The three certifications are Security+, Network+ and A+ -- the three most popular exams that CompTIA offers on its "plus" menu of for-life certifications.

Also earning ANSI accreditation was InfoComm International and its set of audiovisual certifications. The base certification from InfoComm is that of Certified Technology Specialist; from there, you can branch to specializing in either installation or design.

Book of the Week: 'CCNA Official Exam Certification Library'
The third edition of CCNA Official Exam Certification Library is now out and better than ever.

The "library" is a boxed set of two books, both written by Wendell Odom, that sells for 25 percent less than buying both books individually. The first book, CCENT/CCNA ICND1 Official Exam Certification Guide (second edition), focuses on exam 640-822. The second book, CCNA ICND2 Official Exam Certification Guide (second edition), is written for exam 640-816.

While both books are well-written and contain the usual exam guide elements, their real strength lies in the media that accompany them. With each book is a DVD containing about 60 minutes of video training, in addition to a CD of test questions and PDFs of the book.

The video training increases in value when you realize that Odom teaches QoS, MPLS and CCNA courses for a living and has been doing so for quite a while. Watching the video is one of the best ways to fully grasp subnetting and its intricacies.

More Books for the Week
If you don't need a full "library" or even a custom/deluxe/jumbo-edition study guide to help you study for an exam, check out the "Portable Command Guide" series.

Cisco Press started issuing these a while back, and two more have just recently been published: CCNP ISCW Portable Command Guide has the nuts and bolts of what you should know for exam 642-825, while CCNP ONT Portable Command Guide has similar information for exam 642-845.