CompTIA Security+ Guide
- 1. Updates on CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ exams Carol Balkcom Director, Product Management CompTIA
- 2. A+ Certification For IT Helpdesk and Remote Support Professionals 2 http://www.testbells.com/vendor/CompTIA
- 3. CompTIA product stack 3 http://www.testbells.com/vendor/CompTIA
- 4. Employment of U.S. Workers in Core IT Positions CONFIDENTIAL – FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY UNTIL FINALIZED SOC code Computer and IT Occupations Employment Average Annual Salary 2010-2020 Employment Change 2010-2020 Outlook 15-1150 Computer Support Specialists (A+ relevant here) 607,100 $46,260 110,000 18% 15-1132 Software Developers, Applications 520,800 $87,790 143,800 28% 15-1121 Computer Systems Analysts 544,400 $77,740 120,400 22% 15-1133 Software Developers, Systems Software 392,300 $94,180 127,200 32% 15-1131 Computer Programmers 363,100 $71,380 43,700 12% 15-1142 Network and Computer Systems Administrators 347,200 $69,160 96,600 28% 15-1179 Information Security Analysts, Web Developers, and Computer Network Architects 302,300 $75,660 65,700 22% 15-1111 Computer and Information Research Scientists 28,200 $100,660 5,300 19% 15-1141 Database Administrators 110,800 $73,490 33,900 31% Computer Occupations, All -- $73,710 -- 22% 17-2061 Computer Hardware Engineers 70,000 $98,810 6,300 9% 11-3021 Computer and Information Systems Managers 307,900 $115,780 55,800 18% Total 3,954,100 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Employment Statistics, March 2012
- 5. IT Hiring 5
- 6. Investments by Firm Size 6 % expecting to increase investment Staffing Levels On the hiring front, medium size IT firms (100-499 employees) are most likely to add new staff over the next six months. With a range of new technologies sought by customers (e.g. cloud, big data, business process automation, mobility) IT firms must be vigilant in maintaining high levels of expertise through internal training and/or new hires. Source: CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index – Q3 Release, July 2012 Base: 445 U.S. IT industry executives
- 7. Case Study 7 Chuck Cooper, program director for certification at IBM believes: To be Proficient in Technology…. you need to build your skills and take training Certifications - are a baseline measurement of skills and a consistent measure that validates the skills you achieve Certifications - build confidence on the part of prospective customers, sellers and business partners Certifications - listed on a proposal denote people with whom you can collaborate http://www.testbells.com/vendor/CompTIA
- 8. CompTIA A+ Certification Vendor Neutral Certification 2 exams 220-801 220-802 ISO Certified ANSI Accredited Kept current via Continuing Ed program Measures Necessary Competencies for today’s Entry Level IT Professionals A+ Knowledge and Skills • Installation, configuring and troubleshooting of the following: • PC hardware (including laptops and mobile devices, and custom configurations • Printers • Networking components • Operating systems including Windows 7 Enterprise • Operational procedures including safety, environment and customer communications • Security (22% of exam 802) 8
- 9. Career Advancement for IT Professionals Target Audience Individuals working in or planning to work in technical support roles such as: Field Support Technician Desktop Support Technician Bench Technician Helpdesk Technician 9 http://www.testbells.com/vendor/CompTIA
- 10. 2011 IT Technician Job Role Survey PC Technicians (71%) Field Support Technicians (65%) Help Desk Technicians (64%) Customer Service Technicians (48%) Network Support Technicians (41%) 10 Survey respondents chose the following job roles for which A+ is most often required
- 11. Why A+ Over 900,000 A+ Certified IT Professionals Among Top 10 certifications in the industry (DICE TechRepublic, New Horizons) Companies such as Ricoh, Dell and CompuCom Have Made A+ Certification Mandatory U.S. DoD 8570.1 Mandates A+ Certification for Level I Technical Personnel in Information Assurance CompTIA A+ Certified by ISO and Accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 11
- 12. Organizations that Require or Mandate A+ Professionals 12 Government Organizations Corporate Organizations
- 14. CompTIA Website: Companies that use A+ There is a page on the CompTIA website that lists companies that use CompTIA certifications, with specific certifications that they use. http://certification.comptia.org/ExploreCareers/whohires.aspx 14 http://www.testbells.com/vendor/CompTIA
- 15. A+ Exam Details • 2 exams Certification Requirement • 220-801 Exam Numbers • 220-802 • Maximum of 90 questions for each exam; 90 minutes to take each exam Length • 12 months hands-on lab or field experience Recommended Experience • 220-801: 675 • 220-802: 700 • (Scale of 900) Passing Score 15
- 16. CompTIA A+ Objectives A+ 220-801 PC Hardware Networking Laptops Printers Operational Procedures A+ 220-802 Operating Systems Security Mobile Devices Troubleshooting 16
- 17. Changes from the 700 series A+ 1. Windows 7 Enterprise has been added to the covered Windows operating systems 2. Mobile Devices (802: 3.0) is a new subject matter domain. It includes Apple iOS and Android. Coverage includes just what a helpdesk technician would be expected to do: Establish network connectivity for the device, configure email, set up security, and troubleshoot. 3. Virtualization (802: 1.9) is new 4. All troubleshooting is in one exam (802: 4.0), more extensive, and organized by specific hardware/software area (e.g. hard drives, display, etc.) 5. Troubleshooting wireless (802: 4.5) is new 6. There is more coverage of troubleshooting security issues (802: 4.7) 7.SOHO-specific security is new (802: 2.5,2.6) 17
- 18. Exam objectives and other information For exam objectives and other information, go to this page http://www.testbells.com/vendor/CompTIA 18
- 19. Performance Based Questions 19 • For performance based items, the A+ candidate will be given a scenario/problem, and will be prompted to push a button to launch a simulated environment that is created via software. • The simulated environment should be familiar to a PC support professional with the level of hands-on experience recommended for the A+ exam. •Once the simulation is launched, the candidate will need to perform whatever tasks s/he believes appropriate, based on the given scenario and the tools/information that are provided in the question. Performance- Based Question Description
- 20. Performance based questions in Network+, Security+
- 21. Timeframe and notes Performance based questions will be added to Network+ and Security+ on this schedule: Network+: November 2012 Security+: January 2013 Same objectives Same number of questions on exam (multiple choice will be reduced to accommodate performance based) Hands-on training or experience becomes much more important 21 http://www.testbells.com/vendor/CompTIA
- 22. New “demo” video of CompTIA exam experience YouTube Video • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NsbJLkHuuo Performance based questions section • Begins at roughly the 5 minute mark CompTIA website (performance based portion only) • http://certification.comptia.org/news/12-10- 09/What_Is_A_Performance-Based_Question.aspx 22 Video demonstrates what a candidate can expect, from the beginning of a CompTIA exam to the end.
- 23. Why performance based questions? • A better measure of skills, not just memorization • Represents CompTIA’s interest in using the latest in testing technologies to the benefit of the industry • Intended as a better indication of a certified candidate’s readiness for the job. In the words of a member of the CompTIA Security+ Certification Advisory Committee from the U.S. Navy: A certification is not intended to be the introductory training tool for an inexperienced and untrained individual.....a certification is intended to attest that the individual has already attained the requisite training and experience and has proven it with an industry-recognized standard (certification exam). 23 http://www.testbells.com/vendor/CompTIA
- 24. 24 Thank You! Back to Stick around & Q&As http://www.testbells.com/vendor/CompTIA
Editor's Notes
- #20: We’ve had questions about the nature of the performance based questions on the exam. Candidates will need to be familiar with the predominant installation, configuration and troubleshooting techniques required of a PC technician in order to perform well on the performance based questions. These questions are designed to measure their familiarity with performing basic tasks that technicians should be able to perform. These could include command line tools, control panel utilities, anything that a qualified PC technician should know. At the back of the exam objectives, we include a proposed hardware and software list that should help in setting up labs or practice scenarios for students to gain practical knowledge to address this type of question. And, CompTIA has developed a video that walks a prospective test candidate through what to expect in taking a CompTIA exam—including examples of possible performance based item formats.
- #23: Here we have links to videos, one on YouTube that is intended to walk students through everything they can expect from the time they sit down to a computer to take a CompTIA exam; and the other on the CompTIA website that includes a description of a performance based question and a video of just a performance based hypothetical example based on what might be required of an A+ candidate.