Those new A+ exams that I mentioned? CompTIA announced that they went live on Aug. 11. The two new exams, Essentials (220-701) and Practical Applications (220-702), are all that are necessary to earn the certification that's currently held by approximately 725,000 people. Both can be taken at any Prometric or VUE testing center and currently cost $168 (USD) each. 

The older versions of the certification exams -- of which there were four: 220-601,602,603 and 604 -- will still be available until July 31, 2010. This is to let training centers use existing materials, as well as let those who've studied for this lifetime certification to take the exam on what they've already been studying.

For more information on the objectives for the new exams themselves, go here and click the link to view the new objectives. After you enter your contact information, you'll be able to access the PDFs for each exam.