There are actually 4 different sectors in the A+ syllabus, of which 2 passes are needed to be considered A+ qualified. We would advise however that only studying two of the four specialities might well not equip you for a job. Look for training that covers all the specialist areas – employers will notice the difference.

Courses in A+ computer training are about fault finding and diagnosing – both remote access and hands-on, in addition to building computers and repairing them and operating in antistatic conditions. It could be a good idea to consider adding Network+ training to your A+ as you’ll then be in a position to look after networks of computers, which is where the bigger salaries are.

Quite often, students have issues with one area of their training which is often not even considered: The method used to ‘segment’ the courseware before being physically delivered to you. Usually, you’ll join a programme requiring 1-3 years study and get sent one module each time you pass an exam. It seems to make sense on one level, but consider these issues: Many students find that their providers usual training route isn’t as suitable as another. Sometimes, varying the order of study will be far more suitable. Could it cause problems if you don’t get everything done in the allotted time?

To be honest, the best option is to have a copy of their prescribed order of study, but make sure you have all of your learning modules right from the beginning. Everything is then in your possession should you not complete it at their required pace.

You have to be sure that all your accreditations are current and also valid commercially – forget courses that lead to in-house certificates. If the accreditation doesn’t feature a company like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco, then you’ll probably find it won’t be commercially viable – because it won’t give an employer any directly-useable skills.

Incorporating examination fees up-front and offering an ‘Exam Guarantee’ is popular with a number of training colleges. However, let’s consider what’s really going on:

Thankfully, today we tend to be a little more ‘marketing-savvy’ – and most of us realise that of course we’re actually paying for it – they’re not just being charitable and doling out freebies! Students who take each progressive exam, paying for them just before taking them are much better placed to get through first time. They’re conscious of their spending and revise more thoroughly to be ready for the task.

Go for the best offer you can find at the time, and keep hold of your own money. In addition, it’s then your choice where to sit the exam – so you can find somewhere local. Buying a course that includes payments for examinations (and interest charges if you’re borrowing money) is madness. It’s not your job to boost the training company’s account with additional funds only to please their Bank Manager! Many will hope you won’t get round to taking them – but they won’t refund the cash. The majority of organisations will insist that you take mock exams first and prohibit you from re-taking an exam until you’ve completely proven that you’re likely to pass – which actually leaves you with no guarantee at all.

On average, exams cost around the 112 pounds mark twelve months or so ago through Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So don’t be talked into shelling out hundreds or thousands of pounds more to have ‘an Exam Guarantee’, when any student knows that the best guarantee is a regular, committed, study programme, with an accredited exam preparation system.

People attracted to this sort of work can be very practical by nature, and won’t enjoy sitting at a desk in class, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If you identify with this, use multimedia, interactive learning, with on-screen demonstrations and labs. Learning psychology studies show that long term memory is improved when all our senses are involved, and we take action to use what we’ve learned.

Programs are now found in disc format, so everything is learned directly from your own PC. Utilising the latest video technology, you can watch instructors demonstrating how something is done, with some practice time to follow – via the interactive virtual lab’s. Always insist on a demonstration of the study materials from any training college. You should ask for expert-led demonstrations, slideshows and virtual practice lab’s for your new skills.

Select actual CD or DVD ROM’s whenever you can. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with the variability of broadband quality and service.

Trainees hopeful to build an Information Technology career usually haven’t a clue what direction is best, or which market to get certified in. Flicking through long lists of different and confusing job titles is a complete waste of time. Surely, most of us don’t even know what the neighbours do for a living – so we have no hope of understanding the subtleties of a particular IT career. The key to answering this quandary correctly comes from an in-depth talk over several different topics:

* Which type of individual you think yourself to be – what tasks do you get enjoyment from, and conversely – what don’t you like doing.

* Do you hope to achieve a specific goal – for example, working for yourself as quickly as possible?

* How important is salary to you – is it of prime importance, or is day-to-day enjoyment further up on the scale of your priorities?

* Considering the huge variation that computing encapsulates, you’ll need to be able to absorb what’s different.

* What effort, commitment and time you’ll put into the training program.

The best way to avoid the industry jargon, and reveal what’ll really work for you, have a good talk with an industry expert and advisor; a person that will cover the commercial realities and truth whilst covering the certifications.