CompTIA A+ (Exams 220-1001 & 220-1002)

Identify the problem, test possible causes, implement and verify a plan, cycle through untried solutions when needed, and document results for customer documentation and personal references.

Develop professionalism and communication skills for IT support, build a personal knowledge library from vendor resources, and document processes to improve customer interactions, backups, and licensed software use.

Learn to protect yourself and equipment by mitigating electrostatic discharge and handling components safely, while addressing personal safety, environmental risks, high voltage, ergonomics, and disposal and recycling.

Learn how ergonomic practices reduce discomfort and repetitive strain injuries by eye care, breaks every 15–20 minutes, and proper posture with monitor height and reachable keyboard and mouse.

Learn to recycle and properly dispose of environmental and hazardous waste per federal and local laws, read hazard information and materials safety sheets, and utilize local recycling resources.

Explore how safety rules originate from past incidents and guide field work, with OSHA, CFR, NEC, UL, CSA, noise limits, PPE, and ergonomics.

Follow essential safety practices for IT work, including PPE, battery inspection, electrical safety, dust and eye protection, and hearing protection.

Explore how the processor, the brains of a computer, performs calculations at megahertz to gigahertz speeds. See how the operating system manages system resources and memory to drive tasks.

Examine storage devices such as hard drives, magnetic tapes, flash drives, and solid state drives, noting that SSDs have no moving parts and common interfaces like IDC, SATA, and SSI.

Explore how computers store and retrieve data across storage media, from desktop hard drives to USB flash drives, CDs, and RAM, and learn common interfaces like IDE, SATA, and SCSI.

Understand how the motherboard houses the cpu, ram, cache, chipsets, bios and cmos battery, expansion slots, and connectors for mice, keyboards, sound and video cards, with ATX form factors.

Describe how the BIOS chip, a read-only memory upgradable via EPROM, controls the boot process and POST, locates the master boot record, and loads the operating system.

Explore expansion slots on the motherboard to add network, sound, and video cards via PCI, PCI-X, PCI Express, and AGP, with plug-and-play support and cnr and emr risers.

Explore how motherboards function, identify front-panel and exterior connectors, and review ram, cache memory, bios and cmos roles in booting, plus expansion options and form factors.

Explore how the data bus moves data from processor to memory, why a 32-bit processor makes two trips to transfer 64 bits, and how the address bus targets memory locations.

Understand computer architecture, including registers, cache memory, virtualization, and CPU and GPU roles. See how RAM and memory controllers affect performance and how thermal throttling and overclocking risks impact stability.

Explore how chip packaging defines the form factor and delivery of computer chips, covering DIP, PGA, LGA, and single edge contact packages.

Identify processor sockets by socket number and pins, research manufacturer specifications to ensure compatible socket and correct voltage, and verify labeling on the chip side before installation.

Identify processor sockets by reading labels, consulting manufacturer guidance, and using online charts to compare socket types by manufacturer, package type, and voltage.

Describe the two basic read-only memory types, traceable programmable ROM and flash ROM, and how BIOS updates come from the manufacturer's website.

Explore how memory uses parity to verify data integrity during reads, contrasting parity memory with non-parity memory that lacks error checking.

Explore single- and double-sided memory, memory banks, and dual, triple, and quad channel architectures; understand buffered memory and its reliability, plus L1–L3 cache.

Identify memory type, speed in megahertz, and parity to ensure compatibility when upgrading ram. Use CPU-Z to confirm the correct desktop dimm or laptop microdimm and gold-plated pins.

Explore the two basic memory types, ROM and RAM, and how BIOS RAM settings and the Windows memory diagnostic help diagnose problems.

gain foundational knowledge of hard drives and storage devices, including internal and external drives, solid-state and USB flash storage, SATA, network storage, removable media, and basic installation, partitioning, and formatting.

Learn to install, format, and partition hard drives and storage devices, back up data, troubleshoot failures, and perform check disk repairs for bad sectors and boot issues.

Explore ide devices, including the master-slave daisy chain, pio and dma transfer modes, and how controllers evolved to integrated drives, with devices like cd-roms and tapes.

Explore how power supply units convert wall power into usable voltages for computers, and compare surge suppressors, converters, and uninterrupted power supplies for continuity planning and disaster preparation.

Review the key concepts of power supplies and voltage, including AC to DC conversion, surge suppressors, UPS, ATX form factors, voltage and current regulation, and wattage calculations.