A+ Core 1
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I have gone through all of A+ Core 1 video lectures.
I took notes suggested in the "notes" tab from each episode and module.
Yesterday I took the practice exam for it and did not even finish before timeout.
I guess my question is, are there any other places I am suppose to be studying from? (Besides the episode notes / videos)
Some of the questions I could not find in my notes nor do I remember them covered in the video lectures.
I don't see any Virtual Labs for Core 1 like there are in Core 2. (only the practice exam)
Just wondering if this is normal and I just don't comprehend all the material yet or I am missing a resource that I should be studying from. (such as a textbook or other webpage)
Thanks in advance!
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Hi @Keifer-Rector ,
I am currently helping a friend study for their Core 1 exam and you are correct, there are no virtual labs for this exam, it is purely knowledge based.
I would highly recommend to you grabbing a study guide like ones by Sybex, Mcgraw-Hill or Exam Cram. My best advice would be instead of taking on the whole exam at first, try taking the practice tests section by section and then that will determine what you should be focusing your study time on. Using flash cards is also super helpful as it gives you another method of studying. Make sure with your flashcards to put any definitions into your own words. This will help you really understand the technology/definition you are trying to learn.
Hope this helps! Reach out with more questions if you have them.
Take care!
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Ok great !
I just didn't know if it was pure memorization or what else I could use as a guide.
And just to clarify, the Core 1 and 2 exams are separate exams? ...Not one big test correct?
Thank you for your help! -
@Keifer-Rector, yes, you are correct. They are 2 different exams. Core 1 from what I can tell is the basics to do with hardware mostly, where as Core 2 has a lot to do with software/Operating Systems. Have you had a chance to go through the exam objectives for the Core 1 and Core 2? That helped my friend alot. He went through the objectives and scored each section/subject out of 5. 5 being you know it perfectly inside and out, 1 being I have 0 clue what this is. This helped him identify what he needs to focus his study time on as well.
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Core 1 is indeed hardware-focused. Things like different display types such as Twisted Nematic, In-Plane Switching and Vertical Alignment, RAM pin counts, types and speeds, HDD types (SSD, HDD, hybrid) and speeds (7200 RPM, etc.), and Core 2 is software-focused, like Windows troubleshooting, macOS, some Linux, etc.
One thing I would do is go through the objectives and make flash cards for the memory-based things like RAM pin numbers, RAM speeds, hard drive speeds, etc.
My suggestion would be to check out Professor Messer's YouTube channel. His A+ series is outstanding, and maybe even check out an Exam Cram book. I have one by David L. Prowse, and it outlines just what you need to know to pass the exams. If you're looking for an A+ book, I suggest Mike Meyers' 220-1101/220-1102 Study Guide. He breaks down the objectives into easily-explainable subjects. Also, if you want, Udemy has a Mike Meyers A+ 1101/1102 video series that's relatively cheap (about $15 each).
One thing I've heard a lot of people who have nailed certification exams say is when you're studying, try teaching the subject to someone. If you can teach it, you understand it!
Lastly, try a practice exam (90+ questions is ideal), and time yourself. Give yourself the 90-minutes allotted in the exam, and see how you do. Get used to being under the gun of that 90 minutes at home so you can learn to relax when you're in the thick of it, doing the real deal.
Good luck!