Passed Security+ Today

lapavoni · December 2015

Greetings everyone. I passed the Security+ today with a score of 838.

For the benefit of those studying for the exam, here are my recommendations.

Resources:
- CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-401 Study Guide - Darril Gibson
- CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-401 Practice Test Questions - Darril Gibson
- CompTIA Security+ SY0-401 Exam Prep App (iPad/iPhone) by learnZapp ($8.99)
- Udemy Course: CompTIA Security+ Certification - SY0-401 by Infinite Skills
- Experience
- Wikipedia, Google, etc.

There are a variety of print and online resources available. I passed the old 201, then 301 using Darril Gibson's books, so I thought it would be a good idea to stick with them. They have proved invaluable. There was just a few things on the actual exam that were not covered at some point in the books, glossary, and practice exams.

The learnZapp app is almost a companion to Gibson's books. It has a very good user interface and practice tests. What's nice about the app is that each answer is explained fully in the practice tests. You'll learn why the incorrect answers are wrong - very helpful. I don't usually spend much on apps, but this one is certainly worth the 9 dollars.

The first resource I used was the Udemy Course. This was a pretty general overview of the modules included in the exam. It did cover specific things, but I think it's best just to play through all 105 lectures and listen ... maybe take a few notes.

I included Wikipedia and Google here, because test takers tend to try to memorize answers to specific questions and don't necessarily learn how things work together (i.e. wireless security, VPNs, encryption, symmetric, asymmetric, etc.). If things like PAP, CHAP, MS-CHAP, EAP, PEAP, LEAP throw you off, then it's good to read up on these in detail.

Nothing replaces experience. Most people can't mess with router or switch settings in a live environment, but you can play around with disk encryption or USB encryption or set things up in virtual machines with VirtualBox or VMware at home. For wireless settings, look at your wireless router at home - look at the available options.

About the Test:
One thing I've always like about CompTIA exams (vs. MS exams) is that CompTIA isn't out to trip you up. The exams are designed see what you know and have you think through a scenario. The wording is straightforward and there is usually a single (or multiple if prompted) definitive answer. Read the questions *slowly*. Make note of words like "MOST", "BEST", "FASTEST", etc. in the questions. The description of the exam states "up to 90 questions". I had 79 questions with 90 minutes to complete them. CompTIA threw in a few "scenario" questions in the beginning, where I needed to drag and drop many items or move things around. This caused me a slight panic, as I thought maybe the whole test might be that way. Fortunately the rest of the exam, in my case, was "normal" - single answer or multiple answer questions.

I studied for about 2 months, maybe a few days a week. Over the past week, I took practice tests and reviewed the glossary every day.

I believe the Security+ is one of the best broad-based, vendor neutral certifications out there. There are many exams, many worthwhile. Ciscos are the toughest, but are directed toward a particular profession/tasks - router/switch/voice management. If (*when) you pass the Security+, you'll have a pretty good overall understanding of network, host, and physical security, as well as business processes and security concepts. Good luck !