Hi All,

I am about to embark on learning the A+ course to take the exam.

I am generally familiar with PC's as in I have used them most of my working life and understand to a basic degree what parts make up one.

I have not studied for an Exam in over 15 years and even back then I was not that good at studying.

In terms of the A+ course what are the best tools to use I am going to watch the online Videos here and have got an old PC at home I can timker around with if that helps but wondering what other materials would be useful

Also has anyone else got any tips on study methods for people who have not studied i na while and also were not that good at it then

Thanks in advance

CompTIA's exams (A+, Network+, Security+, etc) tend to rely on rote memorization. A lot of memorization! The 702 (2nd exam of a 2 exam certificate) exam for the A+ involves troubleshooting, which tests you on your comprehension of what you've memorized for the 701A+ exam.

On the other hand, Microsoft and Cisco favor those who use the product being tested for. So you'll hear about people assemblying their own labs for hands-on learning.

If its certification you wish, I think it is a fair generalization to say the CompTIA exams are easier than the vendor exams. Moreover, the CompTIA exams give you a good generalized foundation knowledge from which to receive specialized vendor-specific training.

With regards to tools for learning CompTIA subjects, it's the books and videos! I often read about people restricting themselves to Prof. Messer's videos and purchasing practice exams, and then passing the CompTIA exams with high scores. I suppose you can, but in my case I do better by reading and doing. (Still use the Messer's videos because they seem to highlight the important stuff.)

Methods for better memory retention? That's probably something more personal to yourself.

In my case, I found I had great retention if I wrote what I needed to memorize on 3x5 cards, and memorizing their contents while I took a walked my dog or during my daily jog. Also found that if I tried to memorize something before I went to sleep, and then tried to recall it when I awoke in the morning, the knowledge would be retained pretty well. What I could not recall in the morning, I worked on during the morning until I could.

I learned that I do not have a good rate of success if I try to memorize something in the afternoon. The only way it seems to work was if I read something aloud or wrote it down repeatedly on paper -- like I was mentally challenged or something. Tried drinking coffee to wake up, but never found any reliable way to retain a learning in the afternoon unless it was immediately after a short nap or I was actually doing doing something with my hands (lab'ing, for example).

You'll find your own ways of best learning things. Over the long haul, you'll get quite good at learning. I dare say you will even find the challenge enjoyable over time -- in an addictive way too.