A+ Core 1 · 3

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