covering many subjects to do with computer hardware and O/S software and related fields. Both Hardware and the O/S related subjects may be covered at the same time. You are asked to be on time. A notebook is recommended but not required. Note that not all information is documented in my slides The slides that I use in the course are made available to all with computer access upon my discretion. Slides for lectures are typically made available the Sunday evening before the class.
In the lab Lab class is 2 hours You are required to bring the minimum tools to the lab and will be informed of any other needs through the website or during the previous class Bringing a note book is mandatory for taking notes on procedures, commands etc you may be using on the lab. You may be asked to supply your own utilities (software) but you will be given the web pages from which to download these free tools All software that will be used is either free or shareware Should you finish the lab early you are welcome to leave or stay and investigate the lab or other area further Talking is to be kept to a minimum during the lab session.
Attendance You must attend a minimum of 80% of the classes. As we cover an enormous amount of information in each class it is recommended that you attend all classes. If you are absent and can supply a supporting document i.e. doctors note etc.. The absence will be negated upon my discretion If you do not attend a minimum of the 80% of the classes you will not have successfully completed the class and therefore will be have a final mark of Fail. For any missed classes you are solely responsible for the information covered in that class. I will not be answering any emails regarding what did I miss nor will reviews be a regular occurrence. Typically it works out to a max of 3 missed classes
Course content Should we cover a topic that you would like to investigate further then we can spend a little more time on it.. i.e. networking. We will however have to make up the time by reducing the amount of time spent on other subjects.. Due to the vast amount of information in the new tests this may not always be possible. I do not use Black Board. Course outline is available on Black Board.
Questions?
Lab Procedures Depending on the number of people each person may or may not get there own computer The computer you get will have a number on the front of it. You are to document this computer as this will be the computer that you will use for the remainder of the course Take care in using these computers as they are the only ones available for the duration of this term. If you are to damage the computer you may be paired up further with another person or group.
Lab Procedures 1. Take your time No extra points will be given for finishing first or fast Make sure to document procedures, problems, commands etc 2. Take care while inside the case There are sharp edges, pointed ends, spinning fans and voltages that may be dangerous 3. Always use your anti static strap when the computer is open If you are caught not using the anti static strap you will be asked to leave the lab class If you do not have an anti static strap you will not be working inside the case 4. Food and drink are not permitted in the lab
Computer Equipment The current condition and function level of the computers are un known. Some computers may have O/S s installed while others may not.
Problem Hardware Should you experience a problem see me first before trying to service the computer If the computer is not repairable a note must be attached to the computer or device and it be placed at the front of the class. The note must contain..
Problem Hardware (cont) 1. Date 2. Cabinet number the computer has come from (CE1) 3. Computer number (to be used as a reference) if needed 4. Problem encountered 5. Procedures if any to resolve the problem
Preparing for the A+ test What to do When to do it How to do it
Preparing for the A+ test Read.. Read and reread the chapters assigned Use the study guides and tests at the end of each chapter Supplement the chapter reading with the slides I provide The text book should be your primary reference Find as many sources for free tests as you can and use them as much as possible Start NOW
How much time. How much time should you put into this course? Min 4 to 6 hours outside of class time To include reading, practice tests, etc I don t have additional equipment.. What should I do? When should I start? Now
Use the Internet There are several web sites and other sources available that have practice tests. There are several web sites that will email you questions Look for practice test. Old tests are still useful
Use the CD in the back of the book There are sample test on this CD. Try these web sites as a start (may be pay) www.simulationexams.com (download 2 EXE files?) www.actualtests.com (seems to have changed to pay) Do you know of other resources? Email them to me and I will add them to the list. Is homework given? It is in your best interest to read the chapters take note and conduct testing or experiments/tests at home. The responsibility is yours to do this.
Homework Investigate/find free online test resources Get textbook? Read chapters 1 and 2 Get tools Go through the comptia website (A+ section) Investigate test centers, cost, etc Research virtual machines. Email me
Lab
This weeks lab class This week we will be looking and trying to identify the contents of our computers You will need to identify 1. External devices i.e.??? 2. Connection ports i.e.??? 3. Internal devices (if you have tools) i.e.??? 4. Function level of the computer 5. O/S Unsure of these components explain them in your own words or make a diagram. Know everything about the computer you will be working with before you open it. Power the computer to check its functionality level. Documentation is your friend.