Who Should Buy This Book?
If you want to acquire a solid foundation in personal-computer
basics, and your goal is to prepare for the exams by filling in any gaps in your knowledge, this
book is for you. You’ll find clear explanations of the concepts you need to grasp and plenty of
help to achieve the high level of professional competency you need in order to succeed in your
chosen field. If you want to become certified as an A+ holder, this book is definitely what you
need. However, if you just want to attempt to pass the exam without really understanding the
basics of personal computers, this guide isn’t for you. It’s written for people who want to
acquire skills and knowledge of personal-computer basics. How to Use This Book and the CD
We’ve included several testing features in the book and on the CD. These tools will help you
retain vital exam content as well as prepare to sit for the actual exams: Chapter Review
Questions To test your knowledge as you progress through the book, there are review questions
at the end of each chapter. As you finish each chapter, answer the review questions and then
check your answers—the correct answers appear on the page following the review questions.
You can go back to reread the section that deals with each question you got wrong to ensure
that you answer correctly the next time you’re tested on the material. Electronic Flashcards
You’ll find flashcard questions on the CD for on-the-go review. These are short question and
answers, just like the flashcards you probably used to study in school. You can answer them on
your PC or download them onto a Palm device for quick and convenient reviewing. Test Engine
The CD also contains the Sybex Test Engine. Using this custom test engine, you can identify weak
areas up front and then develop a solid studying strategy using each of these robust testing
features. Our thorough readme file will walk you through the quick, easy installation process. In
addition to taking the assessment test and answering the chapter review questions in the test
engine, you’ll find sample exams on the CD. Take these practice exams just as if you were taking
the actual exam (without any reference material). When you’ve finished the f irst exam, move
on to the next one to solidify your test-taking skills. If you get more than 90 percent of the
answers correct, you’re ready to take the certification exams. Glossary of Terms in PDF The CD
contains a very useful glossary of terms in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format so you can easily read it
on any computer. If you have to travel and brush up on any key terms, and you have a laptop
with a CD-ROM drive, you can do so with this use ful resource