A+ Core 1

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 section 1 — laptop hardware, connecting and accessorising mobile devices, cellular and wireless connectivity, and MDM.

Updated 18 Sept 2026Mobile Devices

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 lesson 1.1 — laptop batteries, keyboards, SO-DIMM memory, 2.5-inch vs M.2 storage, HDD-to-SSD cloning, wireless cards and antennas, biometrics, NFC and cameras.

Updated 20 Sept 2026Laptop Hardware

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 lesson on connecting mobile devices — mini/micro-USB, Type-A, USB-C, Lightning, NFC, Bluetooth PAN, hotspot vs tethering.

Updated 20 Sept 2026Mobile Device Connections

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 lesson on mobile accessories — stylus, headsets and TRRS, speakers, webcams, docking station vs port replicator, trackpads and drawing pads.

Updated 20 Sept 2026Mobile Device Accessories

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 lesson on MDM — BYOD, COPE, CYOD, partitioning, policies and restrictions, the MDM console and IMEI, over-the-air sync and business app accounts.

Updated 20 Sept 2026Mobile Device Management

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 section 2 — IP, TCP/UDP and ports, wireless, network services, DNS/DHCP/VLAN/VPN, devices, IP addressing, connection types and tools.

Updated 22 Sept 2026Networking

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 networking primer — encapsulation, TCP vs UDP, multiplexing, IP addresses, well-known vs ephemeral ports, reading a protocol decode.

Updated 20 Sept 2026Introduction to IP

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.1 — FTP, SSH, Telnet, SMTP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP/HTTPS, POP3, IMAP, SMB/CIFS, NetBIOS, LDAP and RDP port numbers.

Updated 20 Sept 2026Common Ports

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.2 — 802.11/Wi-Fi naming, frequency bands, channels and bandwidth, Bluetooth and ISM, RFID passive/active tags, and NFC.

Updated 20 Sept 2026Wireless Networking Protocols

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.3 — DNS, DHCP, file/print sharing, email, syslog/SIEM, web, AAA, database, NTP, spam gateway, UTM, load balancer, proxy, SCADA/ICS, legacy, embedded and IoT.

Updated 20 Sept 2026Network Services

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.4 — DNS hierarchy and root servers, dig/nslookup, resource records, A/AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, DKIM, SPF and DMARC.

Updated 20 Sept 2026Domain Name System (DNS)

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.4 — why DHCP exists, the DORA process with exact packet fields, scopes, pools and exclusions, and DHCP reservations.

Updated 20 Sept 2026Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.4 — broadcast domains, LANs, VLANs and inter-VLAN routing, VPN concentrators, client-to-site vs site-to-site VPN.

Updated 20 Sept 2026VLANs and VPNs

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.5 — routers, managed vs unmanaged switches, access points, patch panels, firewalls, PoE standards, cable/DSL/ONT and NICs.

Updated 22 Sept 2026Network Devices

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.6 — IPv4 octets and binary, RFC 1918 private ranges and NAT, IPv6 hex notation, shortening rules, address types and /64.

Updated 22 Sept 2026IPv4 and IPv6

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.6 — IP address, subnet mask and gateway; static vs dynamic vs DHCP reservation; APIPA range and its ARP check.

Updated 22 Sept 2026Assigning IP Addresses

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.7 — satellite (GEO vs LEO), fibre, cable and DOCSIS, DSL, cellular tethering vs hotspot, and WISPs.

Updated 23 Sept 2026Internet Connection Types

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 2.8 — crimpers, Wi-Fi and spectrum analysers, tone generator and probe, punch-down tools, cable testers, loopback plugs, taps and SPAN.

Updated 23 Sept 2026Network Tools

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.1 — LCD backlights, TN vs IPS vs VA, OLED, mini LED local dimming, digitizers and styluses, inverters and the torch test.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Display Types

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.1 — pixel density and PPI maths, refresh rate vs FPS and V-sync, resolution and aspect ratio, and colour gamut percentages.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Display Attributes

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.2 — twisted pair and why it is twisted, categories and distances, coax, UTP vs STP shielding codes, direct burial and plenum-rated cable.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Network Cables

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.2 — ANSI/TIA-568 and ISO/IEC 11801, the T568A and T568B pinouts, the four pins that differ, crimping checks and keystone jacks.

Updated 24 Sept 2026568A and 568B Colours

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.2 — light through core and cladding, ferrules and connectors, and multimode vs single-mode fibre on distance, source and core size.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Optical Fibre

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.2 — USB versions and speeds, connector types and USB-C, DB-9 serial, RS-232 console access, and Thunderbolt 1 to 4.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Peripheral Cables

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.2 — HDMI, DisplayPort and its locking connector, DVI variants and single/dual link, VGA, and video over USB-C.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Video Cables

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.2 — SATA revisions and speeds, the one-to-one power and data connectors, no daisy chaining, and eSATA.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Storage Cables

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.2 — DVI-D to HDMI and DVI-A to VGA compatibility, USB-to-Ethernet and USB-C-to-USB-A adapters, and USB hubs.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Adapters and Converters

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.2 — RJ11 and RJ45, F connectors and DOCSIS, punchdown blocks, USB and USB-C, Molex, Lightning, and DB-9/RS-232.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Copper Connectors

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.2 — ST bayonet, SC push-pull, and LC clip connectors for optical fibre, compared by mechanism and size.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Fiber Connectors

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.3 — RAM vs storage, DIMM and SO-DIMM, 64-bit data width, SDRAM, double data rate, and DDR3/DDR4/DDR5 compatibility and keying.

Updated 24 Sept 2026An Overview of Memory

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.3 — parity memory and even-parity calculation, ECC memory, memory bandwidth in MT/s, and multi-channel RAM.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Memory Technologies

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.4 — hard drives and RPM, SSDs, PCIe and NVMe, SAS, mSATA and M.2 keying, flash memory formats, and optical drives.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Storage Devices

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.4 — RAID 0 striping, RAID 1 mirroring, RAID 5 and RAID 6 parity, and nested RAID 1+0, plus why RAID is not backup.

Updated 24 Sept 2026RAID

Professor Messer A+ 220-1201 objective 3.6 — power supply safety, AC vs DC, amps/volts/watts, regional voltage, the 24-pin connector, redundant PSUs, modular cabling, sizing, and 80 PLUS efficiency.

Updated 24 Sept 2026Computer Power

A+ Core 1 3.5 — ATX vs micro-ATX vs Mini-ITX: size, slots, power (20/24-pin) and shared ATX mounting.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Motherboard Form Factors

A+ Core 1 3.5 — buses, PCI (parallel, 32/64-bit) vs PCIe (serial, lanes), keying, and safe card installation.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Motherboard Expansion Slots

A+ Core 1 3.5 — main and PCIe power connectors, SATA/eSATA, front-panel/USB/TPM headers, and M.2.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Motherboard Connections

A+ Core 1 3.5 — Intel vs AMD sockets, zero-force CPU install, and multisocket server motherboards.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Motherboard Compatibility

A+ Core 1 3.5 — BIOS firmware, POST and boot, legacy BIOS vs UEFI, dual-BIOS flash, and safe setting changes.

Updated 27 Sept 2026The BIOS

A+ Core 1 3.5 — entering setup, boot order, USB control, fans/temps, Secure Boot, boot vs supervisor passwords, CMOS reset, virtualisation.

Updated 27 Sept 2026BIOS Settings

A+ Core 1 3.5 — TPM (on-board crypto, root of trust, BitLocker) vs HSM (centralised keys and crypto offload).

Updated 27 Sept 2026HSM and TPM

A+ Core 1 3.5 — 32-bit vs 64-bit (x86/x64), ARM architecture, and multi-core CPUs.

Updated 27 Sept 2026CPU Features

A+ Core 1 3.5 — sound cards, integrated vs discrete GPUs, capture cards, NICs, and driver install best practice.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Expansion Cards

A+ Core 1 3.5 — fans and airflow, passive cooling, heat sinks, thermal paste vs pads, and liquid cooling.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Cooling

A+ Core 1 3.7 — MFD setup, drivers, PCL/PostScript, connectivity, sharing, print features, secure printing, and scanning.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Multifunction Devices

A+ Core 1 3.8 — laser imaging process, toner/OPC drum, cartridge and maintenance-kit replacement, calibration, and safe cleaning.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Laser Printer Maintenance

A+ Core 1 3.8 — inkjet operation, CMYK cartridges, print heads, feed rollers, duplex, plus carriage/belt and calibration.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Inkjet Printers

A+ Core 1 3.8 — cleaning inkjet print heads, replacing CMYK cartridges, calibration, and clearing paper jams.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Inkjet Printer Maintenance

A+ Core 1 3.8 — how thermal printers work, the feed assembly and heating element, thermal paper, and handling output safely.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Thermal Printers

A+ Core 1 3.8 — replacing thermal paper, cleaning the heating element with IPA, removing debris safely, and heat/fade sensitivity.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Thermal Printer Maintenance

A+ Core 1 3.8 — dot-matrix print heads, ribbons, tractor-feed paper, green bar paper, and multi-part carbonless copies.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Impact Printers

A+ Core 1 3.8 — ribbon replacement, print head replacement, and continuous tractor-feed paper handling on dot-matrix printers.

Updated 27 Sept 2026Impact Printer Maintenance