IT Support Technician
The working technician's course. Students troubleshoot and fix computers on the virtual bench, configure networks and operating systems, and run a help desk. Where retired desktops are available, from the school or sourced by Sean himself, groups also open, rebuild and repair real machines; the course does not depend on it. It opens with a fast review of Course 1, which leaves room for that build and for practice exams before each A+ test. They finish prepared for both A+ exams, an advanced industry-based credential in Louisiana, with a portfolio of tickets for the job hunt. It runs in the spring when enough students qualify and sign up. A student who misses the Tech+ score can study over a semester or the summer, pass it, and join the next section.
The certification
CompTIA A+ · Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202)
Each core: up to 90 questions, including hands-on simulations · 90 minutes · pass at 675 (Core 1) and 700 (Core 2) of 900
What the exam weighs
Weights from CompTIA's published exam details.
The units
- 01
The bench
Safety, static, tools, the troubleshooting method. Students earn a Bench License.
- 02
Hardware
Motherboards, power, memory, storage, cables and connectors, printers; building a PC.
- 03
Mobile devices
Laptops, phones and tablets: parts, setup, sync.
- 04
Networking
Cabling, Wi-Fi, IP addressing, small office networks.
- 05
Virtualization and cloud
Virtual machines and cloud services.
- 06
Hardware and network troubleshooting
Diagnosing real faults; the Core 1 attempt.
- 07
Operating systems
Installing, configuring and managing Windows, macOS, Linux and mobile OSes.
- 08
Security
Accounts, malware, encryption, securing devices and small networks.
- 09
Software troubleshooting and operational procedures
Fixing OS and app problems, documentation, backup, customer communication; the Core 2 attempt.
- 10
The job hunt
Résumé, a help-desk mock interview, and the ticket portfolio.
Draft unit map. Pacing is set to the school's calendar, the bell schedule and the students in the room.
Sample days
-
Course 2 · Day 1
The Bench
Safety, static and tools; reseating memory
Students work the safe-bench routine on the virtual bench, match each tool in a technician's kit to its job, read a safety data sheet, and reseat RAM in a virtual tower without a single safety flag. Passing all four stations earns a Bench License for the rest of the course.
CompTIA A+ -
Course 2 · Day 2
Broken on Purpose
The CompTIA troubleshooting method
Four virtual computers come broken on purpose. Students take a help-desk ticket written in a user's plain words, work the six-step troubleshooting method on the virtual bench, fix the fault, and write the ticket notes a supervisor would read.
CompTIA A+ -
Course 2 · Security unit
Nobody Hacked Anything
Social engineering: phishing, vishing, tailgating, and how to stop them
The reading is a comic. Students follow Dee, a student IT intern, through one morning and three attempted cons: a fake IT phone call, a phishing email and a stranger at the back door. Then they sort a real-looking inbox, run phone calls against a verification checklist, and write the incident report.
CompTIA A+