Passed, but some lessons learned...

Well I passed at the second attempt (with 852). Completed it under 30 minutes, which included triple checking my answers!

This was the first cert I had failed and I learnt some lessons from this one, (several people have said similar things but here is my list)...

1. CompTIA exams get significantly more difficult beyond A+/N+.

2. I suggest working with a minimum of three books.
- I used Microsoft Sec+, QUE and Tcat's PDF. These might not be the best three incidentally, there are a lot of others out there.

3. Get as many test engines as you can find/afford.
- I used PrepLogic (300 q's), Transcender (300 q's), plus did all of the questions in all of the books I had. The Transcender questions were right on the button.

4. Think like a security professional in the exam. Many questions seem to have several valid answers, so if you get a question like that, pick out the one you believe a security professional would pick on (not your own opinion, which is what I probably did first time around!).

5. Make sure you know your port numbers and OSI layers for the hardware, protocols etc.

After crashing out on this first time around, Im glad I did the retake. I would have probably carried on smarting about it forever after otherwise.

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Comments

janmike

Congrats on the pass!

lseals

After further review, I also recind my congrats

RussS

hmmm - decided congrats weren't in order here

FR29

Congrats on the pass!
Thanx for the study tips, as well. I'm going on the Sec+, as soon as I get the $ for a few books.

SniperHunter

Kick ass man! Im tacking the security + this week (Hopefully)

-Anthony

pmann

I forgot to mention there is a free Sec+ test at;

http://www.****.com

I think quite a few of those questions came up in my exam.

blackguymd

2lazybutsmart

ah well pman: if that's the site you used to study for your Sec+ (and if it does sell braindumps as it claims), I think it's time you realise that passing an exam with **** is not considered passing at all, in our world. In fact, it's so unbecomming of an IT proffesional, or wanabe, to do such a thing. It has no place in our respected world of hard working people. A person that fails 5 times and passes on the fifth try while using decent study material is of higher value than a person who knocks it off on the first try using braindumpzz.

The goal really isn't passing the exam; the goal is learning and becoming knowledgable on that particular subject. The certificate is hence a token of approval that you do indeed know what you claim to know. Now the process isn't possibible the other way around. You can't get a certificate and learn the stuff later on (as most dumperz lamely claim).

well.... I guess that's all I've got to say. (ah, and yes: I think we've got 1 + record to add to our censor)

Webmaster

well.... I guess that's all I've got to say. (ah, and yes: I think we've got 1 + record to add to our censor)

And I think few can say it any better.

I think quite a few of those questions came up in my exam.

Really, do you think so...? <sigh> and let me guess you knew the answer to 'quite a few of those questions' already, didn't you? That explains a lot:

Well I passed at the second attempt (with 852). Completed it under 30 minutes, which included triple checking my answers!

Our Registration Terms to which you agreed, are very clear on this, posting, hence promoting, braindumpz sites (especially those with the word braindumps in it!) results in a permanent ban. The only reason for this is to protect our other visitors from getting unwillingly, and in some cases even unknowingly, getting to cheats. But than you wouldn't be able to read this and feel ashamed that people congratulated you on something you simply don't deserve... at all. But I'm neither interested in another braindump discussion.

Before you come with any lame excuses for why you used braindumps, read the following page and make sure it isn't listed there:

www.mcmcse.com/articles/braindumps.shtml

pmann

I totally agree with your comments. What your describing is the exact study behaviour that makes me puke too.

For what's its worth, I want to point out that I did not know of/use that site until AFTER I did the exam. Even though I finally passed, I was still curious about some of the questions and what the right answers actually were. Since we cant talk about the questions on this board, I did a search for 'free tests' and that site came up. Looking through it, I found some of the actual questions there.

If I had of used that site from day one, then maybe I would'nt have needed two shots at this and passed it first time! I could have saved myself an extra 3-4 weeks of hard full time study, all the extra money I spent on new books, practice tests as well another exam fee BUT I would have learned nothing and the certificate would be valueless.

On reflection, it was stupid of me to add an extra post about that site. It's only now that I realize what I was encouraging

. I stand by my original advice at the top of this posting. I learned some tough lessons on this test and completely underestimated the exam. Finally, I also apologize for mentioning the unmentionable.

Post exam euphoria I guess...

JOblessELement

Congrats dude.

Did you do this to get your Sec+ as well to convert your MCSA to a security specialization? I ask this as I'm wondering if I should take this or the 70-227 to get the MCSA: Security.

pmann

That was my line of thought, ultimately I would like to get to MCSE SS. There are several ways of getting there and my line of pursuit is something like this...

A+,N+,210,215,218 - MCSA
Sec+, (214) - MCSA SS
(216),(217),(220) - MCSE SS

This means doing 10 exams, but Im doing it in three hops just in case I run out of energy/money. It'll take longer going down this path but Im not bothered by that since I dont have any time constraints. Which is just as well since at my age (mid 40's), Im a bit slower at studying than I used to be!

I did some of the CompTIA exams since they are vendor independent and have a perhaps less detailed but wider span of material. I think its also healthy to have a break from the Microsoft format every now and again.

The Sec+ was interesting and enjoyable, but it took me about 8 weeks in total and I spent double what I budgeted for!

JOblessELement

I've taken a few Infosec courses in college (I promise I stayed awake through every class

) and I really like the fact that this exam hands me an MCP as well as a Sec+ cert. But with only a couple dedicated weeks of studying and from some of the other posts on this board, I'm not sure if I wanna take this exam as yet. My problem is that I just graduated (December) and even with my 2+ years of working (part time+intern) experience, I find that only a Cert will help me get my foot in the door. Thus, I want something "quick" so that I can make some moola and earn the remainder of the certs to get my MCSE2003 which will be a switch from programming into network administration.

I've debated the MCAD/MCSD track but have lost my love for progamming primarily because it's so hard to get a job in the field with so many experienced programmers out on the prowl.

Ah well ... frustration is on the rise and I'm aiming for atleast one cert before I turn 22 on the 20th this month.

awaisyboy

congrats dude, it is a difficult exam to pass