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IT industry trade association CompTIA announced the worldwide availability of CertMaster, an online tool designed to make learning IT skills easier, more accessible and more effective.
CertMaster is currently available for the CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+ and Strata IT Fundamentals exams, and the company noted additional certifications exams would be added in the coming months.
The platform can be used by individuals, schools, training providers, HR and IT departments, government agencies and other organizations, and is accessible from a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone, allowing users to switch between devices without impacting their study experience.
“CertMaster taps into feelings of progression, risk, achievement and curiosity,” Thomas Reilly, vice president of CompTIA Learning, said in a statement. “When you’re engaged and getting positive feedback, dopamine starts flowing, creating a positive feedback loop. This immediate, high-level feedback encourages you to learn from your mistakes and, ideally, keep playing and learning.”
CertMaster helps individuals prepare for certification exams and complements other training and curriculum by affirming and supporting an individual’s level of confidence so that they understand what they are studying.
“This affirmation allows the user to quickly master information, retain it for the long term and recall what they’ve learned so they can respond confidently and correctly when taking the exam or performing on the job,” Terry Erdle, executive vice president of certification and learning at CompTIA, said in a statement. The software combines key principles from each field to help users master–not just memorize–the material they need to learn, and relies on brain science and research in neurobiology, cognitive psychology and game study.
“Anyone looking to launch or advance a career in information technology can benefit from CompTIA CertMaster,” Erdle said.
To date, 96 percent of CertMaster users have rated the tool as excellent or good. Individuals who have used this form of learning have experienced a 50-75 percent decrease in training and study time to reach competency in the subject matter.
Users demonstrated 80 percent knowledge retention after 12 months, compared to less than 5 percent retention after traditional learning methods, CompTIA said.
“CertMaster helps you focus on the weaker aspects of your knowledge and makes sure you read each question properly,” Sean Byrne, of Kildare, Ireland, who used the learning tool to prepare for his CompTIA A+ exam, said in a statement. “It’s an excellent study tool as it prepares the questions and explanations for you while concentrating on your weaker areas of knowledge.”