Passing Network+ N10-006: A Primer

sensitivestoic

Greetings everyone,

On December 19th, 2016 I passed the CompTIA Network+ N10-006 exam in my first sitting with a 788/900. Here are my thoughts about the experience and suggestions for study resources.

My Background:
I am a college graduate who did not major in Computer Science or a related IT field. However, I have worked in the field of IT for 6 years. My career is more focused on desktop, support, and technical project management. I decided it would be beneficial to have a better understanding of networking. I secured my CompTIA A+ certification in 2014.

Preparation and Resources:
I used the following sources and forums to prepare for the Network+ exam:

• CompTIA Network+ Exam N10-006 Exam Objectives (Strongly recommended)
• CompTIA Network+ All-In-One Exam Guide, Sixth Edition (Exam N10-006) 6th Edition by: Mike Meyers $40-60 (Strongly Recommended)
• Professor Messer Network+ Video Series Course, Quizzes, and Online Community (Strongly Recommended)
• College Course for Network+ taught at a local community college (Optional)
• LoChoice Network+ Textbook (not recommended)
• Transcender Online Practice Exams $100-200 (ambivalent)
• Exam Cram for Network+ Textbook (not recommended)
• CrucialExams. com (for light review)
• Crucial Exams app for Android (for light review)
• ExamCompass. com(for light review)
• TechExams.net (online community)

Suggested Order:
I read through Mike Meyer’s All-in-One Network+ study over a summer to familiarize myself with exam materials. Next I watched Professor Messer’s Network+ to provide a visual demonstration of exam materials. At this point I identified key areas that still did not make sense to me. Next I took part in a Network+ course at my local community college. This allowed me to ask both fellow students and professors questions about the materials I had learned. While taking the course I watched Professor Messer’s Network+ series again while reviewing items I was getting wrong on practice exams. After the course was done I spent two weeks compiling final study resources highlighting chapters where I was weak and averaging my practice quiz/exam scores from more than 5 sources. Once I was scoring an average of 90%-100% on all materials I went and took the exam. The key is to find a strong primary source, watch visual demonstrations, and find a dedicated community where you can connect and ask questions. Finally, write your own notes/interpretation of all materials. This helps you to develop your own techniques and understanding of exam objectives to best be prepared for the exam.

My Path and Recommendations:
Before you do anything, check out your local library and download the Network+ exam objectives. Libraries often have access to free materials including books and online resources. I found out too late that my library has access to Lynda Online learning which includes all of Mike Meyers U-demy video series- an invaluable resource that wouldn’t cost a dime. Exam objectives can be used to evaluate resources and see if they are preparing you for the things that you need to know. Second, if you are either employed or a student check to see if your organization provides compensation or offer discounts for Network+ materials.

Now to the grind. Find a primary text. For me this was Mike Meyer’s All-in-One. Break that text or course down into parts and set a dedicated schedule so you can master each individual section. After you have mastered each section find a new source such as Professor Messer videos or YouTube channels which can present course materials in a new light. By this point I had purchased Professor Messer’s studyGuide for $10 which I consider to be a bare bones outline of Network+ knowledge. His charts helped to consolidate information and expand my own “**** sheet” for the Network+ exam. Next I started a 2 month college course to set me on a focused path for certification.

All of this took place over a year. This is only because I was studying and concurrently working a full-time job that was extremely time consuming. I believe somebody with at least CompTIA A+ knowledge, 3-6 years of IT experience, and a more committed time-table should be able to complete this in roughly 2-4 months.

Preparing for the Exam:
In the final month I finished the college course and was endlessly completing practice quizzes. Alternate between practice sources daily. Mike Meyer’s All-in-One book includes a test taking engine that includes roughly 3 free practice exams. These are timed and provide a good simulation of what your exam experience might be like. Additional labs or practice exams can be purchased from his website but I decided that what was included with his book was sufficient for my purposes. Transcender exams are also timed and provided a good structure for what the exam experience might be like. {do not discuss your exam} In most cases you should be able to eliminate two incorrect answers and narrow it down to the “best” choice in accordance with the question’s context. Good test preparation includes not only understanding the questions you got wrong but in the case of correct responses understanding why the other multiple choice options are not right.

I was taking 3 practice exams per week with sprinkled in between during lunch breaks, after work, and while working out at the gym. Results after each session were recorded in my log. I could then use this log to tell me what text chapters or videos I needed to review. (ProTip: Good resources will have their materials organized in accordance with the exam objectives) If I got something wrong the question and possible answers were noted on my “**** sheet.” This helps one to reflect not only on the correct answer, but on why your logic led you to an incorrect response. {do not disclose your exam content} My final “**** sheet” ended up being a 10 page document in addition to Professor Messer’s 15 pages of notes. Professor Messer isn’t kidding when he says you need to know the details. If it's listed on the exam objectives then you need to be able to spit it out on the exam. This includes acronyms, all ports, and legacy devices.

Use resources such as: Quizlet to create flash cards; Crucial Exam’s Android or iPhone app to study materials while on the go; subnetting.net to practice subnetting scenarios and binary conversion (The DevCalc app or binary calculators can be other resources for this); CrucialExams. com and ExamCompass. com have free practice exams and questions arranged by topic which are perfect for refreshing your knowledge {removed content once again discussing exam} In my research I have seen many recommend the PearsonVue Labs. I personally cannot comment on their value as I did not use them myself.

I do not personally recommend either the LoChoice or ExamCram text books. In my experience these resources were either too simplistic or not matching current exam objectives.

Before scheduling the exam check with other students or online communities. Visit sites like TechExams.net, Professor Messer forums, or CompTIA Reddits to see the strategies of other test takers. Participate in multiple Network+ study groups from professor Messer.

Taking the Exam:
Determine where you would like to take the exam. This can make or break your experience. I personally recommend checking out local colleges as they are more likely to have a dedicated professional test taking center in comparison with small businesses or unrecognizable education facilities. In most cases you will receive a white board and erasable marker. Use this to right out quick acronyms or subnetting guides with which you may struggle. You have 90 minutes and a maximum of 90 questions. First thing to do is calm yourself down, have confidence in yourself. CompTIA has included questions which are meant to test your knowledge and are not part of exam objectives. If you get these wrong they will not count against your score. You cannot let this deter you from continuing the exam and doing the best with what you know. Personally I recommend skipping any performance based questions and first gliding through all multiple-choice. Read questions completely and review all available answers. Make the most logical choice based on your preparation and move on. You do not have time to sit on questions. Observe if the question is asking you to choose multiple answers! If you have any doubt about a question, chose a possible answer, flag it, and move on. You can return to flagged questions at the end of the exam. It is more important that you receive possible points for answering a question than none because you ran out of time. After completing your first speed run with the multiple choice tackle the performance based questions. It’s key that you do everything asked of you. Finally with your remaining time review flagged questions.

My commitment:
Total time: *400-500 hours in the final 3 months; roughly 4 hours daily
Total personal cost: *1,000 after compensation and purchasing all resources

Study hard and go get your Network+ certification. If you have questions or are looking for additional resources, ask! We're here to support you.

All the best,

DAVIS NGUYEN

Congrats!

GeekyChick

Congrats! Thanks for the nice outline too!

AndersonSmith

Congratulations, great job!

Thoth_Dhwty

Congratulations!

I am about to buy Mike's Net+ book as well.
Is the electronic material focus only towards networking or it's same questions as the A+ ?

p@r0tuXus

Congrats!

Great detail and I sincerely appreciate your dedication to learning something new that isn't even your chosen field of study. I hope you continue to do well and have a happy new year!

Whew! $1000 is kind of a lot for this level of cert, though.

sensitivestoic

@Thoth_Dhwty

So the All-in-One Network+ textbook comes with a CD-ROM that contains demo versions of Mike Meyers labs and test engine program. The demo test engine contains practice, study, and exam modes which simulate the actual Network+ exam. The questions are specific to his Network+ book. They correspond with Network N10-006 exam objectives. It is distinct from any A+ materials.


@=p@r0tuXus



I agree, but after a summer of struggling on my own I realized a study course was necessary. Furthermore it set a precedent to re-engage me with the academic community. The class itself was actually $2,000+ dollars. But, thanks to compensation through my job I was able to bring that down. I'm grateful to have spent that much if it means I was propelled towards higher education and professional points of contact. Now that I've taken the course multiple resources have been made available to me so that hopefully I can avoid such financial costs in the future.

Plantwiz

Lots of commentary about practice exams, How about your experience with the content? Reading a plethora of Q&A does not necessarily equal skill set for the field. So, sure, a candidate can pass an exam by spending a ton of time each day and reading though numerous vendors questions, but how well does that translate to skill?

NET+ is a fine accomplishment, but it is one of the extry level exams in the IT world, this is a great step to start looking into setting up a lab and such to get in the habit of prepping for the higher level exams.

So, congratulations on the pass! Just keep in mind what type of exam this is vs which exams lie ahead

Thoth_Dhwty

Thanks. I just ordered the textbook as well

sensitivestoic

Plantwiz wrote: »

Lots of commentary about practice exams, How about your experience with the content? Reading a plethora of Q&A does not necessarily equal skill set for the field. So, sure, a candidate can pass an exam by spending a ton of time each day and reading though numerous vendors questions, but how well does that translate to skill?

NET+ is a fine accomplishment, but it is one of the extry level exams in the IT world, this is a great step to start looking into setting up a lab and such to get in the habit of prepping for the higher level exams.

So, congratulations on the pass! Just keep in mind what type of exam this is vs which exams lie ahead

Absolutely, and I gratefully accept advice from professionals such as yourself on where I should head next. Ideally I am aiming for an end-goal of MCSE: Server. In spring I am looking to tackle the 410 Server 2012 exam and work my way up. Do you think this is a good goal? After Net+ what is the next best step if I am looking to make my background more well-rounded for IT/sys admin expertise?

Many thanks!