Passed Security+ first time!! Keys to passing!!!
nicolettean
Member Posts: 19 ■■■□□□□□□□
in Security+
Hey everyone,
I took the Security+ SYS-401 exam today for the first time and passed with a 763. I was beyond excited to see the passing score after one-two months of studying 2-3 hours a day. I have a math background but now am involved with IT/Data Security. The exam was very difficult so I wouldn't take it lightly if you are new to security. Please please please study your weak topics. Know why the answer is the answer and why the wrong answers were the wrong ones. Had a ton of scenario based multiple choice that had multiple "right" answers but used techniques of narrowing it down to determine the "best" answer.
For study materials, I used:
1. DARILL GIBSONS BOOK!! - MUST HAVE
(when I say must have, I mean MUST HAVE! This guys explains everything in a simple way and makes it very easy to understand)
2. The Internet/youtube...
(Please everyone, if you only know a little bit about a certain concept and want another explanation, Youtube is a PERFECT resource! There are multiple videos out there including Professor Messor and others that can go more in depth about certain topics. Please don't forget about this resource!)
3. Practice Questions...
(In my honest opinion, the performance questions were fairly straight forward. I had two of them during my exam and one was very simple and the other I just spent some time dissecting it and eventually got the right answer. It's the multiple choice and ambiguity of the question that makes the exam difficult. I can't preach enough of knowing the concepts/topics in and out. If you're going to take away anything from reading this thread, it's to go back and look through all of your weak topics and understand them better. Whether it's re-reading a chapter, using youtube videos, or redoing practice questions, try to get a better OVERALL understanding of the concept.)
I just want to say I couldn't have passed without everyone else on this forum guiding me in the right direction and telling me tips and tricks on how to pass this exam. I want to thank you all for everything and hope people get a sense of my experience taking this exam. This thread explains what I did to pass and hope you guys can take something away from it! Now I just need to figure out which cert i'm going to tackle next!!
I took the Security+ SYS-401 exam today for the first time and passed with a 763. I was beyond excited to see the passing score after one-two months of studying 2-3 hours a day. I have a math background but now am involved with IT/Data Security. The exam was very difficult so I wouldn't take it lightly if you are new to security. Please please please study your weak topics. Know why the answer is the answer and why the wrong answers were the wrong ones. Had a ton of scenario based multiple choice that had multiple "right" answers but used techniques of narrowing it down to determine the "best" answer.
For study materials, I used:
1. DARILL GIBSONS BOOK!! - MUST HAVE
(when I say must have, I mean MUST HAVE! This guys explains everything in a simple way and makes it very easy to understand)
2. The Internet/youtube...
(Please everyone, if you only know a little bit about a certain concept and want another explanation, Youtube is a PERFECT resource! There are multiple videos out there including Professor Messor and others that can go more in depth about certain topics. Please don't forget about this resource!)
3. Practice Questions...
(In my honest opinion, the performance questions were fairly straight forward. I had two of them during my exam and one was very simple and the other I just spent some time dissecting it and eventually got the right answer. It's the multiple choice and ambiguity of the question that makes the exam difficult. I can't preach enough of knowing the concepts/topics in and out. If you're going to take away anything from reading this thread, it's to go back and look through all of your weak topics and understand them better. Whether it's re-reading a chapter, using youtube videos, or redoing practice questions, try to get a better OVERALL understanding of the concept.)
I just want to say I couldn't have passed without everyone else on this forum guiding me in the right direction and telling me tips and tricks on how to pass this exam. I want to thank you all for everything and hope people get a sense of my experience taking this exam. This thread explains what I did to pass and hope you guys can take something away from it! Now I just need to figure out which cert i'm going to tackle next!!
2018 Goals - AWS Certified Solutions Architect
Linkedin Profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-nicolette-454721109/
Linkedin Profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-nicolette-454721109/
Comments
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Dakinggamer87
Member Posts: 4,016 ■■■■■■■■□□
Congrats!!
*Associate's of Applied Sciences degree in Information Technology-Network Systems Administration
*Bachelor's of Science: Information Technology - Security, Master's of Science: Information Technology - Management
Matthew 6:33 - "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
Certs/Business Licenses In Progress: AWS Solutions Architect, Series 6, Series 63 -
coffeeluvr
Member Posts: 734 ■■■■■□□□□□
Congratulations!!"Something feels funny, I must be thinking too hard. - Pooh" -
idost
Registered Users Posts: 2 ■□□□□□□□□□
Congrats for passing Security+ SYS-401 in the first attempt. Well done.
Question: Did you also go thru Prof. Messer Videos or was it just Darill Gibson? Also, how much practice questions did you do before the exam and where did you get these practice questions from?
Thanks in advance for your response and all the best for future.
-IDOST -
nicolettean
Member Posts: 19 ■■■□□□□□□□
Hey idost,
I honestly went through just Darill Gibson's book. But when I mean went through, I mean took notes on everything WHILE reading chapter by chapter. Then if something was a little didn't understand something as much as I wanted, that's when I used Prof. Messer.
Regarding the practice questions, I bought a PDF version from a co-worker for $19.99 and it includes a bunch(Over 1000) of multiple choice questions with some practice simulation questions in it as well.
Message me if interested!2018 Goals - AWS Certified Solutions Architect
Linkedin Profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-nicolette-454721109/ -
MalwareMike
Member Posts: 147 ■■■□□□□□□□
Congrats!Current: GSEC, GCIH, GCIA, GWAPT, GYPC, RHCSA, WCNA
2019 Goals: CISSP, Splunk certifications (Certified Core, Power User, Admin, and Architect)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Malware_Mike
Website: https://www.malwaremike.com -
D20
Member Posts: 126 ■■■■□□□□□□
Congrats!Certifications: A+ Net+ Sec+ isc(2) CC Google Cybersecurity Certification 2024-2025 Goals: Pass the CISSP -
Spiegel
Member Posts: 322 ■■■■■□□□□□
Congrats!Degree: WGU B.S. Network Operations and Security [COMPLETE]
Current Certs: A+ | N+ | S+ | Cloud Essentials+ | Project+ | MTA: OSF | CIW: SDA | ITIL: F | CCNA | JNCIA-Junos | FCA | FCF | LPI Linux Essentials
Currently Working On: JNCIA-MistAI
2024 Goals: JNCIA-MistAI [ ], Linux+ [ ]
Future Certs: CCNP Enterprise -
on the road again
Member Posts: 3 ■■■□□□□□□□
congratulations
Thanks for the tips, I'm taking my exam next weekTomorrow is another day -
NiTech-5
Member Posts: 25 ■□□□□□□□□□
Congrats!- Education: BA; MA (a concentration in Cyber/IT Risk Management); Later: MS in Cybersecurity @ WGU, 2020
- Certs in Progress: Security+ Sy0-501 (late-August or early Sept 2018 )
- Late 2018/ Early 2019 Goals: CCENT then CCNA Security
- Self-Taught Programming: Python; SQL (basic)
