WyzGuys Tech Talk

By Bob Weiss

On Thursday August 10, 2023 I took and passed the CompTIA IT Fundamentals exam FC0-U61.  IT Fundamentals is a very entry level certification and would be a course to take if you were a complete and utter newbie to the world of computer technology.

It is designed to be taken before the CompTIA A+ classes and exams.  If you already are A+ certified, you do not need to go back and pick this one up.

So you may be asking why I took this exam, and the answer is that I am teaching a large group of Amazon warehouse employees who are training, at company expense, to become entry-level computer technicians.  I took the exam to be able to discuss what the exam entails, and help the students feel more prepared for their own certification exam.

My test was 65 questions.  I had 60 minutes to complete the exam.  I passed with a score of 720/900.  A score of 650/900 is required to pass.  All of the questions were single answer or multiple answer multiple choice questions.  All of the questions followed the typical CompTIA  construct of asking a question “based on a scenario.”

There were no Performance Based Questions (PBQs) on this exam.  Some of the topics that were included:

• There were a surprisingly high percentage of software development and database questions.  One of the questions, for example, expected the test taker to know web design technologies such as CSS, HTML, and Java.
• There were use-case scenarios and questions that required the test taker to choose the correct productivity application, such as spreadsheets, word processing, and presentation applications
• There were a couple of troubleshooting and help desk type of scenarios.  Knowing the order of the CompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology is important for this exam and will appear again in A+,  Network+, and Security+.

Again, this is an early entry-level IT certification.  CompTIA says:

Who would benefit from CompTIA ITF+?

• Students and career changers considering a career in IT.
• Professionals working in fields that require a broad understanding of IT.
• Marketing, sales, and operations staff who want to improve job performance, enhance technology skills, and rely less on IT support.

This is one of a handful of certifications that is good for life and does not have to be renewed every three years.

I have already taught this course once, and honestly it was harder and more technical than I expected.  For ITF+ students moving on to A+, you can expect to cover the same material, but at a much deeper and more technical level.