Expected difference between the A plus 220-1101 and A plus 220-1001 exams

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Difference between the A plus 220-1101 and A plus 220-1001 exams

The new A plus 220-1101 and A+ 220-1102 being the current exam versions,  we will here be taking a quick look, exam objective by exam objective, at the difference between the A plus 220-1101 and A+ 220-1001 exams. Would you want to look at the Core 2 differences, then have another post covering the differences between A plus 220-1102 and A+ 220-1002.

Click here to learn about the differences between A+ 220-1102 & A+ 220-1002

The main domains listed below are the ones found in A+ 220-1001 but we discuss, from that vantage point, the areas we expect CompTIA to add for the new A plus 1101.

Main Domain 1.0 – Mobile Devices

Laptop hardware has always been covered, but now we see additional changes surrounding the security of these devices. In one of those changes, CompTIA has added the installation and configuration of biometric security features including fingerprint scanners and facial recognition covered in more depth. You will also need to understand how to safely and optimally migrate data from traditional Hard disks to newer faster SSD drives.

photo of a Micron 500 GB SSD
Example of an SSD, the Micron 500 GB SSD.

The display technologies you will need to know are no longer confined to laptop displays. Expect to see a deeper look at mobile device display technologies. Not only are the types of displays like LCD and OLED covered but expect to see comparisons of the technologies involved that affect latency, color accuracy, and viewing angle.

Click here to download the A+ 1101 & 1102 exam objectives.

There have been changes to the area of mobile device connectivity. The 220-1001 covers wireless/cellular data network connectivity. This has been expanded to include the configuration for 3G/4G/5G cellular networks as well as the apps used by these networks and conventional wireless networks. Mobile device synchronization will be covered in more depth, including the apps that used any possible limitations like data caps.

5G network illustration on a background of a large city at night/
5G network illustration.

Main Domain 2.0 Networking

There are not very significant changes concerning ports and protocols. However, they are important enough to re-emphasize. You will still need to know the port numbers, the associated protocols, and their purpose.

The typical SOHO network has evolved to include IoT devices and fiber optic devices like the optical network terminal (ONT) so expect to see more of this in the new A+ 220-1101 exam objectives too.

Expect the standard 802.11 based protocols to be expanded to include 802.11ax i.e. WiFi 6.

You can also expect deeper coverage of network configuration protocols like DNS and DHCP.

Main Domain 3.0 Hardware

The network cabling in A+ 220-1101 remains largely unchanged from the A+ 220-1001 with the biggest change being the addition of Cat 6a which doubles the bandwidth provided by Cat 6 from 250MHz to 500MHz.

The fastest RAM that is widely available is DDR4. We believe that when the 220-1101 test is available there will be a new DDR choice. DDR5 will effectively double today’s best DDR4, at a price, of course.

3-D printers are now in the exam objectives. They have now become ubiquitous and are deployed in many companies while the prices are falling into the affordable range for consumers. Be familiar with the terminology used to describe the components, consumables, and process.

Click here for a free sample of A+ 220-1102 practice questions.

Main domain 4.0 Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Virtualization is a familiar topic and will not be new to A plus 220-1101. We see an increased emphasis on desktop virtualization. The A+ 220-1101 exam objectives include Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in local deployments and in the cloud.

Expect client-side virtualization to be included in the A plus 220-1101. Virtual Machines (VM) are useful in testing and development. The concept of a sandbox creates an environment where there is no interaction with the host.

Main Domain 5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting

This domain is not seeing too many differences with the A plus 220-1101 exam. The processes of hardware and network troubleshooting are well established.

When is the A plus 220-1101 going live?

The release date for these two exams was April 21, 2022.

Free A+ Study Guides

Are you studying for the A+ Exams? If so, check out our free A+ Study guide for exams 220-1101 and 220-1102, it covers every last A+ 1001 & 1002 exam objective as well as all the sub-objectives.

Five Steps to the CompTIA A+ Exam

This is a white paper explaining the CompTIA A+ exam in detail. Click on the link 5 Steps to A+ Certification Success. Under “Preferred Certification Track” select your exam.

Reasons given in a survey by employers for requiring certification.
Reasons given by employers for requiring certification.

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