Introduction
For A+ certification, the examinee must pass both this exam and the A+ Operating System Technologies exam. The Core Hardware exam measures essential competencies for a desktop computer hardware service technician with six months of on-the-job experience. The examinee must demonstrate basic knowledge of installing, configuring, upgrading, troubleshooting, and repairing desktop computer systems at the standard defined by this test specification.

The skills and knowledge measured by this exam are derived from an industry-wide and worldwide job task analysis which was validated through a survey of almost 2,000 A+ certified professionals. The results of the survey are used in weighting the domains and ensuring that the weighting is representative of the relative importance of that content to the job requirements of a service technician with six months on the-job experience. The intent is to certify individuals in a body of knowledge that is identified and accepted as the baseline or foundation of any entry-level PC technician.

The results of the job task analysis and survey can be found in the following report: CompTIA A+ Certification Core Hardware and OS Technologies exams Job Task Analysis. This report is available for distribution.

The exam is in adaptive format and is presented with 20 - 30 questions. You will have 30 minutes to complete the exam. A score determination can be made before the maximum number of questions is presented. Once a score determination is made, the exam will shut off. The exam is available in the following languages: Japanese, French, Spanish and German.

NOTE:
This exam blueprint for the A+ Core Hardware exam includes the weighting, test objectives and example content. Example topics and concepts are included to clarify the test objectives and should not be construed as a comprehensive listing of all the content of this exam.

The table below lists the domains measured by this exam and the extent to which they are represented in the exam.

 

Response Limits
The examinee selects, from four (4) or more response options and the option(s) that best completes the statement or answers the question. Distracters or wrong answers are response options that examinees with incomplete knowledge or skill would likely choose, but are generally plausible responses fitting into the content area. Test item formats used in this exam are:

Multiple-choice:
The examinee selects one option that best answers the question or completes a statement. The option can be embedded in a graphic where the examinee points and clicks on their selection to complete the test item.

Multiple-response:
The examinee selects more then one option that best answers the question or completes a statement.

Sample Directions:
Read the statement or question and from the response options, select only the option(s) that represent the most correct or best answer(s).

Download A+ Core Hardware exam objectives

Download A+ Operating System Technologies (2003) Examination Objectives

Download A+ Operating System Technologies (2001) Examination Objectives