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What Is CompTIA A+

CompTIA is an organization that provides vendor-neutral IT certifications. It helps individuals and professionals get ahead in IT. To date, CompTIA has issued around 2 million certificates.

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geraldine souza
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15 views

What Is CompTIA A+

CompTIA is an organization that provides vendor-neutral IT certifications. It helps individuals and professionals get ahead in IT. To date, CompTIA has issued around 2 million certificates.

Uploaded by

geraldine souza
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is CompTIA A+?

CompTIA is an organization that provides vendor-neutral IT certifications. It helps individuals


and professionals get ahead in IT. To date, CompTIA has issued around 2 million certificates.
It has developed training and certifications for computing support, networking, security,
open-source development, cloud, and mobility. CompTIA ensures that you are ready to take
on new challenges in the IT industry. 

CompTIA A+ is a certificate for technical support, IT operational roles, security, and more. It
encapsulates operating systems, cloud computing, security, hardware, software, and more.
With this certificate, you can work in tech support, systems support, technology analysis,
etc. 
What is CompTIA Network+?

CompTIA Network+ is an IT certification that ensures you have the required skills in
networking to develop a career in IT infrastructure. This certification enables you to work
with various networks and support them regardless of the platform. You need to obtain this
certification before specializing in a vendor solution. 

CompTIA Network+ gives you the skills necessary to troubleshoot, configure, and manage
wired and wireless networks for companies worldwide. It helps you build a professional and
working knowledge of new-age technologies, such as cloud computing and virtualization.
After completing the certification, you can work as a network administrator, network
technician, etc.
Which certificate should you take - CompTIA A+ or Network+?
CompTIA A+ is a computer and hardware technician certificate focused on desktop and end-
user computing. It contains some fundamental networking and server concepts. Network+ is
focused primarily on TCP/IP networking and covers a broad range of related topics,
including subnetting, iSCSI, NFS, FiberChannel, and DNS. 

The certificate you go for will depend on the line of work you are planning to follow. If you
want an entry-level job that lets you work with the basics of a computer and its hardware
and diagnose and troubleshoot common problems, you would be better off doing CompTIA
A+ certification. 

With Network+, a vendor-neutral certificate, you can work at an entry-level job dealing with
networking and its components. This exam provides knowledge of the OSI models and the
networking protocols. 
Which certificate should you take first?

You can take both the CompTIA A+ exam and the Network+ exam at the same time.

If you have little to no knowledge and experience in the IT field, you should go for a
CompTIA A+ certificate. When you enter the IT field, it is essential to have a fundamental
knowledge of computer hardware, software, and how everything works together. 

In A+, you will also learn to troubleshoot common issues. For example, if you are setting up
a network and a few PCs cannot connect to the network, having A+ troubleshooting skills
will prove extremely useful. 

Some people might still prefer taking Network+ first. CompTIA’s Network+ training course
and study material are less dense than A+. Network+ focuses mainly on networking
knowledge, while A+ focuses on a wide variety of topics. This could be the reason why some
people find the Network+ exam easier. 
Is Network+ harder than A+?

If you enter the IT industry without prior IT knowledge, learning the fundamentals could be
better and easier. 

Networking+ could be harder because you need to know some connections and
interpretations between different operating systems, such as Unix, Mac OS, Windows, etc.
For A+, you have to focus on different topics and have more material to learn and recall in
the exam. 
Difference between CompTIA A+ and Network+ certificate?

The similarities between these two certificates are quite clear. CompTIA offers both of these
certificates to propel your career forward in IT. Both these certificates help you build
knowledge and skills around the basics of computing systems. However, there are some
crisp differences: 
 Network+ is vendor-neutral, and A+ is vendor-specific. Vendor-neutral certifications
are not associated with any specific IT vendors. The skills and knowledge you
develop from these are universally applicable. No vendor controls the distribution or
revision of that certificate. Vendor-specific certifications offer expertise in specific
technological areas or tools. 

 A+ covers topics ranging from security, cloud computing, troubleshooting, operating


systems, etc. Network+ covers networking and IT infrastructure.

 A+ includes computer hardware, software, and how they can be operated securely.
Network+ deals with the operation of networks and devices and the basics of how to
use ACLs to secure them. 

 A+ is an entry-level certification, while Network+ is intended for network admins. For


A+ certification, you need to pass the 220-1001 and 220-1002 exams, but for the
Network+ certification, you need only pass the N10-007 exam. 

 CompTIA recommends 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience in the lab or the field


before applying for t A+ certification. In contrast, Network+ recommends CompTIA
A+ certification plus 9 to 12 months of experience in the networking field. 

 With the CompTIA A+ certification, you can make, on average, US$ 45,000 to US$
60,000. With Network+, you can make, on average, US$ 60,000 to US$ 90,000. 

 On the Network+ exam, you will design and implement functional networks,
configuring, managing, and maintaining essential network devices, network
configurations, network security, and much more. On the CompTIA A+ exam, you will
have to go through different operating systems, virtual machines, peripheral devices,
small networks, technical support, cybersecurity controls, troubleshooting and
supporting end-user access to applications and data, etc. The A+ exam covers quite a
broad range of topics, from hardware, software, and mobile devices to networking
and security. 
Conclusion

You must know the difference between various IT certifications available for professionals at
different levels of their careers. CompTIA A+ and Network+ are two different certifications
and offer different skills and knowledge.

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