A+/N+ level of difficulty

[mattshort]

hi,
i know this is a very vague and subjective question, but I can't help ask anyway . I've recently succeded in both A+ exams after reading Mike Meyers' excellent text, and have just started his Network+ book. I'd say I recognise (but don't have nearly enough understanding of!!) as many parts of this book as I did with the A+ book before i started....

Is the N+ exam of a similar difficulty to A+?

thanks again everyone!

[Clyde]

yup, same style of questions, same expectation of knowledge

[tripwire45]

As compared to what...brain surgery? Sorry.

Anyway, the content is different so it just depends on whether or not you can learn networking content with the same level of ease (or difficulty) as hardware and OS content. Try not to worry about this sort of thing. They are both considered "entry level" certs. Just use the same study habits for the N+ as you did for the A+. After all, they seemed to have worked before.

[simongrahamuk]

What Trip said.

Personally though I find learning networking a lot more difficult than learning OS's and hardware.

[PAT]

I found learning software a lot harder too learn than networking.

[Clyde]

subjectively, if we dislike a topic or are less experienced in it, it's liklier we'll find it harder. On the other hand, if we like a topic, its less of a chore...

Objectively, the exam difficulty is on a par with A+ or Security+. All the CompTIA exams are much of a muchness difficulty wise. Lets not prejudice people into thinking Network+ is hard!

hopefully, I'm making sense!

[Jakamoko]

I'm with the consensus on this one. As both are entry-level, they assume exactly that - you are coming to the material from scratch (as I was at the time). Therefore, the learning curve is similar for both, as is the satisfaction of achieving both. I think that is the ethic and the intention of compTIA.

IMHO

[mattshort]

Cheers everyone. Glad to hear its not too different to A+.

Well, from my work so far today it seems to be going better than A+ (fewer lists and facts to memorize), so i've booked up the exam. Yet again Mike Meyers is (almost) unputdownable... I'll report back next week on the result!

M

[Sandy]

About the same. Mind you, I found the qustions were written in a language from Mars, it took more time trying to work out what they were asking!

[Aureilius]

I followed a link from CF (sorry I don't remember what one) but it did say that the Linux+ was of a difficulty level far exceeding the other '+' certs.

Bit off topic I know, but sort of relevant

As already stated, if one is interested in a certain topic, they tend to take quite easily to it, but the comments were posted by Linux veterans.

Has anyone taken the Linux+?

How did you find it?

Thanks.

[tripwire45]

Never taken the Linux+ but in looking over the current objectives and some of the training material, it looks like you'd better know your stuff. I think that one of the reasons it seems so difficult is that we've been trained to think in a Windows world and Linux is a fundementally different thing.

[Aureilius]

Thanks Trip.

Would it be fair to say that the Linux+ hasn't been 'diluted' by the amount of people that hold it yet?

If so, as far as advancement goes, what do you think?

I'm hoping it's still obscure enough, that it might be a hot cert.

What do you think?

Many thanks.

[Boycie]

Hi,

Just picked up on this thread.
Agree with what has already been said- I think it is on a personal basis how hard you find a particular cert.
When I was studying for A+ I wasn't just studying to pass two exams I was actually learning "the ropes".
Now, i am on the N+ road I find it quite straight forward as the A+ touches on some of it.
As with all certs there are things that have to commited to memory and i think that is where some of the "hardness" comes from.

[Modey]

I think the advice I could offer on the differences between A+ and N+ is this ... I think you really need to understand the subject matter behind the N+, whereas I think it's possible with the A+ to learn it a but more parrot style.

[Jakamoko]

That's a good point actually, Modey - especially with the OSI model. You need more than just remember the 7 layers, as an understanding of which layers different devices operate at is important.

Good point well made