IT Support
Hardware, Windows, and the help desk. Aligned to CompTIA A+ (220-1201 and 220-1202).
Curriculum
Four courses. Five ways to read each lesson.
Basic Networking
Switching, routing, and wireless. Aligned to CompTIA Network+ (N10-009).
Operating Systems
Windows, Linux, and endpoints. Aligned to CompTIA Tech+ (FC0-U71).
Security
Security: aligned to the CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) exam objectives. 28 chapters, 153 lessons, 43 hands-on labs, and a full-length 90-question practice exam.
Every lesson can switch among Standard, Plain English, Analogy, Visual, and Try-It. The first three courses are 115 lessons with a diagram on each one.
Labs
137 labs. No cloud VM seat.
- 137 labs, including 41 real Linux VMs, run in the browser. Windows and Cisco practice panels are labeled simulations, and they are not Microsoft or Cisco software.
- Networking labs include a map. Each lab is graded on Diagnose, Fix, and Verify.
- Labs run on the student device, so the school does not rent a virtual machine per seat.
Assessments
Practice before a voucher.
- 1,400 practice items and 36 hands-on challenges, mapped to the exam objectives.
- Knowledge tests use three forms. Chapter quizzes sit beside the lessons.
- Exam Readiness holds a voucher until two sittings in a row score 780 or higher. That is a study gate, not a promise about an outside exam.
Pricing
Pilot, then a seat price.
Pilot
$0 for 30 days
30 students. Lessons and labs lock when the 30 days end, until a code extends them.
Academy
$49 / seat / month
Or $429 per seat per year. At the annual price, software cost is about $7,750 lower per 250 students than a $460 four-tool stack.
Enterprise
Custom
Larger cohorts, single sign-on, and a gradebook export. Email contact@rootlrn.com.
Monthly billing at $49 is $588 a year and is not cheaper than that $460 stack. The annual price is the one that is about 7% lower. Estimate savings.
Comparison
How it compares
One platform
Lessons, labs, and practice exams are in the same browser. CertMaster-style stacks often sell those as separate products. NetAcad-style academies add a desktop app such as Packet Tracer. Pearson VUE-style systems deliver the exam and not the course.
A second explanation
A missed check can switch the lesson to Plain English, an analogy, a diagram, or a try-it. The student does not re-read the same page.
Browser labs
137 browser labs, including real Linux. Windows and Cisco panels are labeled simulations. Nothing to install for the lab itself.
Hands-on challenges
36 challenges with a diagram, device output, and a diagnostic terminal. They are practice, not a vendor exam.
Eye tracking
Optional and off by default. It stays in the browser. No video leaves the device. It never changes a grade.
Who needs help
Instructors see which objective a student is stuck on, and which explanation they already tried.
Compliance
What a campus can check
- Accessibility work targets WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508. The VPAT is on the security page.
- rootLRN is an xAPI 1.0.3 learning record store that passes the ADL LRS conformance suite (1,365 of 1,365). cmi5 support verified with the ADL CATAPULT test suite (LMS tests, 87 of 87).
- Sign-in can use the campus LMS (LTI) or single sign-on. Students can export or delete their record at My data.