Getting Started in IT

Study CompTIA A+, Network+ & Security+ without drowning in fluff.

Free quick-reference sheets and an 8-week study plan, built straight from the book — the same real-world-rated content, no signup wall on the essentials.

Book · 338 pages

Getting Started in IT

CompTIA A+, Network+ & Security+ — All in One
A+ Network+ Security+
27 chapters · Real World Priority ratings on every topic · Written by a working Tier 2 sysadmin
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Everything below costs nothing.

Pulled directly from Getting Started in IT. Download them, print them, mark them up.

QR

Quick Reference Sheet

OSI model, tested ports, subnet cheat table, and core concepts — organized by cert, A+, Network+, and Security+ in one place.

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8W

8-Week Study Plan

A realistic week-by-week plan through the book's shared foundation and into your exam-specific track, built for people studying around a full-time job.

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FC

Flashcards & Chapter Quizzes

All 13 shared-foundation chapters — flip through flashcards, then test yourself with a scored quiz. Runs entirely in your browser, no account needed.

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Ch1

Sample Chapter — The OSI Model

Read Chapter 1 in full, including the Gut Check questions and Real World Priority callouts, before you buy anything.

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How the book actually teaches

Every chapter flags what matters.

Four callout types run through the whole book — here's what they look like.

⚠ Exam Trap

The exam loves near-identical answer choices and protocol names that sound alike. These boxes flag the common traps before you fall into them.

🔧 Real World

Not everything on the exam objectives matters equally on the job. These call out what you'll actually use — or never see again — in the field.

📝 Study Note

Memory tricks, shorthand, and things worth flagging that don't fit neatly anywhere else in the chapter.

💼 Real World Priority — rated 1–4

A 4 means you'll use it constantly in the field. A 1 means it's exam knowledge you'll likely never touch again outside a test. Ratings come from the author's own experience running pharmacy server infrastructure day to day.

About the book

Written by someone who does this for a living.

Jared Lockwood is a Tier 2 server operations technician managing pharmacy infrastructure by day, and runs his own MSP, Lockwood IT Services, on the side. Getting Started in IT is the book he wished existed when he started — lean, exam-focused, and honest about what actually matters once you're the one on call.

Coming soon

The full book, plus the platform behind it.

These aren't live yet — but here's what's coming, and what it'll cost.

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The Book

All 27 chapters, print + PDF. The full A+/Network+/Security+ foundation.

$9.99
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Cram Guide + Study Sheet + Notecards

Condensed guide, one-page quick reference, and downloadable Anki-ready flashcards.

from $1.99
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Full Platform Access

Bundle + 3 months on JaredsCertPrep.com — quizzes, topic tracking, and labs.

$49.99 / 3mo

Get notified at launch

No spam — just one email when the book and full platform go live.

Soli Deo Gloria — built by Jared Lockwood.