The CompTIA IT trade association has issued a new version of its Network+ Certification for network administrators, technicians and installers.
The non-profit group said Thursday that the new exam (numbered N10-005), puts greater emphasis on network security and the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model for implementing networking protocols in seven layers. In addition, the exam also tests knowledge of virtual networking.
“The changes reflect the realities of today’s network environment, where security awareness is heightened, mobile computing options are expanding and cloud computing, unified communications and virtualization are broadening their footprints,” Terry Erdle, CompTIA's executive vice-president for skills certification, said in a news release.
Study materials for the new exam are available from Pearson Learning. Additional courseware will be available soon from a number of IT publishers.
The association says more than 325,000 IT workers around the world are Network+ certified. The existing exam (N10-004) remains available until Aug. 31, 2012 for those studying for it.