Logging in at CertBlaster is simple and you only have to do it once. The interface is basic and has nothing but the list of certifications that they train toward. (I didn’t even see a logout button.)

In evaluating the CertBlaster A+ Practice Bundle (801 & 802), we are given a couple of study options.

Exams

The first option presented is Exams. CertBlaster has eight exams (four each for the two A+ certifications) ready for users to take in one of three test modes: Study, Assessment and Certification.

Assessment Mode

As per CertBlaster’s documentation, Assessment mode is used to determine the baseline knowledge of a student. The timer is set to 90 minutes for the exam, and answers are not available during the assessment exam.

Study Mode

In Study mode, you can choose to include 90 questions, as well as whether or not there is a timer. Answers are available if needed.

Certification Mode

Certification mode simulates the actual exam environment. The timer and number of questions are set as the exam would be arranged at a testing center.

Drills

CertBlaster also has a Drills section to help students learn. In the Drills section, questions are divided into domains that correlate with different sections of CompTIA’s A+ certification. The number of questions per domain are listed in the table below.

At the beginning of a drill, you can determine how many questions you want to use and whether or not you want to use a timer, with a time limit of your choice. During the drill you can advance through the questions at your convenience, marking questions for review later if needed. Other navigation options include navigating to a specific question number, as well as navigating to the next marked or next unanswered question.

While in Drills mode, clicking on the answer button at the top of the screen will tell you the correct answer and whether the answer you selected is correct or incorrect (if an answer is selected).

After finishing the final question of your drill you are given the option to see a list of unanswered or marked questions. After reviewing the list, you see your final score both in number of correct answers and as a percentage. You are given a list of the questions that you answered incorrectly, along with the correct answers. You are then given the option to print.

Finally, CertBlaster provides a Personal Testing Plan (PTP). The PTP recommends a study plan aligned with CompTIA A+ objectives based on the questions you missed. Also, by pressing the Options button on this screen, you can create a custom exam using only the questions that you haven’t answered correctly.

Simulation Questions

One big advantage of both Exams and Drills in CertBlaster is that they contain different question types to aid student learning. Besides multiple choice questions, the Exams and Drills sections both contain Drag and Drop questions — this allows students to choose between several different options and their answers — and Simulation questions which ask students to perform a task. Below are the number of drag and drop and simulation questions that are in each drill:

These question types (especially the Simulation questions) are an advantage to students because they are the exact type of simulation questions a student would see in CompTIA’s A+ 220-802 certification exam. The simulated questions are closed path — meaning that the simulated environment only reacts if the user clicks or types the correct option.

Additional information and instructions from CertBlaster are available online.