A+ Certification Hardware
CET1178 — A+ Certification Hardware
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Course Description
CET 1178 A+ Certification Hardware prepares students for a first job supporting personal computers and for the CompTIA A+ certification. The statewide description says the exam "measures the competencies required by a service technician with six months of on-the-job experience," and that students "learn how to install, configure, upgrade, troubleshoot and repair microcomputer hardware."
⚠⚠ Two packagings of one course: check which your college uses
Florida teaches this course under two numbers. This page covers the bare number, CET 1178. The integrated lecture-and-lab form, CET 1178C, is more common and has its own guide on this site (A+ Computer Hardware Service).
| Number | Public colleges | Credits |
|---|
CET 1178 (this page) | Indian River State College, College of Central Florida | 3 at both |
CET 1178C | Miami Dade, St. Johns River, Florida Gateway, Seminole State, South Florida State | 3, except South Florida State, which lists it as 3–4 |
Under Florida's course numbering the two are the same course. Credit from one satisfies a requirement for the other at a college that teaches it.
⚠ The two bare-number carriers teach different halves of A+
CompTIA A+ is two exams: Core 1 (hardware, mobile devices, networking, troubleshooting) and Core 2 (operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, operational procedures). You need both for the certification.
- Indian River State teaches the course broadly. Its outcomes cover PCs, laptops, mobile devices, printers, operating systems, networks and security, so the course prepares for both exams. Text: Meyers, CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide.
- ⚠ College of Central Florida titles it A+ Fundamentals and says it focuses on "software installation, troubleshooting, repairing and upgrading as well as network and security issues related to operating system configuration," introducing hardware "at the level of a beginning personal computer technician." That is closer to Core 2 than the state title suggests. It is "designed for individuals with little or no experience working inside a PC," and uses TestOut LabSim.
⚠ Ask which exam(s) your section prepares you for, and whether a second course covers the other one. At many colleges the hardware course is paired with a separate operating-systems course.
Learning Outcomes
Required Outcomes
- Identify the components of a personal computer, laptop and mobile device, and explain what each does.
- Install, configure, upgrade and repair hardware: motherboards, processors, memory, storage, power supplies, expansion cards and peripherals.
- Install and configure printers and scanners, and perform their preventive maintenance.
- Apply a structured troubleshooting methodology to hardware, operating-system and network problems.
- Install, configure and upgrade operating systems, and connect a computer to a network.
- Apply basic computer security practices.
- Follow safety and environmental procedures: electrostatic discharge, electrical safety, and disposal of batteries and electronics.
- Communicate professionally with customers and colleagues, and respect privacy and confidentiality (Indian River's outcomes).
Optional Outcomes
- Support mobile devices and cloud-connected accounts.
- Document work in a ticketing system, as a help desk does.
- Sit one or both A+ exams at the end of the course.
Major Topics
Required Topics
- PC components and system architecture
- Motherboards, CPUs and memory
- Storage devices and power supplies
- Laptops and mobile devices
- Printers and peripherals
- Networking fundamentals and connectivity
- Operating system installation and configuration
- Security basics
- Troubleshooting methodology
- Safety, environmental and professional procedures
Optional Topics
- Virtualisation and cloud basics
- Scripting basics (in the Core 2 objectives)
Resources & Tools
- Meyers, CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide (McGraw Hill), Indian River's text.
- TestOut (now CertMaster) LabSim, College of Central Florida's platform; CompTIA's own CertMaster products.
- The current CompTIA A+ exam objectives, free from comptia.org. Check that your course materials match the current exam series.
- A lab bench, anti-static equipment, and machines to take apart and rebuild.
Career Pathways
- Computer user support specialists (SOC 15-1232): help desk and desktop support, the usual first job after A+.
- Computer, automated teller and office machine repairers (SOC 49-2011).
- A step toward network and systems administration (SOC 15-1244) and cybersecurity. See this site's Network and Systems Administrator and Cybersecurity Analyst career paths. CompTIA Network+ and Security+ are the usual next certifications.
Special Information
Offering Notes
| Institution | Its title | Credits | Note |
|---|
| Indian River State College (IRSC) | A+ Certification Hardware | 3 | Broad, both-exam coverage; Meyers text. |
| College of Central Florida (CF) | A+ Fundamentals | 3 | Software and operating-system emphasis; for beginners; TestOut LabSim. |
Both carry it at 3 credits. Neither publishes contact hours; the guide records 45, the Florida convention for a three-credit lecture course.
The certification
⚠ The course prepares you for A+; it does not award it. You take the exams separately, at a testing centre or online, and pay for each. Some colleges include an exam voucher in a course fee, so ask. A+ is valid for three years and is renewed through continuing education.