Basic CompTIA A+ Certification Prep

Learn to work on common computer hardware and showcase your skills with a Basic CompTIA A+ Certification. This course teaches the inner workings of the computer as well as how to configure and troubleshoot in real-world environments with hands-on practice.

6 Weeks Access / 24 Course Hrs

Details
Syllabus
Requirements
Instructor
Reviews

Enrollment Options

Details

Time to roll up those sleeves and dive inside the personal computer. This online Basic CompTIA A+ Certification Prep course will teach you about the hardware common to virtually every personal computer, including microprocessors, RAM, power supplies, motherboards, UEFI/BIOS, the system setup utility, the expansion bus, and input/output devices. You will learn how things work, how to configure everything, and how to troubleshoot in real-world environments. This course gives you the knowledge to base the rest of your CompTIA A+ certification studies for the 220-1001 and 220-1002 exams.

Enrollment Options:

Instructor-Led

6 Weeks Access Course Code: ac1

Start Dates*Jun 14 | Jul 12 | Aug 16 | Sep 13

*Choose start date in cart

$300.00 USD

Add to Cart

Self-Paced

3 Months Access Course Code: T9216

No Instructor, Start Anytime

$110.00 USD

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Syllabus

Lesson 1 - The Art of the Tech

The first lesson introduces the course and the CompTIA A+ certification. You'll become familiar with how the components of a personal computer work together and how tech professional interact with clients. Afterwards, you'll explore a tried-and-true troubleshooting methodology that applies to all tech situations.

Lesson 2 - The Visible Computer

Take a tour of the PC, starting with the exterior connectors. This lesson goes into details of the interior devices as well. The goal is to understand proper tech terminology and standard computer components.

Lesson 3 - Maintenance and Safety Precautions

Dive into the important safety techniques that every good tech absolutely needs to know. These techniques range from cleaning a computer to disposing of old parts safely.

Lesson 4 - Central Processing Units

Explore the importance of central processing units, the core processing component in every PC. You will learn the variations in technology, practical information and practice installing and troubleshooting CPUs.

Lesson 5 - RAM

Dig into the details of a foundational computer component—RAM. You will learn about the different varieties of RAM and proper techniques for installing it. Then, wrap up the lesson by troubleshooting RAM and memory problems.

Lesson 6 - BIOS/UEFI

This lesson focuses on the BIOS or UEFI, essential programming that makes computers function. You will learn about the special tools used for storing configuration options for BIOS and UEFI.

Lesson 7 - Motherboards and Cases

This lesson is all about motherboards, the bedrock of every PC. You'll learn about form factors, types of expansion slots, and installation steps for expansion cards. The lesson also covers upgrading, installing, and troubleshooting motherboards.

Lesson 8 - Powering the PC

This lesson focuses on power supplies and the basics of powering a PC. You will learn about how electricity gets from your wall outlet into your PC, along with how to test that electricity. The goal is to understand power supply standards, how to install one inside your PC, and how to troubleshoot power supply problems.

Lesson 9 - Input Devices

Get to know the devices that enable you to input data into your computer. This lesson explores standard input devices (like keyboards and mice) and multimedia devices (like digital cameras and webcams). You will also learn about connecting those devices to computer using connectors like USB and FireWire.

Lesson 10 - Hard Drive Technologies

Dig into hard drive technologies, including traditional hard disk drives and modern solid-state drives. In this lesson, you will learn the fundamentals of protecting data with RAID technology. The goal is to understand how to install hard drives and how to troubleshoot bad drives.

Lesson 11 - Implementing Hard Drives

This lesson will teach you how to prepare a hard drive for use by an operating system. You will also learn about maintaining your data using several included Windows utilities and partitioning and formatting a hard drive.

Lesson 12 - Removable Media

To wrap up the course, you will learn about the various forms of removable media. This final lesson teaches you about older formats like tape drives, flash media like USB thumb drives and memory cards, and about optical media like DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, and external drives.

Requirements

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
It's also recommended that you have a PC that you can take apart and put back together again. Because of the dangers of electro-static discharge (to the machine, not to you), you are not required to tear apart your own primary computer. This is, however, a class that trains you to be a hardware technician - having a machine to play with greatly helps your learning.

Software Requirements:

PC: Windows 8 or later.
Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Instructor

David Rush

David Rush has been an IT instructor and expert for over 35 years with degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering. He has been the senior instructor for the industry leader in CompTIA certification books, videos, and learning tools for the past 11 years.

In this capacity, Dave has taught computer technology, A+, and Network+ to the FBI, DEA, CIA, and other federal law enforcement agencies. He also creates train-the-trainer courses and materials for educational institutions. He conducts weekly, live online seminars on using Raspberry Pi computers and Linux as tools to foster studies toward CompTIA certifications.

In addition to his involvement in IT instruction, Dave has had a wide and varied career, including time as an airline pilot with U.S. and international airlines.

Instructor Interaction: The instructor looks forward to interacting with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.

Reviews

Excellent course. I have been working with PCs and "pre-PCs" since 1980. I was not sure how useful this course would be to me. I was pleasantly surprised - I feel I have enhanced my knowledge and look forward to more advanced A+ courses. However the quizzes could be longer and somewhat more difficult. Great Job Scott!

From a complete beginner standpoint--an excellent way to step into the subject--material presented is clear and reinforced. Discussion areas were entertaining and informative, especially the reports covering the lab computer assignments. Learned some basics(will never forget) and know exactly which lessons need further review/study! Enjoyed the course!

I have been tweaking computers on my own for the past eight years;learning as I go. The knowledge I gained through this class was invaluable. The lesson assignments were right on target. The information was clear and precise. I am anticipating the Intermediate course with fervent optimism.

Instructor has a very charming pleasant attitude with a great sense of humor. He is a good writer. And he is responsive and helpful. :)

I really love the writing style of my instructor! He makes it so easy to understand things - even if you are somewhat new to computers!

I thoroughly enjoyed this course and the wit of Scott. Being more of the programmer than the tech, this course offered insights into the tech terms I have often heard but was not able to put a 'name to the face'. Thank you for making it simpler to understand.

The class was outstanding and Scott is a wonderful instructor. I look forward to continuing the online classes and I will tell everyone I know how great and user friendly the online classes are to those who choose to use them! Thanks for the opportunity!

The lectures were extremely well written and easy to understand. I commend the instructor on both the material oranization and his writing style.

This course is the first I have come to know "HOW" it all comes together. Wish I'd done this a long time ago. The course would benefit anyone that is half way technically inclined or just curious, and has a PC at home to maintain.

This was my third online computer course and I think it was the best course as far as material presented and exactly what I was looking for in understanding computer operations.