Details

Time to roll up those sleeves and dive inside the personal computer. This online Basic CompTIA A+ Certification Prep course will teach you about the hardware common to virtually every personal computer, including microprocessors, RAM, power supplies, motherboards, UEFI/BIOS, the system setup utility, the expansion bus, and input/output devices. You will learn how things work, how to configure everything, and how to troubleshoot in real-world environments. This course gives you the knowledge to base the rest of your CompTIA A+ certification studies for the 220-1001 and 220-1002 exams.

Enrollment Options:

Instructor-Led
6 Weeks Access Course Code: ac1
Start Dates* Mar 13 | Apr 17 | May 15 | Jun 19
*Choose start date in cart

$129.99

USD
Self-Paced
3 Months Access Course Code: T9216
No Instructor, Start Anytime

$129.99

USD

Enroll before 28th February and get high quality lamination on your hardcopy certificate absolutely free! Use your certificate to your advantage by showing your certified credentials to prospective employers and recruiters.

Syllabus

The Art of the Tech

The first lesson introduces the course and the CompTIA A+ certification. Get familiar with the how the components of a personal computer work together and how tech professional interact with clients. Finish with a tried-and-true troubleshooting methodology that applies to all tech situations.

The Visible Computer

Take a tour of the PC, starting with the exterior connectors. This lesson goes into details of the interior devices as well. The goal is to understand proper tech terminology and standard computer components.

Maintenance and Safety Precautions

Dive into the important safety techniques that every good tech absolutely needs to know. These techniques range from cleaning a computer to disposing of old parts safely.

Central Processing Units

Explore the importance of central processing units, the core processing component in every PC. You will learn the variations in technology, practical information and practice installing and troubleshooting CPUs.

RAM

Dig into the details of a foundational computer component—RAM. You will learn about the different varieties of RAM and proper techniques for installing it. Then, wrap up the lesson by troubleshooting RAM and memory problems.

BIOS/UEFI

This lesson focuses on the BIOS or UEFI, essential programming that makes computers function. You will learn about the special tools used for storing configuration options for BIOS and UEFI.

Motherboards and Cases

Lesson 7 is all about motherboards, the bedrock of every PC. Understand form factors, types of expansion slots, and installation steps for expansion cards. This lesson also covers upgrading, installing, and troubleshooting motherboards.

Powering the PC

This lesson focuses on power supplies and the basics of powering a PC. You will learn about how electricity gets from your wall outlet into your PC, along with how to test that electricity. The goal is to understand power supply standards, how to install one inside your PC, and how to troubleshoot power supply problems.

Input Devices

Get to know the devices that enable you to input data into your computer. This lesson explores standard input devices (like keyboards and mice) and multimedia devices (like digital cameras and webcams). You will also learn about connecting those devices to computer using connectors like USB and FireWire.

Hard Drive Technologies

Dig into hard drive technologies, including traditional hard disk drives and modern solid-state drives. In this lesson, you will learn the fundamentals of protecting data with RAID technology. The goal is to understand how to install hard drives and how to troubleshoot bad drives.

Implementing Hard Drives

This lesson will teach you how to prepare a hard drive for use by an operating system. You will also learn about maintaining your data using several included Windows utilities and partitioning and formatting a hard drive.

Removable Media

To wrap up the course, you will learn about the various forms of removable media. This final lesson teaches you about older formats like tape drives, flash media like USB thumb drives and memory cards, and about optical media like DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, and external drives.

Requirements

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 8 or newer.
  • Mac: OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Instructor

Scott Jernigan, an A+ and Network+ Certified Technician, holds a Master of Arts degree in Medieval History. He teaches A+ Certification and PC hardware classes. He has taught at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA, Lucent Technologies in Baltimore, MD, and at the United Nations in New York City. Jernigan has also edited numerous computer books, including the best-selling All in One A+ Certification Exam Guide and the Network+ Certification Exam Guide.

Reviews

The median annual pay for computer technicians was $55,510 in May 2021.


According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov), the median annual pay for computer technicians was $55,510 in May 2021. As a computer technician, you can be part of an IT support team for all types of organizations, providing technical support and ensuring the company functions smoothly. CompTIA A+ is the industry standard for establishing a career in IT and is the preferred certification for technical support and IT operational roles. The employment of CompTIA A+ certified professionals is projected to grow 8 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all professions. Join the ranks of hundreds of individuals who have successfully completed the CompTIA A+ Certification through us and go on to work as a IT support specialist, IT field service technician, desktop support analyst, and much more.

About ExpertRating

ExpertRating is an ISO 9001:2015 certified company offering online certification and training services to individuals and companies globally. Over 25 million people have benefited from ExpertRating Online Certifications and assessments. ExpertRating is the winner of the Google SME Hero's award for showing outstanding use of technology in delivering trusted services to thousands of people on a daily basis. Our affordable certifications are an excellent way of demonstrating your knowledge and skills to prospective employers as well as vastly boosting your chances of moving ahead in your business or career.

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ExpertRating is a winner of the Google SME Heroes award. This award has been instituted by Google to honor IT companies that have excelled in their domain and have leveraged the internet to grow and expand their businesses in innovative ways.


ExpertRating is an ISO 9001:2015 certified company, which reflects that our courses and tests conform to the highest international quality standards. Our training material is prepared by thorough professionals with years of experience, and goes through several rounds of analysis by expert teams to help develop well-balanced, comprehensive and meaningful content.


By the end of the course, you will be ready to take the certification exams to qualify as an IT technician, and you will do it all online at your own pace with a facilitator who will provide one-on-one interaction by answering questions and providing feedback on your performance. ExpertRating offers everything you need to succeed. ExpertRating gives you the flexibility to move ahead at your own pace, whether you have a full-time job, you are currently home, or you are looking to get back to work, you can enroll at any time. So, start preparing to be a certified IT technician today.