CompTIA A+ certification is CompTIA’s leading entry-level, vendor neutral exam for computer-service technicians. This certification can be used to pursue various advanced certification of leading vendors such as Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco and Novell.

CompTIA A+ certification validates foundation-level knowledge and skills necessary for a career in PC support. It is the starting point for a career. The international, vendor-neutral certification proves competence in areas such as installation, preventative maintenance, networking, security and troubleshooting. CompTIA A+ certified technicians also have excellent customer service and communication skills to work with clients. 

CompTIA has upgraded this certification and it now offers specialization in areas such as desktop support, remote support, security and help desk support.

CompTIA A+ ensures the right people have the right skills. While many of the essential skills are universal, there are additional skills required to support the needs of businesses. By offering certification options for specific job scenarios, CompTIA A+ gives individuals the ability to grow their careers in a certain area, and employers the flexibility to choose the exam combination that best fits their needs.

• A certification is a vendor neutral certification, which proves your basic hardware and software skill for almost all the products and technologies of the leading vendors.
• Technicians holding the A certification are preferred by the employers and they also get preference in promotions.
• A certification is helpful for professionals who have basic knowledge in related technologies to upgrade their credentials and get recognition from the industry.
• A Certified professional can find appropriate job easily and get paid more.
• And most importantly, on average, an A certified person gets more salary than other persons who have the same job profile.

The CompTIA A+ Certification Exam is considered the industry standard in terms of measuring a technicians hardware and software knowledge. Those possessing the certification are more likely to receive higher salaries and 85% of these individuals choose to further their careers. By adding more certifications to your portfolio the career paths become even more valuable and diverse.

Here are some of the benefits of certification:

1.Satisfaction
Knowing that you have the knowledge required to pass the A+ certification exam can be a great moral booster. You can be assured that new employers will take you seriously and your current employer will take notice.

2.More Career Options
The possibilities for advancement are almost endless once you begin your career in the IT industry with the CompTIA A+ Certification. These are just a few of the fields you can be a part of:
# Help Desk Technician
# PC Technician
# Field Service Technician
# Manufacturing
# Start your own computer repair business.

3.Higher Salary
On average, certified professionals make 5-15% than their non certified peers.

4.Proof that you are serious
While not all employers require certification, having the CompTIA logo on your resume says more than enough about how motivated you are as a professional.

5.Money Saver
No more running to the local repair shop and handing over your hard earned dollars to have someone else fix your computer.

6.Money Maker
Who knows? Maybe you can replace the local repair shop, or at least help out your neighbor.
As you can see, this short list in itself has many good reasons to become certified. Here are a few more examples we can add to the list. Knowing that you have successfully passed the CompTIA A+ Exam according to the requirements can be an extreme moral booster when you decide to take your career to the next level. Which leads us to the next benefit, some of the larger multi-part certification tracks actually give you credit for having the A+ certification. The mid-level Microsoft MCSA track is one such example.

7.Benefits to your employer
# Increased customer satisfaction & repeat business
# Use of the A+ logo
# Increased productivity due to skilled workers
# Measurable competence standards
# Simplified recruiting and hiring
# Lower training costs
# Some companies like IBM, HP and CompUSA may even require that their employees obtain the A+ certification during their employment.

The job roles for CompTIA A+ certified professionals typically include: IT Technician, Enterprise Technician, PC Technician, Desktop Support Technician, Field Technician, PC Support Technician, Remote Support Technician, Help Desk Technician, Call Center Technician, Depot Technician and Bench Technician.

Candidate job roles include enterprise technician, field service technician, PC or support technician and IT administrator. CompTIA A+ is part of the certification track for corporations such as Microsoft, HP and Cisco. Other technology companies, including Dell, Intel, Lenovo and Ricoh, have made CompTIA A+ certification mandatory for their service technicians. The U.S. Department of Defense recognizes CompTIA A+ and the Department of Homeland Security requires it as part of their computer forensics program.

Two exams are necessary to be certified: CompTIA A+ Essentials, exam code 220-701; and CompTIA A+ Practical Application, exam code 220-702.

CompTIA A+ Essentials measures the necessary competencies of an entry-level IT professional with a recommended 500 hours of hands-on experience in the lab or field. It tests for technical understanding of computer technology, networking and security, as well as the communication skills and professionalism now required of all entry-level IT professionals.

CompTIA A+ Practical Application is an extension of the knowledge and skills identified in CompTIA A+ Essentials, with more of a "hands-on" orientation focused on scenarios in which troubleshooting and tools must be applied to resolve problems.