Read the questions

curio

I just took Network+ and scraped in on 860. The exam is definitely more difficult than any of the test exams I have seen - but having said that I got 95+% which is about the same as the tests. Some of the questions wording takes 2 or 3 reads to get in your head what they are actually asking. Books are OK but I think just like A+ experience is what gets you through. Quite a few questions on Netware scenarios which I wasn't really expecting. All the protocols and OSI questions are a doddle if you know the subject but make sure you read the questions properly for the troubleshooting questions, you need to get it straight in your head before committing to an answer.

janmike

Congratulations, curio!

I think that 860 is a very good score.

I agree on the importance of being sure of all of the facts before deciding
on your final answer--it seems that all who take the Net+ exam experience this same realization.

My feeling is that OSI and protocols and their relationships are a greater percentage memorization. But, a person has to then "think OSI"(that's my term for it anyway).

I'm now going on to Server+. Have read my first study guide through twice. Now on the second one. I'm not yet sure what to think of this one, but from different Internet forums it seems that it's even worse than Net+ in the area of trouble shooting and "reading the questions".

I see the same evaluations from those who passed and from those who failed--that Server+ questions seem to be short on details--ambiguous.
I suppose a person really has to "think server" on this one. Seems it goes back to more hardware than Net+ offered.

Well, hope you're in a position to make good use of your certs.

Webmaster

Congrats curio! That's a fine score indeed

ghaouf

WTG, you beat my score.

copperpot

Excellent job I passed mine on wed. with a 740. I was dissapointed a little with my score, but relieved to be moving on to the next callenge. A pass is a pass.

cheeblie

I scored 886 :P

Cheeblie

copperpot

cheeblie wrote:

I scored 886 :P

Cheeblie

I went green for a second there.
Exellent job to you as well cheeblie

bellboy

my network+ was tougher than expected too, but i still came out with 890 or something. i guess i was expecting one-word-answers, like the a+, but instead got something stimulating and challenging.

i finished in 1/3rd the allotted time, but instead or reviewing my marked q&a, i just redid the whole thing again and checked all my answers. some of them i hadn't read the questions correctly, but generally, i didn't change that many.

kai920

bellboy wrote:

my network+ was tougher than expected too, but i still came out with 890 or something. i guess i was expecting one-word-answers, like the a+, but instead got something stimulating and challenging.

i finished in 1/3rd the allotted time, but instead or reviewing my marked q&a, i just redid the whole thing again and checked all my answers. some of them i hadn't read the questions correctly, but generally, i didn't change that many.

You can go back and change your answers? I thought the Net+ was like the A+, once you answer, you cannot go back. I'm writing my exam on Monday and if I can mark questions and go back to review, I will definitely do that. Any limit on the # of questions you can mark?

cheeblie

There is no limit to how many questions you can mark. You can go back as much as you like in the test since it is not adaptive. Also, you do not even need to mark questions, as long as you don't answer them. It will mark incomplete items for you to review.

Cheeblie

curio

Thanks for the support people, I am looking at I-Net+ now because it covers a lot of the same ground plus I have done a fair bit of web work - has anyone taken it?

BTW yes you can go back and answer again and yes it's not adaptive. It will take longer than both the A+ exams put together so don't expect to be out in 10 minutes unless you are a real fast reader - I took about 35-40 mins, a bit tight cos I only put an hour in the parking meter

kai920

Great, thanks for the replies. I will definitely mark all the questions I am unsure about and go back to double check at the end. 90 minutes is plenty of time! I reckon I'll be able to triple check my answers if need be. Wish me luck tomorrow.

btw I'm considering doing the Server+ exam after Net+, seems to me the most logical choice after Net+...

Drakonblayde

It's funny, with both my A+ and Net+ kits, CompTIA included a letter congratulating me and encouraging me to take Server+. Now, I see the point in entry level bench tech and network tech certs. I do not, however, see the point of a vendor neutral server certification. Looking at the exam objectives for Server+, it's all stuff I covered preparing for the A+ and the Net+ on the hardware side, and if I'd rather start certifying on specific NOS's. I'd think an employer would be more impressed at MS certs if they're running in an MS environment than in a vendor neutral server cert.

To be honest, I don't see much point in any of the other CompTIA certs except for Security+, and I won't even consider touching that until a revision after the complaints I've seen about it on the forum of this board.

Oh, while I'm ranting... when did CompTIA stop giving out lapel pins for the A+? Cheap bastards, I was looking forward to that!

RussS

Comptia - stands for Charge Overly Much and P%$$ on The Idiots Always

Drakonblayde - I hear you about Server+ etc, but for me I think that if afordable it is something that shows reasonable BASIC knowledge of those areas. A couple local IT managers suggested Server+ & Linux+ instead of CCNA or something like that. I guess it depends on the jobs in your area.

lazyart

I just got my A+ kit over the weekend and saw the invite for Server+. I thought it was awful strange since Net+ would be the logical next step.

In a way I kinda felt like I was at a fast-food place and was being asked "Do you want fries with that?"

janmike

Got the same invite. Felt the same. Don't believe that Server+ is a very popular exam. Even study materials on the discount web sites, are a lot cheaper than A+ and Net+! So, you know the originators are highly aware of the situation.

curio

Hmmmm......
there are some wise ppl on this forum, I looked through I-net+ again - it seems a bit useless 2 me. Server+ isn't really useful in terms of MCSA/MCSE because if u have A+ N+ then that's the elective already taken care of. I might do Linux+ later but I think MCP through XP Pro would be the best way to go 4 me right now - but they want some excrutiating detail don't they!!

kai920

Hi gang, passed the N+ today with 846! yeah! thank god for the forms testing method... I rechecked my answers several times. There were some that I just couldn't figure out, and some that I simply forgot about, like the basic characteristics of NAS, and which protocols use RIP. I blame it on the lack of sleep I got last night while anxiously waiting for this morning to arrive. btw, I used the Sybex N+ book with the Boson suite of practice exams. http://www.boson.com

Anyways, judging from the above responses, it seems like Server+ is not recommended as the next step to take. I already have the study materials, however, so it will be a matter of putting the time and effort (and $!) into the cert.

Browsing on the i-Net+ forums, I learned that this cert is also very similar to N+. This might be good for me while all this N+ material is still fresh in my head . Now I really have to do some research and decide which step to take next: i-Net+, S+, or get started on my CCNA (or MCSE?).

Decisions, decisions!

Webmaster

Congrats on your pass!

My next choice would be i-Net+ or CCNA... or MCSA/MCSE if you like system administration. Having the Server+ cert on your resume won't hurt though...

kai920

Thank you Mr. Webmaster. Couldn't have done it without your site and practice exams...

I'm leaning a bit towards i-Net+ now after looking through the CompTIA objectives. The objectives look interesting, and as some people said in the other forum, it was fun to study for.

bellboy

i'm not against server+, it's just that most jobs i see advertised want mcse and/or ccna (if they list certs at all!). comptia exams are more expensive than the others. it's a matter of economics for me.

a+ and network+ have given me the basics. sewn the seeds if you like. given me the foundation to build upon.

people in my area are very brand-orientated. microsoft is one of the most recognisable names in the trade. they are likely to buy systems running microsoft and will give preference to employ those with experience using their products and certified in them.

Drakonblayde

I actually thought about Linux+ as well, but in the end decided against it. Instead, I'll be going for the RHCE (yeah, there goes my tax return). I may eventually get bored and start picking up other CompTIA certs just to make my resume look good, especially if the material is close to that of whatever vendor specific cert I might be studying for at the time, but unless someone tells me 'get this cert if you want a job'...

Webmaster

I think RHCE instead of Linux+ is a smart move. Especially if you are serious about Linux (no, no hidden meaning ). I've been at several companies where they use Linux servers... always Red Hat. I've had also over a dozen shared hosting accounts for different websites before I got this dedicated server for TechExams.Net, all of them where Linux. And guess what the site is running on now...

Having that said, I think RHCE will make a much bigger impression on an potential employer than CompTIA's Linux+.

Those hangers you like

lazyart wrote:

I just got my A+ kit over the weekend and saw the invite for Server+. I thought it was awful strange since Net+ would be the logical next step.

In a way I kinda felt like I was at a fast-food place and was being asked "Do you want fries with that?"

Me and one of the guys that also works with me passed our A+ at the same time and got the 'invite' to take S+, I and almost everyone else
I spoke to thought that N+ was the next step, he insisted that it was S+. I think I have made the logical choice and from looking at the material for S+ in the comptia world that would be the next step from N+, but I think i might do a MCP next as it seems that having a Microsoft qualification gets you in the door at for jobs IT. Its the one qualification that even the most out of touch IT manger knows about! After that i want to do some of the Apple certs, anyone got any info or good sites for this?

bellboy

i know little about apple certs, but may have read somewhere recently that the certification has to be updated every year. i guess the first exam would be tough, but subsequent exams would be a cakewalk as you would just have to learn the minor operating system update versions and any hardware developments on the apple platform in that time.

i remember people equating linux+ as the linux version of a+, so i guess rhce, i guess, is the linux version of mcse, cne, etc. except, of course, that each of the major distros of linux probably have their own certification track.

i believe that apple is dying a death (again). some of the major software companies aren't releasing their software on the platform anymore (adobe, i think), so if it's a toss up between either of the both, linux would be the better bet.

comptia exams are cool. i am not sure how security+ compares to microsofts security exams, but server+ seems to be an original exam (or is it more of an a+ stage 2?). it's just lack of recognition, when compared to the branded exams by microsoft, novell and cisco et al, and the price.

curio

Both A+ and Network+ are good exams - they test stuff you need to be up with in the real world. I started studying for 70-270 and I think a lot of the stuff you need to be hot on is just the stuff you would (in real life) need to look at a reference book once for then set up some scripts with good comments to do it next time. In an enterprise for instance how often are you going to set up a RIS server - once? Twice? You can look in a book for that.
That's enough moaning - back to learning multiple ways of doing things I'll never have to do, except for the exam. I think I will do I-net+ after I get this sorted, it looks like an easy extra line in the CV

lazyart

After N+ I personally will head to MS certs. It is definitely a branding decision. I'd like to work in the public schools here and they are running Windows 2000 workstations. If I can't find what I want I can obviously pick up something in a repair shop with MCP in my back pocket.

carbunkle

After Net+ I plan to go for CCNA. Actually in highschool they, poorly, went over the first half of CCNA so I wouldnt be starting from scratch with it.