The A+ certificate is based on CompTIA's criteria, the Computing Technology Industry Association of America, which represents more than 8,000 hardware and software manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

The certificate itself is internationally recognised as validation of the technical knowledge and skills required of a computer service technician. It is an ideal starting point for those wishing to enter the field of computer support, or who are already involved in such work but are seeking a professional accreditation.

There are two elements to the course: Core Hardware and Operating System Technologies. Students must pass both of these modules to be awarded the A+ certificate.

The course is taught at the CLC over forty weeks and involves six hours of work per week: three hours with the course tutor and three hours of self-directed study using the computer based training system.

Dates and times of the courses are on the Enrolment Form. Please read the rest of this course information before applying.

In this section, candidates must demonstrate their ability to properly install, configure, update, troubleshoot and repair microcomputer hardware. This includes having basic knowledge of desktop and portable systems, basic networking concepts and printers. The candidate must also demonstrate knowledge of safety and common preventative maintenance procedures.

The Core Hardware Service Technician examination tests general knowledge rather than awareness of specific manufacturer peripherals or components and is split into the following six domains:

• Installation, configuration and upgrading (30%)
• Diagnosing and troubleshooting (30%)
• Preventive maintenance (5%)
• Motherboard/processors/memory (15%)
• Printers (10%)
• Basic networking (10%)

The Windows portion of the exam measures essential operating systems knowledge for a support professional.

The candidate must demonstrate basic knowledge of Windows 9X and Windows 2000 for installing, configuring, upgrading, troubleshooting and repairing microcomputer systems. The sections and relative percentages of importance of this part of the test are:

• Operating system fundamentals (30%)
• Installation, configuration and upgrading (15%)
• Diagnosing and troubleshooting (40%)
• Networks (15%)

The examinations are administered by computer either at the CLC or our accredited testing partner, MANCAT (Manchester College of Arts and Technology). In an easy-to-use format, the examination looks very much like other multiple-choice tests.

Because the desktop computer is connected into a testing network where candidate answers are stored, the candidate will receive a final score as soon as the test is finished. However, candidate answers to questions are securely stored and the results are transmitted to the OCR examinations board to process certification.

Questions appear in three formats:

• situation (choosing a situation or scenario commonly encountered by service technicians)
• identification (selecting an answer that identifies what is being shown in a diagram, flowchart or illustration)
• traditional (picking the correct answer from a list of choices).

It is recommended that candidates take both parts of the exam on the same day. However candidates have until the test content is reviewed and/or changed to pass both parts of the exam.

The A+ course costs:

• £280 for those in full time work (more than 30 hours per week)
• £155 for those in part time work (16 to 29 hours per week)
• £45 for the unwaged, or those who work less than 16 hours per week.

It is free of charge for students aged 16 to 18. Please note that the automatic fee exemption for employees of Manchester City Council is no longer available.

Click here to apply for A+ Computer Maintenance.