What topics to study for Comptia's PDI+ exam?

Certification: CompTIA CompTIA PDI+ - c823


CompTIA PDI+ exam is also referred to as CompTIA Printing and Document Imaging Exam. The PDI+ Certification aims at providing the foundation level knowledge to the candidates in order to operate and manage Printing and Document Imaging devices. This certification is admired worldwide by various vendors, although it has got the highest scopes in different parts of Canada. It primarily trains the candidates to install and maintain different devices including printers, copiers, scanners, fax machines and various other devices. Those people who do this certification get entitled to a number of demanding jobs with high salaries.

The CompTIA PDI+ exam comprises of around 75 different questions. The total duration of this exam is 90 minutes. The candidate needs to get at least 675 marks out of total 900 marks to clear this exam, which forms a passing percentage of 75%. Although this is a basic level exam, it is not easy to clear if your concepts are not good enough. In this regard, it is important that you study all of the topics in depth so that you can clear the exam with ease and perfection. There are a total of 8 topics included in the exam. Each topic has been assigned a varying weightage. The number of questions pertaining to each topic in the exam will depend on the weight assigned to it. You must be fluent in all of the topics to clear the exam.

Following are the 8 topics which you should study for CompTIA PDI+ Exam.

Print Engine Process and Components

This is one of the most important topics which you will face in the exam, with a weightage of 21%. This means that you should expect to see around 16 questions from this topic in the exam. This topic will assess the knowledge of the candidate regarding various printing processes and components. Following are the sub-topics included in this exam:

  1. The candidate should be able to have deep understanding regarding the modern printing processes and techniques.
  2. Identification of various printing components and their corresponding functions.
  3. Describing the purpose of firmware in detail.
  4. Describe how software work to carry out the process of printing and what components are involved in this process.
  5. Identification of different media types and their impact on various printing processes.

Scan Process and Components

This topic will deal with the complete process of scanning. The weight assigned to this topic is 10%. This means that you should expect to see around 7 questions from this topic in the exam. The topic will check the concepts of the candidate regarding the complete process of scanning and the components which are involved in it. Following are the subtopics included in this exam:

  1. Identification and description of common hardware used in the scanning process.
  2. Description and summarization of image capture in relation to various scanning technologies.

General Troubleshooting

This is the most important topic to study for this exam. This topic carries a weightage of 23%. This means that you should expect to see around 18 questions from this topic in the exam. It will assess the ability of the candidate to troubleshoot various issues. Following are the sub topics which lie under the heading of this topic:

  1. Description of general method of troubleshooting.
  2. Troubleshooting hardware devices using the existing tools.
  3. Troubleshooting issues with printing software.
  4. Troubleshooting issues with scanning hardware.
  5. Troubleshooting problems with scanning software.
  6. Troubleshooting basic connectivity issues with the help of existing tools.
  7. Troubleshooting faxing issues.

Basic Electromechanical Components and Tools

This topic carries a weightage of 13% in this exam. This means that you should expect to see around 10 questions from this topic. It will assess the concepts of the candidate regarding various electrochemical components. Following are the sub-topics which lie under the heading of this topic:

  1. Identification of function of electromechanical components.
  2. Identification and explanation of mechanical components.
  3. Identification and explanation of functions of electrical components.
  4. Use all the tools properly and safely.
  5. Follow proper maintenance guidelines.

Connectivity

This topic carries a weightage of 11%. This means that you should expect to see around 8 questions from this topic. This topic will assess the candidate on various concepts of connectivity including protocols, networking etc. Following are the subtopics related to it:

  1. Identification of basic communication and networking technologies.
  2. Concepts regarding the use of TCP/IP protocol.
  3. Identification of network scanning technology.
  4. Identification of the purpose and usage of various printing devices.
  5. Identification of commonly used device ports.

Color Theory

This topic carries a weightage of 8%. This means that you should expect to see around 6 questions from this topic. This topic will assess the candidate on various concepts of color theory and management. Following are the subtopics related to it.

  1. Identification and description of Color theory basics.
  2. Definition and explanation of basic color management.

Communication and Professionalism

This topic also carries a weightage of 8% which means that you will be having a total of 6 questions from this topic in the exam. This topic deals with the general communication skills of the candidate and the level of professional he employs in his tasks. Following are the sub topics for this topic:

  1. Demonstration of professional relationship building and communication skills.
  2. Showing professional communication skills with technical support staff.
  3. Act professionally with customers.

Safety and Environment

This is the last topic in this exam, with a weightage of 6%. This topic will assess the abilities of the candidate to maintain safety while performing various tasks. Following are the subtopics for this topic:

  1. Make use of the most appropriate safety procedures.
  2. Show awareness of the environment.