Passed SY0-701 Security+
I sat for the SY0-701 Security+ exam yesterday and passed with a 795. (I'll insert my usual, "that's a pretty good score considering how little studying I did for this exam" here.) I'm gearing-up for a new teaching job that requires me to re-certify for several certs that I already have. I must say that taking the latest exam reframed my thinking about how to teach Security+ topics.
I originally took the first Security+ (SY0-101) back on Jan 2004. I seem to remember not being very happy with the exam and think it wasn't very good in item construction, and contained InfoSec terms that I had never heard of--such as "illicit server." However, according to my original, twenty-year-old review, I really liked the Sec+ and seemed to think highly of it. Am I still ruminating over a few "bad" exam items two decades later? Apparently I am. Did I experience anything on the latest -701 to ruminate over the next two decades? Hmmm...maybe so.
The first thing I realized about the 2024 Sec+ is that the actual exam items are simpler in construction and easier to read than the practice exams in much of the Sec+ study material that I have reviewed. I would need to read some practice items three for four times to make sure I caught all of the details and nuances needed to pick the correct answer option(s). On -701, the exam item stems were constructed simply and most were quite easy to read. (I always read each exam item at least twice anyway.) The answer options were even simpler and didn't appear to contain fictitious terms.
The next thing that surprised me is how non-technical the exam seemed. Yes, there are plenty of tech terms and topics you need to understand. However, the amount of information in each exam item is kept to a minimum, which makes items easier to parse and understand. The PBQs on the exam were not complex and seemed to only test for basic knowledge--although one PBQ I had would have been right at home on the Network+ exam. Despite the "mile wide" appearance of the SY0-701 objectives, CompTIA has done very well at keeping Sec+ a cybersecurity fundamentals exam.
Finally, I realized that I had no chance to score 1000 (100%) on Sec+ or any other CompTIA exam. There is the occasional odd term or wording that you may only ever see in CompTIA study materials. I must admit that an occasional lack of confidance in how to interpret the use of CompTIA's of terms and phrasing caused me to changed several of my answer selections in review, only to discover later that my original answer sections were correct. (Always trust your gut's first pick in the exam room.)
So how do you pass Security+? Pretty much the same way you pass any other CompTIA exam. Realize that:
I originally took the first Security+ (SY0-101) back on Jan 2004. I seem to remember not being very happy with the exam and think it wasn't very good in item construction, and contained InfoSec terms that I had never heard of--such as "illicit server." However, according to my original, twenty-year-old review, I really liked the Sec+ and seemed to think highly of it. Am I still ruminating over a few "bad" exam items two decades later? Apparently I am. Did I experience anything on the latest -701 to ruminate over the next two decades? Hmmm...maybe so.
The first thing I realized about the 2024 Sec+ is that the actual exam items are simpler in construction and easier to read than the practice exams in much of the Sec+ study material that I have reviewed. I would need to read some practice items three for four times to make sure I caught all of the details and nuances needed to pick the correct answer option(s). On -701, the exam item stems were constructed simply and most were quite easy to read. (I always read each exam item at least twice anyway.) The answer options were even simpler and didn't appear to contain fictitious terms.
The next thing that surprised me is how non-technical the exam seemed. Yes, there are plenty of tech terms and topics you need to understand. However, the amount of information in each exam item is kept to a minimum, which makes items easier to parse and understand. The PBQs on the exam were not complex and seemed to only test for basic knowledge--although one PBQ I had would have been right at home on the Network+ exam. Despite the "mile wide" appearance of the SY0-701 objectives, CompTIA has done very well at keeping Sec+ a cybersecurity fundamentals exam.
Finally, I realized that I had no chance to score 1000 (100%) on Sec+ or any other CompTIA exam. There is the occasional odd term or wording that you may only ever see in CompTIA study materials. I must admit that an occasional lack of confidance in how to interpret the use of CompTIA's of terms and phrasing caused me to changed several of my answer selections in review, only to discover later that my original answer sections were correct. (Always trust your gut's first pick in the exam room.)
So how do you pass Security+? Pretty much the same way you pass any other CompTIA exam. Realize that:
- 50% of the exam is understanding the terminology and technology.
- 50% of the exam is being able to interpret the questions (wording, phrasing) correctly.
- Learn the terminology and practices espoused by CompTIA, as this is what will be on the exam (and not your differing views and opinions).
- Don't over-think your answer selections. This will lead you to changing answers you've already (unconfidently) marked correctly.
- Relax, use all the exam time given to you, and breathe.
Comments
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itdept
Registered Users Posts: 275 ■■■■■■□□□□
Congrats on the pass. Interesting to see that it now seems easier to read. I never cared for exams with trick questions or double negatives, just test me on my knowledge. I am going to renew my Sec + exam in about a month but doing through the ce. It is open book but I am still going to study for it like I would take the exam so I can brush up on terms and knowledge.Good study tips at the end as well. -
Codablaze
Member Posts: 4 ■□□□□□□□□□
I am just about to start studying, but this seems like great advice. Congratulations!