A+ Certification for Librarians: The Exam | Sweet Librarian

What is A+ Certification?

According to the CompTIA website, ?The CompTIA A+ certification is the starting point for a career in IT. The exam covers maintenance of PCs, mobile devices, laptops, operating systems and printers.?

More specifically, certification is confered after successful passage of two exams, 220-701 and 220-702, or 220-801 and 220-802, depending on when you schedule your exam. The 700 series is being offered until August 31, 2013 and covers Windows 2000, XP and Vista. The 800 series is an updated version of the exam which covers Windows 7 as well as tablet and mobile operating systems. The 701/801 exam covers the essentials, while the 702/802 covers practical applications of computer repair.

Each test is 90 minutes and includes 90-100 questions, with a varying passing grade of 75-78%, depending on the test section and version. Because the test is computerized, you?ll find out your score on the same day. The test costs $183 per section, for a total of $366 for certification.

Why should you get certified?

IT certifications are a great option for librarians who have an interest in or currently deal with technology. If your career aspirations lean toward jobs with ?emerging technology?, ?systems?, ?UXD?, ?web?, or ?automation?, but most of your knowledge come from job experience or you are ?self taught?, certifications can be a great way to add credibility to your resume.

A+ is a great broad-spectrum certification to start with, and CompTIA?s other certifications all use it as a foundation. You could go straight to Cisco for networking or Microsoft for OS-specific certifications, but if you?re looking for something applicable across a variety of operating environments, A+ is a good choice.

Why should you think twice before being certified?

Think twice before going for A+ Certification if you?re not willing to keep up with the continuing education requirements. Every three years you will be required to pay a $75 recertification fee and log 20 continuing education credits. These can be earned in a variety of ways, including:

• Achieve certification in another area offered by CompTIA (20 credits)
• Participate in a CompTIA or other IT training program (1 credit each, maximum 16 in a 3 year period)
• Complete college courses (10 credits per 3-4 credit hour course, 10 credits maximum in a 3 year period)
• Teach (2 credits per preparation hour and 1 credit per instruction hour, 10 credits maxiumum in a 3 year period)
• Present (2 credits per preparation hour and 1 credit per presentation hour, 10 credits maximum in a 3 year period)
• Attend presentations, events, seminars, conferences, etc. (1 credit per hour, 4 credits maximum in a 3 year period)
• Work experience (3 credits per year, 9 credits maximum in a 3 year period)
• Publish articles or blog posts (4 credits per article, 1 credit per blog post, 8 credits maximum in a 3 year period)

This can be a lot to commit to, in terms of both?time and money, but if you are dedicated to making IT a focus in your career, chances are good that you will be doing at least some of these things anyway. (And $75 every three years over the course of a 30 year career is less than $1,000? how much did you pay for your MLIS, again?)

Certification Process

CompTIA certification exams take place at authorized testing centers across the country. Here are the steps you?ll need to take to register for your exam:

1. Choose whether you will take the 700 or 800 series (remember, if you choose the?700 series?you must pass BOTH exams before August 31st)
2. Decide how much study time you will need ? Mike Meyers, author of the All-in-One CompTIA A+ Certification Exam Guide, recommends anywhere from 60 hours for experienced technicians to 200 hours for ?newbies?
3. Go to the PearsonVUE website and search for a testing center in your area
4. Sign up for a PearsonVUE account to register for your exams; you?ll receive a confirmation email within a few hours
5. Use the calendar on the PearsonVue website (the link will be emailed to you) to decide on dates and times
6. Pay up ? remember to check with your employer, who may offer discounts on the exams
7. Get studying! Don?t forget to take practice exams!

Source: http://sweetlibrarian.com/2013/03/a-certification-for-librarians-the-exam/

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