What are my chances of passing this test?
I passed both A+ exams last summer. I have no networking experience. I bought the Sybex kit, and d/led the technotes from this site. Do you think I can pass this test? I have been studying for about a week, and a half now.
Comments
The Fiber Optic Association www.thefoa.org
Home Acoustics Alliance® http://www.homeacoustics.net/
Imaging Science Foundation http://www.imagingscience.com/
he said it best:
If you can't describe what you are doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing.
W. Edwards Deming
and remember:
It is not enough to do your best; you must know what to do, and then do your best.
Microsoft: MCSA 2003
Sybex book is good but I would suggest going through some of it more than once. It also wouldn't hurt to make notes as you go through.
In the end if you feel you're ready, then go for it.
Everyone here likes to post and link the objectives and talk about how they havent changed, but in my experience the books and technotes here, while they do a great job of covering the material, are not well represented by the test questions. I thought it was unnecessarily difficult given that it is an entry level test.
50/50
I don't know you, nor know what type of information you know, nor how you take exams.....I would not recommend it unless you can at least meet the minimum guidelines as put forth by CompTIA.
Cert exams aren't about collecting all you can, it's abuot (or should be) establishing what knowledge you DO have.
It's not a race.
_____
"Grammar and spelling aren't everything, but this is a forum, not a chat room. You have plenty of time to spell out the word "you", and look just a little bit smarter." by Phaideaux
***I'll add you can Capitalize the word 'I' to show a little respect for yourself too.
'i' before 'e' except after 'c'.... weird?
#1 read book once (old sybex network+ book)
#2 read book 2nd time, this time with flashcards, supplement with wikipedia/google if unclear.
im a believer in the flashcards. i cant write down something meaningful if I dont first understand it. I work with a bunch of engineers and these guys are workaholics, so i learn from them; hit the books. i envy it when the big companies come over to do demos for us... and end up getting taught themselves.
i think the reason why this stuff taking me so long as i get way into it. ie, instead of just knowing usb in network+ (?! lol), i went to the engineering sites (i get distracted easily), got the voltages from computer PS to USB pins, current ratings, why there are only 4 ports on usb hubs, whats the actual transfer rates, why does usb audio SUCK, i broke out with the rhode&shartz and was calculating latency/packets, why is USB not used on video capture, how to create a usb bootable dongle, USB VS 1394... etc
im still reading my 3yr old book (network+ sybex 2005) the 2nd (maybe more, it hasnt been my priority, and you know what happens when you stop studying something, you start over) time around, this time using flashcards if I need. Maybe Im being overconfident myself, as I see flaws/mistakes all over the book this round.
Microsoft: MCSA 2003
But I am going to recommend you spend more hands on the time in your home lab.
haha j/k
My experience is that I just cannot read books...props to all of you who actually can.
I am currently a college student and have had 3 classes geared toward Network+ books.
My advice to you would be to gain a strong understanding of the OSI model and what protocols work at each layer.
Also, know common ports, topologies, media, and....well...just read the CompTIA objectives.
I am taking this test next Tuesday so we will see if what I have done has paid off.
Good luck to you.
Look at the comptia objectives and if you know and more importantly understand 99% of it ... then go for it.
Comptia A+
Comptia Network+
2009 Plan:
MCSA...75%
CCENT....0%
70-648..0%
2010 Plan:
MCITP
ORACLE