In total, there are 2 A+ examinations and sections to study, and you need to get your exams in each area to qualify for your A+. A+ computer training courses teach diagnostic techniques and fault-finding - remotely as well as hands on, alongside building computers and repairing them and working in antistatic conditions. Should you fancy yourself as the person who works in a multi-faceted environment - supporting, fixing and maintaining networks, you'll need to add CompTIA Network+, or consider the Microsoft networking route (MCSA - MCSE) as you'll need a deeper understanding of how networks function.

Many trainers provide piles of reference manuals and workbooks. This isn't very interesting and not ideal for studying effectively. We see a huge improvement in memory retention with an involvement of all our senses - learning experts have been saying this for decades now.

Interactive audio-visual materials with demonstrations and practice sessions will forever turn you away from traditional book study. And they're far more fun. You must ensure that you see courseware examples from your chosen company. Be sure that they contain video demo's and interactive elements such as practice lab's.

Purely on-line training should be avoided. Always choose CD or DVD based study materials where available, so that you have access at all times - and not be totally reliant on a good broadband connection all the time.

Consider only study programmes which will grow into commercially approved accreditations. There's a plethora of small companies proposing unknown 'in-house' certificates which are worthless in today's commercial market. If your certification doesn't come from a big-hitter like Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA, then you may discover it could have been a waste of time and effort - because it won't give an employer any directly-useable skills.

Don't get hung-up, as many people do, on the training course itself. Training is not an end in itself; this is about employment. Stay focused on what it is you want to achieve. It's possible, for instance, to find immense satisfaction in a year of study but end up spending 10 or 20 years in something completely unrewarding, as a consequence of not performing the correct level of soul-searching when you should've - at the outset.

You also need to know your leanings around earning potential and career progression, and whether you intend to be quite ambitious. It makes sense to understand what (if any) sacrifices you'll need to make for a particular role, which qualifications will be required and how to develop your experience. It's worth seeking help from an experienced person that can explain the sector you've chosen, and who can give you 'A typical day in the life of' explanation for that career-path. These things are incredibly important as you'll need to fully understand if you're barking up the wrong tree.

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