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CompTIA A+ 220-602 TM

Security skills are vital for a computer
support professional. Whether working
in a large enterprise environment or in
the field, security issues and technologies
are a part of the job skill set needed for
the entry level IT worker.
Technology and the job of the computer support professional are
always changing. CompTIA, as your industry trade association, is
constantly reviewing the content of our credentials to ensure they
are still current and continue to meet the needs of the industry and
the evolving role of the IT worker.

“Adding security to the CompTIA A+ exam is

important because technicians, particularly
entry-level technicians, spend a lot of time
on spyware and virus removal. It’s a huge
part of the job. You can’t consider yourself a
professional anymore if you don’t know
about security. It’s the equivalent of what
replacing a hard drive was six years ago.
New techs have to be prepared for this.”
Brett Knight
Embraer Aircraft Manufacturing
The updated credential validates skills needed by today’s computer
support professionals. CompTIA A+ remains a skills benchmark that
provides an entry point into an IT career and the industry standard
to validate foundational skills.
The updated CompTIA A+ credential requires two tests: CompTIA A+
Essentials Exam plus CompTIA A+ 220-602 Exam. Exams will cover
hardware and software with added elements of security and soft skills,
as well as safety and environmental issues. This validation option
maps most closely to the current CompTIA A+ offering.

According to CompTIA research, soft skills

such as the ability to communicate with
others is one of the top knowledge and skill
sets sought out by employers and validated
through certification. Technical competence
is not enough. Professionals must have the CompTIA A+
ability to communicate with customers and Essentials
fellow workers to be successful.

“For Dell, the most important thing is

customer satisfaction. Technical skills are
one tool that helps solve the customer’s
problem, but part of problem solving is CompTIA A+
keeping the customer happy. The 220-602
incorporation of soft skills into the
CompTIA A+ exam will give new techs
an idea of what to expect on the job.”
Amy Proveniers
Dell

EXAMPLE JOB ROLES ASSOCIATED WITH COMPTIA A+ 220-602 INCLUDE:

SERVICE TECHNICIAN IT TECHNICIAN ICS SPECIALIST
FIELD PC TECHNICIAN IT ADMINISTRATOR COMPUTER TECHNICIAN

CompTIA A+ supports careers that require IT knowledge outside of the formal IT job role, such as SMB office manager,
technical sales roles or other non-technical roles that require understanding of computer repair issues.
 BENEFITS OF THE UPDATED COMPTIA A+:

• Research has proven that certified employees lead to increased

COMPTIA A+ ESSENTIALS customer satisfaction and repeat business, as well as increased
CompTIA A+ Essentials validates knowledge revenue.
of basic computer hardware and operating
systems, covering skills such as installing, By employing CompTIA certified professionals, Hal-Com has seen
building, upgrading, repairing, configuring, a 15 percent reduction in client turnover. * Certifying their employees
troubleshooting, optimizing, diagnosing and gave Western Digitech an additional $275,027 in revenues.**
preventive maintenance, with additional
elements of soft skills and security. The • Certification provides measurable competence standards
Essentials Exam validates the basic skills for a business.
needed by any entry-level service technician
regardless of job environment. “If a technician has CompTIA A+, it guarantees to their employer
that they have the basics – installing, troubleshooting, software,
hardware and soft skills. It covers all the knowledge a beginning tech
needs and it gives them quite an advantage over those who are not
COMPTIA A+ 220-602
certified.”
CompTIA A+ 220-602 validates the ability to
Amy Proveniers
perform tasks such as installation, building, Dell Benelux
repairing, configuration, troubleshooting,
optimizing, diagnosing and preventive • Certified employees are more productive because they have the
maintenance in the context of the field service proven skills necessary to perform at a higher level of efficiency
or enterprise environment. This credential is than their non-certified peers.
appropriate for those who work, or plan to
work, in a mobile or corporate environment, “Since we started requiring CompTIA A+ certification for our
or hold a position characterized by a high-level Technical Service personnel, we have seen a higher first-time fix
of in-person customer interaction. Candidates rate, use fewer parts, and receive higher customer satisfaction
who pass this exam plus CompTIA A+ marks. These equate to lower costs of doing business and higher
Essentials will be CompTIA A+ certified profits for CompuCom.”
with the IT Technician designation. Dave Smith
CompuCom Systems, Inc.

• Employee certification programs lead to satisfied employees

“Quality technicians are what keeps our and higher employee retention.
customers happy. The CompTIA A+
certification is a baseline standard By employing CompTIA certified professionals, Hal-Com has seen
certification for all of our technicians. a 40 percent reduction in employee turnover, leading to reductions
With this certification, we can establish in management time spent interviewing candidates and on-the-job
a minimum skill set for our technicians training for new hires.*
and know they have a solid foundation.”
John Kopacka • Certification lowers the costs of recruiting, hiring and training.
Siemens Business Services, Inc.
Certified technicians complete their orientations in half the time
and can begin billing customers for a higher percentage of their
time more quickly.**
©2006 The Computing Technology Industry Association. All rights reserved. 9602 Rev. 6/06 * Hal-Com: ROI of Certification Case Study, CompTIA Research, 2005
** Western Digitech: ROI of Certification Case Study, CompTIA Research, 2005
questions@comptia.org