The Server+ certification from CompTIA
is a middle-level certification aimed primarily at candidates who have approx.
18-24 months experience working in or around a server environment. While CompTIA
certifications are generally aimed at entry-level candidates, this is not
the case with the Server+ certification – prior experience is assumed.
By the time you’re ready to take the Server+ exam you should be competent
in server technology, installations and configuration, troubleshooting, maintenance,
upgrading and disaster recovery.
While there are no specific pre-requisites for the Server+ exam, it should
be noted that the exam is targeted toward mid-level technicians so adequate
knowledge of networks and hardware is required. To that end, those who are
considering doing the Server+ certification as an entry-level cert might be
more suited to CompTIA’s other offerings such as the Network+
or A+ first. Indeed, approximately 10 – 15% of
the exam objectives for both the Network+ and the A+ overlap into the Server+,
so having those exams under your belt first will give you a good foundation
to move onto the Server+ exam. While being able to pass the Server+ exam without
hands-on server experience is certainly possible, the Server+ exam is geared
toward those who currently work in a server environment and are looking to
validate and expand on their experience. For those looking to go further than
the Server+ credential, gaining the Server+ also counts as an elective credit
toward Microsoft’s MCSA
(with the A+).
The Server+ exam itself (designated SK0-002 which replaced the earlier SKO-001)
consists of 80 multiple-choice questions and a time frame of 90 minutes in
which to complete them. To pass you need to obtain a score of 615 on a scale
of 100-900. While there is nothing particularly hard or tricky in relation
to the format of the exam, and the questions themselves, the key with any
multiple-choice exam is to very carefully read the question
before answering. Often a question will be worded in a very specific manner
that in itself can lead you to the right answer. Take on as many practice
tests as you can before you take the real exam and you should be well prepared.
Be prepared for a portion of the questions to be presented in a ‘scenario’
format (where a real-world situation will be described, complete with ‘filler’
information). These questions can be quite long-winded and can often require
more than a couple of readings to fully understand the question being asked.
When faced with these type of questions don’t fret about the time you
may spend on them – there will undoubtedly be other, simpler, questions
where you can make up the time. Any questions that you are unsure of you can
‘mark’ to come back to at a later time and you’ll often
find that the answers to previously ‘marked’ questions will come
to you as you progress through the exam. This is a technique that you should
practice (marking questions) while doing practice tests (if they have such
a function) as it gets you into the habit of utilizing your time effectively.
The Server+ exam is broken down into 8 subject topics: General Server Hardware,
Installation, Configuration, Upgrading, Maintenance, Environment, Troubleshooting
and Disaster Recovery and each section is given a particular ‘weight’.
That is to say that, for example, questions relating to the server ‘Environment’
might only amount to about 5% of the exam score, whereas Troubleshooting questions
might make up about 30% of the score. Always check on the official CompTIA
Server+ website for the latest in exam objectives and their weighting
as these can change without notice. Understanding the exam’s areas of
emphasis will help you map out your studying routine. If you’re looking
for good Server+ study books then the Server+
Certification Bible and Exam
Prep Server+ Study Guide are recommended. Do as many Server+
practice exams as you can find and get as much hands-on experience as
you can possibly get. The Server+ exam is considered to be the toughest of
the CompTIA stable of certifications so don't enter into it lightly.
You can take the Server+ exam at any Prometric
or VUE testing station that
is near you, and if you shop around chances are you can pick up a voucher
to save yourself some money on the exam and get some good training material
thrown in as well.
Is it worth going for the Server+ certification?
Well, that depends. The value of having the Server+ credential to your name
in terms of landing a job is debatable. One only has to scan local newspapers
to see how many jobs (or the lack thereof) request Server+ certification as
a prerequisite (the answer is probably not many). The real value of the Server+
certification probably sits moreso in terms of the message it will send to
your employers, or potential employers, that you’re serious about your
career, and the knowledge you gain from studying for the certification in
the first place. Chances are you won’t get a job based solely on having
the Server+ certification to your name, but it could be a good stepping-stone
in the right direction and it certainly won’t do your C.V. any harm.
