Taking Security+ with no formal study

Paul6

I've been watching the Professor Messer videos, and most of the material presented seems to be very easy. Is it possible to just walk in and pass the exam? The only material I don't fully get is comparing the different cryptography algorithms, but cryptography is supposed to be only 12% of the SY0-301. Has anyone failed the Security+ doing this? I can't seem to find any internet posts of IT people reporting that they failed.

Plantwiz

@Paul6,

Keep in mind, the exams (CompTIA as well as the others) are geared toward candidates WITH experience. The exam, ideally, highlights a minimum level of proficiency of any given topic. Some study is required, mostly to acclimate oneself with the jargon and such, but otherwise, a candidate with experience could essentially walk in, and pass their respective exams.

Nowadays, it seems, folks are more interested in saying they passed with 'x' score rather than having an understanding of the knowledge and achieving a passing score. At one point, many exams were merely pass/fail, and even this method has some drawbacks.

I would recommend a good text such as the one by Sybex or if you need a lighter review, the passport series or crambook are pretty good, plus a copy of the objectives from the vendor.

Can a person pass while being weak in one area? (In your case cryptology) Sometimes. It is up to you if you feel the risk is worth taking. Ask yourself, how would an applicant sound (applying for a job from you) by saying, "well, I passed my Sec+, but I do not understand 'x'. Nevertheless, I am the best person for the job even though I do understand that one section." Would you hire that person? Depends.

So, if you have identified one weak area, why can you not simply invest a week or two to study a bit more on that area and then take your exam with a bit more confidence. CompTIA exams are general knowledge exams and therefore mastery is not the goal, but one should have a good foundation.

Five cents.

Paul6

Good points. Better to order some training material before I spend $300 on a failed attempt.

Trashman

Check out Darril's CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-301 Study Guide.

markulous

Unless you've been in the network security field for a couple of years and have your hands into a lot of things, I'd recommend utilizing as many resources as possible. While it's not an extremely hard test, not all of it is just common sense that you can watch a few videos and pass it either.

rcsoar4fun

I passed the test after reading Security+ for Dummies book. Had previous experience. I am also told the CBTNuggets videos are good.

richmunoz

Congrats on passing the test. I am taking mine this coming Monday.

Itrimble

Congrats, I'm taking mine on Thursday!

bigdogz

You may also want to obtain some sets of the practice questions. You also have to understand what answer CompTIA is looking for within the question and know why the answer is correct.

Good luck to all !!!