CompTIA certifies that people who have passed this test are at least as knowledgeable as a professionally trained or educated support person who has been on the job for 6 months. In particular they know more than most of their relatives, when it comes to things like Windows 95 all the way through Windows 2000. Also they are at least half towards becoming A+ certified for life and they can use this test as a credit for MCSA certification.

CompTIA divides the subject matter of their tests into objective domains. Getting to know what these domains contain can prove quite helpful to the potential test taker. The Exam Objectives are available from CompTIA web site. Our summary follows:

OS Fundamentals (30%)
What lies beneath? You will need to know. OS Fundamentals tests your "knowledge of underlying DOS (Command prompt functions) in Windows 9x, Windows 2000 operating systems in terms of its functions and structure, for managing files and directories, and running programs. It also includes navigating through the operating system from command line prompts and Windows procedures for accessing and retrieving information." It sounds like you will need to know how to navigate near the surface as well.

Installation, Configuration and Upgrading (15%)
These three activities occupy 15% of a computer technician's time when it comes to operating systems. CompTIA says so. "This domain requires knowledge of installing, configuring and upgrading Windows 9x, and Windows 2000. This includes knowledge of system boot sequences and minimum hardware requirements." Don't forget about Windows NT either.

Diagnosing and Troubleshooting (40%)
CompTIA seems to think that 40% of your involvement with an OS will involve diagnosing and troubleshooting. Here's what CompTIA thinks you need to know to get involved in the right way: "This domain requires the ability to apply knowledge to diagnose and troubleshoot common problems relating to Windows 9x and Windows 2000. This includes understanding normal operation and symptoms relating to common problems."

Networks (15%)
CompTIA seems to be saving some network question for another test (N+ perhaps?). Here is the network knowledge you need for 220-222. "This domain requires knowledge of network capabilities of Windows and how to connect to networks on the client side, including what the Internet is about, its capabilities, basic concepts relating to Internet access and generic procedures for system setup. The scope of this topic is only what is needed on the desktop side to connect to a network.

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