Established twenty eight years ago, the Computing Technology Industry Association (or CompTIA in short) is a not for profit organisation. They've developed step by step & right now are world leaders in I.T. certifications that are vendor neutral. So they can freely create and control an entire range of I.T. industry examinations and issue their very own certifications that don't just apply to one specific vendor's products. With today's shift towards inter-connectivity and systems convergence, this is seen as a welcome step for the I.T. student, because it gives cross-platform learning & a knowledge of 'integration'. CompTIA gathers together different commercial & learned industry organisations when creating or updating an exam, to ensure all sides are thought about & the most industry related syllabuses are crafted.

Needless to say these positions can often lead to more senior jobs if the relevant certifications have been put in place. That's why its important to look at your long term ideas before deciding on your career training track. The best way to optimise your career-path the most is always to take guidance from an I.T. professional before starting on your training course. Training companies can often produce a tailored training path by assembling a selection of programs to take the student from where they are now to where they would like to go.

In line with their 'ISO' standardisation drive, 'CompTIA' have up-graded both A+ & N+ examinations to 2009 editions. 'A+' examinations which commenced with the number '600' (i.e. the 2006-2007 version) are now being phased out internationally. Come the end of Aug 2010, the examinations will be retired in Britain. As '2009' examinations ('700') are already available at test centres regionally, the newer learning programs would be a more practical solution anybody just getting started. A+ 2009 is currently presented as '220-701' CompTIA 'A+' Essentials & '220-702' CompTIA 'A+' Practical Application. Together with some additional content on more recent technologies, we now have two examinations that cover elements of all four of the earlier exams. Although the older A+ had four examinations within the complete program, just 2 were expected for the accreditation. As the market has progressed, the knowledge from all 4 exams is currently regarded as crucial, & thus has been fine-tuned in to 2 compulsory exams. Anybody who has previously achieved the '600' examination may bring their qualification up-to-date by sitting a bridging exam : 'BR-003'. Successfully passing the upgrade exam will generally demand further study, although it ought not to be too much of a challenge for those who originally studied all electives. Enough study hours really should be factored in for the newer technology aspects though.

The 'Network+' 2009 examination is now numbered 'N10-004', replacing the earlier N10-003. As well as keeping its teaching on network infrastructure & management, the up-graded 2009 exam points to an increased emphasis on Security, wireless networking skills and network design standards.

Normal learning time for these examinations are thought to be in the region of 100 to 150 hrs for the A+ , and 75 to 100 hrs for the Network+ . Studying part time, this can be accomplished over a six month time period if you go for the right quality of training & excellent exam preparation software.

'CompTIA' A+ & the Network+ are certainly the most widely recognised of their certifications. These two, as a set, create the foundation for many current I.T. career tracks - and for a good reason. The 'CompTIA' 'A+' certification goes over the fundamentals of PC maintenance, installation, support, security, fault finding & repair. On top of that, the 'A+' handles several relationship-building skill-sets that may help you communicate much better with other people. Advancing this awareness, the N+ certification examines networks, (this includes routers and servers) and teaches exactly how they inter-connect. Security is of course extremely important, and wireless technology is dealt with to a certain extent. Obtaining these two qualifications will provide a good grounding for anyone wanting to get into the systems side of the IT sector, together with a foundation of understanding for additional certification.