The A+ Exams Guide: (Exam 220-301), (Exam 220-302)

Rating:
Summary: Not all That!
Review: This was the 3rd Book I completed in preperation for the A+ exams. I took and passed in April 2004. This book has a lot of great information combined with test questions. The CD provided is another rendition of the exact same questions that are in the end of each chapter. Useless. As far as the needed information required to pass the exam. This book won't do it. You really need a good understanding of Networking, Wireless, Fiber Optic, NT 4.0, 2000 and XP. Unless you are currently in a job utilizing this info everyday, hands on will be the best training I could recommend. During the test I encountered quite a few questions that I personnaly never came across in any of the 3 books I read. The 3 that I read were the top choices at the time. The test encompasses a wide variety of info, OS's, peripherals etc...
1 book will not give you enough in depth detail you need to pass this exam. I was brand-new to the industry as of 2001. Never touched a PC. Began studying on and off for a year and a half then the objectives changed, requiring me to purchase more books. Mike Meyers A+ second Edition was the first book. then Exam Cram by Sybex was the second and A+ Exams Guide the 3rd. Those combined with multiple PC builds, experimenting on different OS's and supplemental (periodicals, magazines)readings got me by. Good Luck!

Rating:
Summary: Siskel and Ebert find it Dazziling
Review: Well not exactly.........
The users who appear to be disgruntled about the book, obviously are taking the A+ certification exam for the wrong reasons (i.e. self-afflituation, higher pay, etc). Real "LEARNING" students of the A+ certification would have taken immediate acknowledgment of the use of this book. I used another resource for my study guide, but used this as an exam readiness book, 2 weeks prior to me taking the exam. I felt this book cleared all the gray areas that I had using my other resource. This is an excellent book and though I used another resource, any one could pass the exam with only this book. Believe me on this one.

Note: Dont ever,ever,ever use the Exam Cram 2 Exam Questions book. If there's any book out there preparing you to FAIL the exam, its this one. I stopped reading halfway after realizing the amount of mistakes it had.