Updates on CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security + exams Carol Balkcom

1. Updates on CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ exams Carol Balkcom Director, Product Management CompTIA

2. A+ Certification For IT Helpdesk and Remote Support Professionals

3. CompTIA product stack

4. Employment of U.S. Workers in Core IT Positions Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Employment Statistics, March 2012

5. IT Hiring

6. Investments by Firm Size % expecting to increase investment Staffing Levels On the hiring front, medium size IT firms (100-499 employees) are most likely to add new staff over the next six months. With a range of new technologies sought by customers (e.g. cloud, big data, business process automation, mobility) IT firms must be vigilant in maintaining high levels of expertise through internal training and/or new hires. Source: CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index – Q3 Release, July 2012 Base: 445 U.S. IT industry executives

7. Case Study Chuck Cooper, program director for certification at IBM believes: To be Proficient in Technology…. you need to build your skills and take training Certifications - are a baseline measurement of skills and a consistent measure that validates the skills you achieve Certifications - build confidence on the part of prospective customers, sellers and business partners Certifications - listed on a proposal denote people with whom you can collaborate

8. CompTIA A+ Certification 2 exams 220-801 220-802 Vendor Neutral Certification • A+ Knowledge and Skills • Installation, configuring and troubleshooting of the following: • PC hardware (including laptops and mobile devices, and custom configurations • Printers • Networking components • Operating systems including Windows 7 Enterprise • Operational procedures including safety, environment and customer communications • Security (22% of exam 802) ISO Certified ANSI Accredited Kept current via Continuing Ed program Measures Necessary Competencies for today’s Entry Level IT Professionals

9. Career Advancement for IT Professionals Target Audience Individuals working in or planning to work in technical support roles such as:

10. 2011 IT Technician Job Role Survey • PC Technicians (71%) • Field Support Technicians (65%) • Help Desk Technicians (64%) • Customer Service Technicians (48%) • Network Support Technicians (41%) Survey respondents chose the following job roles for which A+ is most often required

11. Companies such as Ricoh, Dell and CompuCom Have Made A+ Certification Mandatory Over 900,000 A+ Certified IT Professionals Why A+ U.S. DoD 8570.1 Mandates A+ Certification for Level I Technical Personnel in Information Assurance CompTIA A+ Certified by ISO and Accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Among Top 10 certifications in the industry (DICE TechRepublic, New Horizons)

12. Organizations that Require or Mandate A+ Professionals Government Organizations Corporate Organizations

13. POLLS

14. CompTIA Website:Companies that use A+ There is a page on the CompTIA website that lists companies that use CompTIA certifications, with specific certifications that they use. http://certification.comptia.org/ExploreCareers/whohires.aspx

15. A+ Exam Details

16. CompTIA A+ Objectives

17. Changes from the 700 series A+ • Windows 7 Enterprise has been added to the covered Windows operating systems • Mobile Devices (802: 3.0) is a new subject matter domain. It includes Apple iOS and Android. Coverage includes just what a helpdesk technician would be expected to do: Establish network connectivity for the device, configure email, set up security, and troubleshoot. • Virtualization (802: 1.9) is new • All troubleshooting is in one exam (802: 4.0), more extensive, and organized by specific hardware/software area (e.g. hard drives, display, etc.) • Troubleshooting wireless (802: 4.5) is new • There is more coverage of troubleshooting security issues (802: 4.7) • SOHO-specific security is new (802: 2.5,2.6)

18. Exam objectives and other information For exam objectives and other information, go to this Netcomm page: http://www.netcomlearning.com/packages/8000/A+-and-Network+-Certification-Boot-Camp-training.html

19. Performance Based Questions

20. Performance based questions in Network+, Security+

21. Timeframe and notes Performance based questions will be added to Network+ and Security+ on this schedule: • Network+: November 2012 • Security+: January 2013 • Same objectives • Same number of questions on exam (multiple choice will be reduced to accommodate performance based) • Hands-on training or experience becomes much more important

22. New “demo” video of CompTIA exam experience YouTube Video • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NsbJLkHuuo Performance based questions section • Begins at roughly the 5 minute mark CompTIA website (performance based portion only) • http://certification.comptia.org/news/12-10-09/What_Is_A_Performance-Based_Question.aspx Video demonstrates what a candidate can expect, from the beginning of a CompTIA exam to the end.

23. Why performance based questions? • A better measure of skills, not just memorization • Represents CompTIA’s interest in using the latest in testing technologies to the benefit of the industry • Intended as a better indication of a certified candidate’s readiness for the job. In the words of a member of the CompTIA Security+ Certification Advisory Committee from the U.S. Navy: A certification is not intended to be the introductory training tool for an inexperienced and untrained individual.....a certification is intended to attest that the individual has already attained the requisite training and experience and has proven it with an industry-recognized standard (certification exam).

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