CompTIA Enhances IT Certification Exams with Performance-Based Questions

Will be included in CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ exams

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CompTIA, the leading provider of vendor-neutral skills certifications for the world's information technology (IT) workforce, said today it will incorporate new performance-based questions into its top three certification exams to more accurately measure the skills of IT professionals.

Performance-based questions, which will require certification candidates to perform a task or solve a problem within a simulated IT environment, will be added to the CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ certifications exams over the next several months.

"These questions will require the test-taker to demonstrate specific knowledge and skills relevant to particular IT job tasks, thus providing a more accurate gauge of their capabilities in a real-world environment," said Terry Erdle, executive vice president, skills certification, CompTIA.

CompTIA first introduced performance-based questions in its exams in September 2011 with the launch of the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certification.

Performance-based questions will be added to CompTIA A+ in October 2012 with the launch of new exams (220-801 and 220-802); to the CompTIA Network+ exam (N10-005) during the fourth quarter of 2012; and to the CompTIA Security+ exam (SY0-301) in the first quarter of 2013.

For each performance-based question, the exam will prompt the candidate to perform a specific task or solve a specific problem. A simulated environment is then launched in which the candidate completes the required steps. Each question is designed around real-world IT infrastructure scenarios, such as command prompts and networking environments.

In addition to the performance-based questions the exams include multiple choice, multiple selection and calculator-assisted questions. The exams also incorporate the use of graphics and videos.

A new video on the CompTIA test-taking experience is available on the CompTIA You Tube channel. Additional details are available on the CompTIA certification website.

With more than 1.6 million certifications awarded worldwide, CompTIA is the largest provider of vendor-neutral certifications for IT professionals. These certifications are the recognized industry standards for a broad range of technology skills, including IT fundamentals, repair and technical support, networking, security, server, storage, Linux, project management, printing and document imaging, digital information management, health IT, green IT and cloud computing.

For more information, visit http://www.comptia.org/home.aspx or follow CompTIA at http://www.facebook.com/CompTIA and twitter.com/comptia.

SOURCE CompTIA