| Computer Technology Industry Association | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | CompTIA |
| Motto | "Advancing the Global IT Industry" |
| Formation | January 1, 1982 |
| Type | non-profit |
| Headquarters | 1815 S. Meyers Road Suite 300 Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181 |
| Location | United States |
| Region served | Global |
| Website | CompTIA.org |
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a non-profit trade association, was created in 1982 as the Association of Better Computer Dealers, Inc. (ABCD) by representatives of five microcomputer dealerships. Over the course of a decade, ABCD laid the groundwork for many of CompTIA’s initiatives and member benefits.
ABCD later changed its name to the Computing Technology Industry Association to reflect the association's evolving role in the computer industry and in the U.S. business landscape at large. The 1990s was a period of growth as the association broadened the scope of its activities to address the needs of the expanding computer industry. Its initiatives increased to include networking, UNIX, imaging, mobile computing, and multimedia arenas. In an effort to monitor and take positions on public policy issues, the association added a full-time Director of Public Policy position.
As of 2011[update] CompTIA is a provider of professional certifications for the information technology (IT) industry. CompTIA chairs and manages the Initiative for Software Choice.
Contents |
CompTIA administers its certification exams through Pearson VUE and Prometric testing centers. In addition to certification, CompTIA also provides corporate membership.
In April 2007, CompTIA's "A+", "Network+", and "Security+" certifications became accredited by the American National Standards Institute.
In January 2010 these ANSI/ISO approved certifications fundamentally had their conditions changed from lifetime certifications to certifications that will expire every three years. Current certificate holders will still have valid certs for life, but any new certifications earned after December 31, 2010 will expire every three years.[1]
The A+ certification demonstrates competency as a computer technician. Officially, CompTIA A+ certification is a vendor neutral certification that covers numerous technologies and operating systems from such vendors as Microsoft, Apple Inc., Novell and some of the Linux variations. The A+ certification exam was developed in 1993. There have been four versions of the A+ exam, the 1993, 2003, 2006, and 2009 objectives, which are broken down into two separate exams. The 2003 objectives contained the A+ Core Hardware Exam and the A+ Core Operating System Technologies Exam, and were retired on June 30, 2007. The 2006 objectives require that a candidate successfully pass the A+ Essentials and one elective: IT technician, remote support technician, or depot technician. The 2009 certification requires passing two exams: Essentials and Practical Application.
The A+ exam is intended for information technology professionals who have the equivalent of 500 hours of hands on experience. The exams are computer based and composed of multiple choice questions, of which there may be more than one correct answer. Over 800,000 people have earned the A+ credential worldwide, to date.
Topics of the Essentials/Core examination include IRQs, direct memory access, and practical computer repair, including the installation and repair of hard drives, modems, network cards, CPUs, power supplies, PDAs, and printers. The focus of the exam is not theory, but practice. Sometimes graphics are used in exam questions. Topics included in the Operating Systems Exam include memory management, configuration files, and historical operating environments rather than newer, cutting edge technologies.
In September 2006, the CompTIA A+ test was updated so that the test taker must take the CompTIA A+ Essentials (220-601) test along with one of three other tests (220-602, 220-603, or 220-604). Each of these elective exams offers candidates the opportunity to specialize their A+ certification to match their desired career path.
With the introduction of the 2006 A+ exam, candidates were offered a grace period whereby both the 2003 and 2006 versions were available. From June 2007, the 2003 version of exams was no longer available in the United States. In some countries, the grace period was extended to December 2007. The 2003 version was also extended in cases where the A+ certification exam was included in a course of study. Also, most legacy support questions have been excluded. The existing CompTIA A+ 600 series exams remain relevant and are in use by organizations and educational institutions throughout the world. The regular, non-academic English version of these exams retired in the U.S. and Canada on February 28, 2010. The educational versions of these exams (JK0-601, JK0-602, JK0-603 and JK0-604), as well as the German, Korean, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese translations of the 220-601 through 220-604 CompTIA A+ exams,remained in the market for use until August 31, 2010.[2]
The A+ certification along with Network+ may be used to qualify as an elective for Microsoft's MCSA and MCSE certification.[3]
In order to receive CompTIA A+ certification a candidate must pass two exams. The first exam is CompTIA A+ Essentials, exam number 220-701. The CompTIA A+ Essentials examination measures necessary competencies for an entry-level IT professional with the equivalent knowledge of at least 500 hours of hands-on experience in the lab or field. Successful candidates will have the knowledge required to understand the fundamentals of computer technology, networking, and security, and will have the skills required to identify hardware, peripheral, networking, and security components. Successful candidates will understand the basic functionality of the operating system and basic troubleshooting methodology, practice proper safety procedures, and will effectively interact with customers and peers. CompTIA A+ is ISO 17024 Accredited (Personnel Certification Accreditation) and, as such, undergoes regular reviews and updates to the exam objectives. Also, a candidate must pass CompTIA A+ Practical Application, exam number 220-702. The CompTIA A+ Practical Application examination measures necessary competencies for an entry-level IT professional with a working knowledge of practical use of current software and Operating System interface and features.
Network+ is a certification that is used to measure skill as a network technician: understanding of network hardware, installation, and troubleshooting. Network+ was first launched in 1999, and exam updates followed in 2002, 2005, and 2009. The 2009 version will be retired on August 31 2012; new objectives (the "2012 objectives") will begin to be examined in Nov/Dec 2011.
Topics include network hardware, connections, software, the OSI Reference model, and different protocols used in local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs). CompTIA recommends the A+ certification and nine months networking experience before sitting for the exam, but this is not required. Network+ prepares one for continuing to Microsoft certifications and Cisco certifications. A combination A+/Network+, A+/Server+, or (just) Security+ certification can fulfill the elective exam requirement of the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) certification.[4]
Security+ is a certification dealing with computer security topics such as cryptography and access control, as well as business-related topics such as disaster recovery and risk management. It was developed in 2002 to address the rise of security issues. A new and updated version was released in 2011 http://certification.comptia.org/getCertified/certifications/security.aspx. Currently and according to CompTIA, there are more than 45,000 people around the world who have earned this certification.[5] It is recommended that candidates have two years of security-related work experience (although not a requirement) and pass the 100 question multiple choice exam.
The Security+ exam can be applied as an elective to the MCSA: Security and the MCSE: Security specializations from Microsoft. For United States Department of Defense employees, DoDD 8570, IAT Level II certification guidelines lists Security+ as one of four choices (the others being GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC), Security Certified Network Professional (SCNP), and Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)).[6]
CompTIA released the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certification on September 15, 2011. "The CASP certification is intended to follow CompTIA Security+."[7]
Server+ is CompTIA's certification that focuses on server-specific hardware and operating systems, and certifies technical knowledge in areas such as RAID, SCSI, and multiple CPUs, as well as capabilities with server issues, including disaster recovery. It was developed in 2001, with updates that followed in 2005 and 2009. The eight domains of the Server+ exam are General Server Hardware Knowledge, Installation, Configuration, Upgrading, Proactive Maintenance, Environment Troubleshooting and Problem Determination, and Disaster Recovery. A combination A+/Network+, A+/Server+ or Security+ certifications can fulfill the elective exam requirement for the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) certification.
The Certified Technical Trainer or CTT+ certification is a vendor-neutral certification that is applicable to training professionals in all industries. It proves the mastery of core instructor skills, including preparation, presentation, communication, facilitation, and evaluation in a classroom environment. The challenging CTT+ exam consists of two parts: a computer-based exam (CBT) and a video-based exam (VBT).
CTT+ certification can be used as proof of instructional expertise for the following industry certifications: ACI (Adobe Certified Instructor), MCT (Microsoft Certified Trainer), and CNI (Certified Novell Instructor).
Certified Document Imaging Architect, or CDIA+, is a certification for competency in document imaging, document management, and enterprise content management. It certifies that one has the skills necessary to develop a system for scanning, storing, and retrieving digital versions of documents and is currently the only industry recognized certification in this area.
Linux+ is a certification of knowledge of Linux operating systems, from their installation and use to the basics of applicable free software and open source licenses.
The Linux+ exam is intended for information technology professionals who have between six to twelve months of practical experience using Linux. The exam is broken down into several areas of Linux expertise: installation, management, configuration, security, documentation, and hardware.
The test is a computer-based multiple-choice exam, with a question followed by four possible answers, at least one (but possibly more) of which must be correct. Common subject matter for exam topics include installation methods, boot loader configuration, managing packages (Debian and RPM management systems are covered), navigating directories via the command line, using the bash shell, security considerations, network administration (including TCP/IP configuration), mounting file systems (such as NFS, SMB or ext3) and managing configuration files for the more common applications that Linux servers are expected to run. Although configuring and running the X Window system is included in the formal exam objectives, there are rarely any questions pertaining to this as the exam focuses on Linux as a server and network operating system rather than for use as a desktop platform.
The Linux+ exam has undergone some criticism since its inception,[8] due to the excessive amount of hardware-related questions that were on the exam initially, many of which were covered on the A+ exam. The newest version of the exam, available as of February 2005, does away with this problem.
CompTIA began the process of updating the Linux+ certification in July, 2008. The update process began with a Job Task Analysis (JTA), in which Linux subject matter experts evaluate the job roles and tasks for IT professionals who work with open source operating systems. The information is used to update the exam objectives and items. The exam is 90 minutes in duration and consists of 98 questions with a passing score of 675 out of 900.
The new LPI (Linux Professional Institute) powered Linux+ replaced the old CompTIA Linux+ on October 31, 2010, it consists of two exams (LX0-101, and LX0-102), 60 questions each. The exam is 90 minutes long, and requires a 500 on a scale of 200-800 to pass.
Project+ is a certification showing that one has the knowledge needed to manage projects. CompTIA claims that Project+ is a globally recognized project management certification that provides validation of fundamental project management skills. Curriculum covers the entire project life cycle from initiation and planning through execution, acceptance, support and closure. The exam is 90 minutes in duration and consists of 100 questions with a passing score of 710 out of 900 according to the CompTIA website.[9]
This certification was previously named IT Project+.[10]
Radio Frequency Identification or RFID+ tests the knowledge and skills necessary for working with radio-frequency identification technology. The exam is 90 minutes in duration and consists of 81 questions with a passing score of 630 out of 900.
CompTIA is retiring this certification on December 31, 2011. From the CompTIA Customer Support Center:
Convergence Technologies Professional or CTP+ replaces the Convergence+ exam.[11]
CompTIA CTP+ is an international, vendor-neutral exam that validates the core knowledge and skills IT professionals need to sell and service convergent technologies. CompTIA offers this exam in conjunction with Certification Partners, LLC, who created the original CTP exam. CTP+ covers basic requirements analysis, implementation and management of basic data components and voice and multimedia applications, as well as basic problem analysis and resolution for convergent technologies. Although not a prerequisite for CompTIA CTP+ certification, it is recommended that candidates are CompTIA Network+ certified or have equivalent knowledge, as well as roughly 24 months of work experience in areas that include data networking, telephony and convergence-related technologies.
Printing and Document Imaging or PDI+ is an entry-level, vendor-neutral certification proving competence in basic maintenance of printers, scanners, copiers and fax machines. The certification is recognized by several industry leaders, including Canon, Sharp and Xerox, as a benchmark certification for professionals that service and support document imaging devices.
PDI+ covers a technician's understanding of basic electromechanical components and tools, print engine and scan processes and components, color theory, connectivity and networking. The exam also covers soft skills such as customer service, professionalism, safety and environment. While there are no prerequisites for the CompTIA PDI+ certification exam, it is recommended that entry-level candidates have foundation-level knowledge or hands-on experience working with printing and document imaging devices. The PDI+ Beta Exam was available from July 24 through August 31, 2007. The live exam became available on January 7, 2008.[12]
The DHTI+ was a vendor-neutral certification that demonstrated a technician's ability to configure, integrate, maintain, troubleshoot, and comprehend the basic design concepts of electronic and digital home systems.[13] The DHTI+ was retired on December 31, 2009. No replacement certification has been announced.
The e-Biz+ certification covers basic knowledge about e-commerce. The e-Biz+ certification was discontinued in English on December 31, 2005, but it can still be taken in Japanese or Korean.
The HTI+ certification for home technology integrators was retired in 2007[14] and replaced by the CEA-CompTIA DHTI+ certification.
The i-Net+ certification deals with basic knowledge of Internet, intranet, extranet, and electronic commerce technologies. Topics on the exam include distinguishing between server-side and client-side scripting, basic networking via command line, e-commerce, and e-business, security via digital signatures, copyright licenses (including the GPL), and basic HTML coding. The i-Net+ certification was retired on December 31, 2007. Those who currently have the i-Net+ certification continue to be certified.
The CTP+ certification replaces Convergence+ as CompTIA's convergent technologies exam. CompTIA Convergence+ was available through Oct. 31, 2010.[15]
For over ten years, CompTIA marketed its flagship A+, Network+ and Security+ certifications as being valid for a lifetime. In January 2011, however, CompTIA changed the status of these certifications so that they would expire every three years. Under this proposal, certified individuals would have to re-sit for the exams or pay a yearly maintenance fee for a CEU (Continuing Education Units) system.[16] Some certified members felt that this action breached the conditions of the original contract with CompTIA, and that the change effectively showed CompTIA reneging on a deal.[17] Less than a month after making this announcement, CompTIA reversed its decision. Under the new policy, only certificates received after January 1, 2011 will expire after 3 years. Certificates received after January 1, 2011 will need to be renewed every 3 years; however, a certain amount of documented hours geared towards use of the certification will automatically renew the certification.[18]