Appendix: CompTIA A+ Exam Reference Matrix
You can use this chart to identify which chapters to study in preparation for the CompTIA A+ Certification Exams. Since you need to take two exams, then it is still best to read this entire volume because there is a great deal of overlap between the Essentials exam and all of the other exams.
After reading the entire volume, you can use this chart as part of your review. If you go through the objectives and find any area you don’t think you know, you can immediately turn to the appropriate chapter for in-depth review.
2012 Examination Objectives - 220-801 Essentials
|
Domain/Objective/Description |
Book-Chapter |
|
1.0 PC Hardware |
|
|
1.1 Configure and apply BIOS settings |
2-4 |
|
Install firmware upgrades – flash BIOS |
2-4 |
|
BIOS component information such as RAM, Hard drive, Optical drive, CPU |
2-4 |
|
BIOS configurations such as Boot sequence, Enabling and disabling devices, Date/time, Clock speeds, Virtualization support |
2-4 |
|
BIOS security (passwords, drive encryption: TPM, lo-jack) |
2-4 |
|
Use built-in diagnostics |
2-4 |
|
Monitoring such as Temperature monitoring, Fan speeds, Intrusion detection/notification, Voltage, Clock, Bus speed |
2-4 |
|
1.2 Differentiate between motherboard components, their purposes, and properties |
2-1, 2-7 |
|
Differences include Sizes such as ATX, Micro-ATX, ITX; Expansion slots such as PCI, PCI-X, PCIe, miniPCI, CNR, AGP2x, 4x, 8x; RAM slots; CPU sockets; Chipsets such as North Bridge, ... |
