CompTIA

The A+ certification program was developed by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) to provide an industry-wide means of certifying the competency of computer service technicians.

The A+ certification is granted to those who have attained the level of knowledge and troubleshooting skills that are needed to provide capable support in the field of personal computers. It is similar to other certifications in the computer industry, such as the Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician (CCENT) program, the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification program and the Computer Service Technician (CET) certification from the Electronic Technician's Association.

The theory behind these certifications is that if you need to have service performed on any of their products, you would sooner call a technician who has been certified in one of the appropriate certification programs than just call the first “expert” in the phone book.

The A+ certification program was created to offer a wide-ranging certification, in the sense that it is intended to certify competence with personal computers and mobile devices from many different makers/vendors. You must pass two tests to become A+ certified:

• The A+ 220-1001 exam, which covers basic computer concepts, PC hardware, basic networking, mobile devices, and hardware troubleshooting
• The A+ 220-1002 exam, which covers operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures

You don’t have to take the 220-1001 and the 220-1002 exams at the same time. However, the A+ certification is not awarded until you’ve passed both tests.

Security+ is a certification from CompTIA (an industry association responsible for many entry-level certifications) granted to those who obtain a passing score on a single entry-level exam. 

CompTIA Security+ is the first security certification IT professionals should earn. It establishes the core knowledge required of any cybersecurity role and provides a springboard to intermediate-level cybersecurity jobs. CompTIA Security+ is a globally trusted, vendor-neutral certification that validates the baseline skills necessary to perform core security functions and pursue an IT security career.

In addition to adding Security+ to your résumé as a stand-alone certification, you can use it as an elective in many vendor-certification tracks. 

Network+ is a certification developed by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) that exists to provide resources and education for the computer and technology community. This is the same body that developed the A+ exam for PC technicians.

The Network+ exam was designed to test the skills of network technicians with 18 to 24 months of experience in the field. It tests areas of networking technologies such as the definition of a protocol, the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model and its layers, and the concepts of network design and implementation—the minimum knowledge required for working on a network and some integral prerequisites for network design and implementation.

Because CompTIA is a well-respected developer of vendor-neutral industry certifications, becoming Network+ certified proves you’re competent in the specific areas covered by the Network+ objectives.

Four major benefits are associated with becoming Network+ certified:

Proof of Professional Achievement Networking professionals are pretty competitive when it comes to collecting more certifications than their peers. And because the Network+ certification broadly covers the entire field of networking, technicians want this certification a lot more than just Microsoft certifications—Network+ is a lot more prestigious and valuable.

Because it’s rare to gain something that’s worth a lot with little effort, I’ll be honest—preparing for the Network+ exam isn’t exactly a lazy day at the beach. (However, beaches do happen to be really high on my personal list of great places to study!) And people in IT know that it isn’t all that easy to pass the Network+ exam, so they’ll definitely respect you more and know that you’ve achieved a certain level of expertise about vendor-independent, networking-related subjects.

Opportunity for Advancement We all like to get ahead in our careers—advancement results in more responsibility and prestige, and it usually means a fatter paycheck, greater opportunities, and added options. In the IT sector, a great way to make sure all that good stuff happens is by earning a lot of technology certifications, including Network+.

Fulfillment of Training Requirements Network+, because of its wide-reaching industry support, is recognized as a baseline of networking information. Some companies actually specify the possession of a Network+ certification as a job requirement before they’ll even consider hiring you, or it may be specified as a goal to be met before your next review.

Customer Confidence As companies discover the CompTIA advantage, they will undoubtedly require qualified staff to achieve these certifications. Many companies outsource their work to consulting firms with experience working with security. Firms that have certified staff have a definite advantage over firms that don’t.