The Network+ is an excellent certification to have in today’s marketplace. Even if you don’t have the certification, the knowledge is valuable for just about any technician working on the job. The exam includes 100 questions that you need to complete in 90 minutes giving you just a little than a minute a question.
A passing score of 720 (on a scale of 100 to 900) is needed to pass. If you show up for the exam but don’t get a single question right, you’ll get a score of 100. If you ace it answering every question correctly, you’ll get a 900.
The Network+ certification is part of a trio of certifications that many people use to create a solid foundation of IT knowledge.
Many people pursue these certifications in this order:
- CompTIA A+
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
Questions are multiple choice and given as a computer-based exam. You can take the exam at any Pearson VUE testing center. Testing is no longer available Prometric testing centers.
There are currently two editions of the exam:
- N10-004
This is the 2009 edition and will be active into 2012. Update. This is currently expired. - N10-005
This edition was released in 2011 and can be taken now.
Candidates are expected to have either the A+ certification or equivalent knowledge. Additionally, they’re expected to have at least 9 to 12 months of work experience in IT networking. However, these are not firm requirements.
Some people are using this book (Microsoft Windows Networking Essentials) to teach others Network+ knowledge and it can also be used as a self-study source. It was actually written for the Microsoft’s Technology Associate Networking Fundamentals Exam 98-366, but the topic covers much of the Networking knowledge in an easy to read and understand format.
Here are some links to more resources to help you pass the Network+ exam the first time you take it.
- About the Network+ Certification
- Network+ blogs organized by categories
- Network+ performance based questions
- Practice test questions for your mobile device
- CompTIA Network+ N10-005 Practice Test Questions (Get Certified Get Ahead)
- CompTIA Network+ Basic Networking Components (A Get Certified Get Ahead Kindle Short)
- CompTIA Network+ OSI Topics (A Get Certified Get Ahead Kindle Short)
- CompTIA Network+: Tools (A Get Certified Get Ahead Kindle Short)
- CompTIA Network+ Wireless Topics (A Get Certified Get Ahead Kindle Short)