1/23/2002 -- The new version of CompTIA's Network+ exam is scheduled to debut in just eight days.

As we reported here in November, CompTIA will release an updated version of Network+ on Jan. 31. The old version will retire on March 14, giving candidates a grace period in which they can choose which version to take.

This is the first upgrade Network+ has gone through since its debut in 1999. We recently talked with Tancy Stanbury, program manager for Network+, to get more details on the upcoming version.

Stanbury characterized the new exam as a "minor upgrade." The exam will emphasize troubleshooting, she said, and will cover a few more subject matters, including Linux and AppleTalk. "Before, we had no mention of Linux [or Apple],' she explained."[But] as a vendor-neutral program, we try very stringently to cover all platforms."

The exam also will contain revised question types. "Half of the exam is now scenario-based questions," she told us.

CompTIA has also changed its recommended experience level for the exam. Before, CompTIA asked candidates to have 18 to 24 months of general IT experience. Now, the company asks candidates to have nine to 18 months of networking-specific experience.

The new exam will consist of 72 questions with a 90-minute time limit. The scoring will be based on a 100 to 900 scale, with 646 as a minimum passing score. The new exam number will be N10-002.

Stanbury said that several study guides aimed at the new version have already been released.

Note that the upgrade will not affect those who have already passed the Network+ exam, since CompTIA doesn't require recertification.

To view the new exam's objectives, click here. -B.N.