Request for GPEN Practice Test

InCryptable

I've seen others offering their unused GPEN practice exams so I figured I'd just start my own request thread for one.

If anyone out here in TechExams.net may have recently took their GPEN test and passed...and still has a leftover GPEN Practice test that they did not use, I would appreciate the use of it. I have about a month until I take my own GPEN exam - I have already used my two and got low scores (~75%) and have gone back to hit the books some more. Having access to another practice exam would help me see if I am improving in the areas I have not done well in so far.

The only thing I could provide back besides a Thanks & Appreciation would be index's for GSEC, GCIH, or even GPEN (who knows, maybe you're collecting additional GPEN study material for a friend). Oh, and if you're in the DC area...I'd buy drinks!

Thanks in advance!

IC

airzero

Sorry I don't have a practice test for ya but If you really need one you can always buy an additional practice test for $150 from GIAC. I know I ended up using 3 tests before I took the actual exam. Honestly a lot of the questions repeat by that point.

InCryptable

Thanks...I may have to go that route but figured I'd try here first - In the year or so that I've been lurking around TechExams.net I have seen where many only take one of their two practice exams and just go for the Certification test without using the 2nd practice test and just give it away to a fellow SANS student.
I guess there are some who are very confident in their abilities and many pass the cert test without using both practice tests. I know of one guy who didn't even use his two practice exams and took the cert test 3wks after his course (SEC 504) and passed...and he was having a hard time trying to give away his practice tests within our training group.

Hopefully someone who recently passed the GPEN and remembered that they had an unused practice test in their SANS account and comes across this thread!

On another similar note...I'm glad that SANS actually allows SANS students to gift an unused practice test to another SANS student. I wonder if any other certification bodies have a similar sharing/gifting policy?

airzero

Yeah some 0eople are crazy, I ended up using 3 tests because i didn't takr the course so i needed as much practice as i could get.

InCryptable

...just wanted to reach back out and see if there are any recent GPEN testers who may have an unused practice test?

TechGromit

Recently on Rem-Amumni they gave away three GREM practice exams in the last two weeks, but generally GIAC practice exams are hard to come by, especially for the upper level courses. I guess it doesn't hurt to ask, but they are fairly rare.

InCryptable

...yes, they may be hard to come by...but I've seen them offered up here, so figured I'd start a thread and maybe I'd get lucky to get one or two practice exams before my test (later this month).

I'll probably get three responses, right after I take the test (life seems to do that at times!)

quogue66

I've taken 3 practice exams a few times in the past. It doesn't help as much as you expect. There are only so many questions used in the practice tests. By the 3rd test they are almost all repeats.

TechGromit

quogue66 wrote: »

I've taken 3 practice exams a few times in the past. It doesn't help as much as you expect. There are only so many questions used in the practice tests. By the 3rd test they are almost all repeats.

Wow, almost all? I expected some repeat questions for the 3rd exam, but not most of them.

quogue66

My experience has been that about 30% or more of the questions I see on the first practice exam appear on the second. By the time I took the third practice test about 70% of the questions were repeats and another 10% were very similar. I took 3 practice exams twice in the past and I would not do it again. I feel like it was a waste of 3 or so hours. I would have been better off using that time to study and do labs.

TechGromit

quogue66 wrote: »

My experience has been that about 30% or more of the questions I see on the first practice exam appear on the second.

While I've never recorded the practice exams and compared the questions, I do not believe I've seen the same exact question on both the 1st and 2nd exam. I've seen some similar questions, testing you knowledge on core concepts and often they ask you questions on completely different areas from one practice test to another, for example the 1st practice test could be heavier in testing you knowledge on Cars, after the exam I'll concentrate my studying on cars and the 2nd practice exam will test me more on my knowledge on trucks.

InCryptable

It is a time commitment (3hrs) but the feedback in how well you do in particular areas (i.e. Cars vs. Trucks) is very valuable feedback IMO. The low scores I have already rcvd on my two practice tests have given me insight into areas that I'm strong in and where I am weakest and need additional emphasis - which I've already done.
For me...the most value I would get in the practice test is knowing that my continued learning and knowledge about GPEN is improving significantly. I'm not a powershell guru nor have I used the tools introduced much in the field....so I know I'm weak in those areas.
The practice tests are also awesome in giving you back immediate feedback into the questions you get wrong and why they are wrong.
...anyway, I'm still looking for an extra practice GPEN if there are any out there!

InCryptable

Figured I'd bump my topic another time...to see if there may be a GPEN unused/unwanted practice exam out there looking for a taker (that would be I).

...oh where art thou!

InCryptable

Taking my ,GPEN test at the end of next week. Lots of last min. studying to do...end of chapter tests to take over and over...If anyone has an unused practice GPEN test, would love to take it off of your hands!