CompTIA A+

This book made me fully prepared for the Comptia A+ exam if you can get 90% or more on the test you should be able to past the real test.

I didn't have access to a print version - I used Books247 online version to study for my A+ test. If you know your stuff from other references, this Cliffs book will get you polished before you sit for the test. Just follow the instructions, pick which A+ test you will take, and answer the questions. As a warning with most other A+ study books - KNOW YOUR STUFF FIRST!! Unless you're a "Pretender" (or a genius that can absorb information by only reading), get the recommended experience or instruction before taking the test. If you're using this only, its going to be a mighty expensive lesson to learn. Boost your confidence with this book AFTER you've learned the basics.

The questions in this book were a full notch or two above the real exam. I am 20+ years out of college, no pc tech experience and got 725/900. Practice test by rmroberts.com I thought was good; downloadeable off of google. I got 79 missed two easy questions and got 81 on real exam. Author said if you got above 70 you were ready. Cliff Notes is much more thorough, but is not overkill as explanations are there for every question.

Let me ask you a question: when you sit for the A+ exams, do you want to barely pass or do you want to ace them? If yours is the second choice, then I must insist that you get this book. As other reviewers have noted, these practice questions are often much more difficult than the real questions... and that is a good thing! On the real exams, two of the possible answers will usually be clearly wrong and two will be plausible. To choose the correct answer, you must be able to see through trick questions and really know your stuff. I can think of no better resource than this one to help you accomplish that goal.

I recently (Nov 07) passed all four A+ exams - Essentials, IT Tech, Remote Support and Depot Tech - scoring 90+ on all exams. I took the Cisco sponsored IT Essentials course at a local community college as my main prep tool. I doubt I would have passed (or maybe barely) using that course alone. Toby's book helped me (1) learn things the Cisco course did not cover or cover well, (2) become familiar with the format and 'tone' of the real tests, (3) and pass with flying colors. I looked at several 'cram' and 'practice test' books before settling on this one. When I sat down for the tests, it was like going through Toby's book all over again. The best investment you can make when going for the A+ certs. I wish he had Network+ and Server+ sample test books.