p>Quentin Docter
CompTIA® A+® Practice Tests
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Acknowledgments
Writing a book about the A+ exam is never an easy feat. There are dozens of people involved in the process. I will try to name as many as I can, but I apologize in advance if I forgot anyone.
Thanks to Kenyon Brown, who had the wonderful idea for this book and was kind enough to ask me to be involved. I also owe a great deal of thanks to Emmett Dulaney and Toby Skandier, my partners on the Sybex A+ Complete Study Guide, for their hard work and dedication. Troy McMillan was the technical editor, and I appreciate him telling me when I’m wrong. Kelly Talbot kept the project running smoothly, and the copyeditor, proofreader, indexer, compositor, and entire team at Sybex were invaluable. Without their great contributions, this book would not have been possible.
On a personal level, I need to thank my wonderful wife, Kara, for her love and unconditional support. I am truly blessed! I also need to thank my girls for their understanding – things have been a bit crazy lately. Finally, I need to thank my late grandpa Joe. He taught me about computers and so much more, and his lessons will always be a part of me.
About the Author
Quentin Docter (A+) is an IT consultant who started in the industry in 1994. Since then, he’s worked as a tech and network support specialist, trainer, consultant, and webmaster. Throughout his career he’s obtained CompTIA A+, Network+, IT Fundamentals, and numerous Microsoft, Cisco, Sun, and Novell certifications. He has written several books for Sybex, including books on A+, Server+, IT Fundamentals, Windows, and Solaris 9 certifications as well as PC hardware and maintenance. Quentin can be reached at [email protected].
About the Technical Editor
Troy McMillan writes practice tests, study guides, and online course materials for Kaplan IT Cert Prep, while also running his own consulting and training business. He has earned more than 30 industry certifications and also appears in training videos for Oncourse Learning, CyberVista, WatchIT, and Pearson Press. Troy can be reached at [email protected].
Introduction
If you’re picking up this book, there’s a good chance that you want to pass the CompTIA A+ exam. It means that you’re likely either an IT professional looking for certifications or someone who has a bit of computer knowledge and wants to start an IT career. The A+ exam was the first certification test I passed, and the knowledge I gained from studying for it still helps me more than 20 years later, even though much has changed.
While I’m confident that if you can answer all the questions in this book, you can pass the exam, I encourage you to go beyond memorizing questions and answers. One reason is that the questions on the actual exams will be different than the ones written for this book. Another (better) reason is that life isn’t a multiple-choice exam. When you’re in the field and trying to fix a computer, you won’t have the answers given to you – you need to have a solid base of knowledge to work from.
CompTIA A+ Practice Tests, combined with the Sybex CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide (both the Standard and Deluxe Editions), will help give you the foundation you need to pass the exams. Study them well, and they will also give you the tools you need to navigate a myriad of technical topics and make you more valuable to prospective employers.
What Is A+ Certification?
The