I take my Security+ on Tuesday.

Norbie

Wish me luck. I have a feeling it will be pretty hard.

I wanted to wait to take it week after next on a Saturday but the nearest testing center will be closed week after next and then I'm on call the following week. Now I'm going after work on Tuesday

Darril

Good luck.

Let us know how you did.

Darril Gibson
Author: CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead
www.sy0-201.com

Security+ Blog
http://sy0201.blogspot.com/

Security+ Tip of day Tweets
twitter.com/DarrilGibson

stephens316

good luck

CompuTron99

Good Luck. Take advantage of the weekend.

abefroman

Good luck!

Norbie

I failed it

I needed a 750. I got a 725.

I'm bummed.

veritas_libertas

Norbie wrote: »

I failed it

I needed a 750. I got a 725.

I'm bummed.

What areas were you weak in? Maybe we can help with suggestions?

Matt_Smi

Was this the new 2009 objectives test? It seems like CompTIA is trying to redeem is name/reputation and making all its new certs much harder to obtain but that could be just me. But the bar is def set higher on mostly all of their new exams, for example when I took my A+ (2003) the hardware exam was 505/900 and the OS was 515/900 which is really low IMO, now it is 675 and 700. My Network+ (2005) was 554 now it is 720, Security+ has always been high at around 750 and Sever+ used to be 615 now we shall see what the new exam will be like. So they seem to be making the minimum passing score much higher on all of their exams unless the questions are being weighted differently? Or the tests are a bit easier to pass so the mim score is higher now I really have no idea just speculation.

Norbie

veritas_libertas wrote: »

What areas were you weak in? Maybe we can help with suggestions?

Some of the things listed on the printout that I was weak in:

Explain the difference between Identification and Authentication.

Implement OS hardening practices and procedure to achieve workstation and server security.

Carry out vulnerability assessments using common tools.

Summarize the various authentication models and identify the components of each.

Explain general cryptography concepts.

Identify and explain applicable legislation and organizational policies.

Carry out the appropriate procedures to establish application security.




I'm really bummed. I was getting 90-100% on my transcender questions

Norbie

Matt_Smi wrote: »

Was this the new 2009 objectives test?

No I didn't know there was a 2009 version. Mine was SY0-201 (2008 edition).

It seems like CompTIA is trying to redeem is name/reputation and making all its new certs much harder to obtain but that could be just me. But the bar is def set higher on mostly all of their new exams, for example when I took my A+ (2003) the hardware exam was 505/900 and the OS was 515/900 which is really low IMO, now it is 675 and 700. My Network+ (2005) was 554 now it is 720, Security+ has always been high at around 750 and Sever+ used to be 615 now we shall see what the new exam will be like. So they seem to be making the minimum passing score much higher on all of their exams unless the questions are being weighted differently? Or the tests are a bit easier to pass so the mim score is higher now I really have no idea just speculation.

Matt_Smi

Sorry 2008 is what I meant, sometimes I get mixed between Security+ and Sever+. Either way this def seems to be CompTIAs hardest exam at least from what I have heard and the bar has always been set pretty high on it. You didn't miss by much so I would just review areas you were weaker in, go back and go for it.

I-ball

Norbie wrote: »

I'm really bummed. I was getting 90-100% on my transcender questions

I'm really sorry to hear this news. I would suggest the following. Take a few days, be mad, swear a lot and listen to heavy metal. Once you are done with all that put your transcenders far away. Get your study materials and re-read everything again. I studied for 3 months, 1-2 hours every night. I read and re-read my book (Sybex) until I understood the what I was reading. Especially the Crypto stuff. OS Hardening is one of the easier parts of the exam, as is Identification and Authentication. There are a lot of free resources on the web including this site, use them.

I know the pain of failing these types of exams. I failed my TCP/IP exam way back when I was doing my MSCE 4.0. I failed because I truly did not understand the concepts. I took a 2 weeks to cover everything again, worked the formulas and passed the exam with a 900.

Do not take it again until your are confident. It is a tricky exam but if you are ready you'll kill it.

abefroman

Check out the sample tests at measureup.com

Darril

Sorry to hear you didn't pass. However, this forum may be a great place to explore the different topics you missed. You may like to start a thread on each one.

For example, you could start a thread on Identification vs Authentication. Do a little research to clarify it for yourself, post it, and ask for feedback or for others to fill in the holes. Not only will this be valuable for you, but it'll be valuable for a lot of others.

Darril Gibson
Author: CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead
www.sy0-201.com

Security+ Blog
Security Plus: Get Certified Get Ahead

Security+ Tip of day Tweets
twitter.com/DarrilGibson

Norbie wrote: »

Some of the things listed on the printout that I was weak in:

Explain the difference between Identification and Authentication.

Implement OS hardening practices and procedure to achieve workstation and server security.

Carry out vulnerability assessments using common tools.

Summarize the various authentication models and identify the components of each.

Explain general cryptography concepts.

Identify and explain applicable legislation and organizational policies.

Carry out the appropriate procedures to establish application security.




I'm really bummed. I was getting 90-100% on my transcender questions

crap I forgot my old pwd

Dude, when I took Sec+ back in 2005, I failed it by like a handful of points too. It was the first cert exam I ever failed. lol then when I retook it, I got the minimum passing score. It was definately a tough test so I'd say that 725 is a good score IMO. I used Syngress's Security+ book for my test.

dmad53

Norbie wrote: »

I failed it

I needed a 750. I got a 725.

I'm bummed.

The bar is set high for this exam. 725 is not a bad score. Don't hang your head. If an
old mainframe guy like me can do it, then I am confident you can. Repetition is important
when studying. The folks on here will give you good advice. Good luck!

veritas_libertas

Norbie wrote: »

Some of the things listed on the printout that I was weak in:

Explain the difference between Identification and Authentication.

Implement OS hardening practices and procedure to achieve workstation and server security.

Carry out vulnerability assessments using common tools.

Summarize the various authentication models and identify the components of each.

Explain general cryptography concepts.

Identify and explain applicable legislation and organizational policies.

Carry out the appropriate procedures to establish application security.




I'm really bummed. I was getting 90-100% on my transcender questions

Yikes, that kinda freaks me out. I have been getting in the 90% range while practicing with MeasureUp. I would say maybe the best thing you can do is start reading based upon the Security+ objectives. I noticed one of the areas you are weak in is Cryptography. That is a very confusing and hard area to study if you have little experience with it.

When do you plan to take it again?

Norbie

I couldn't wait the 3 weeks

I was so mad at myself for getting so close and blowing it. Saturday I decided I would retake the exam and scheduled it for today. I just passed it a couple hours ago.

I got a 793. For a moment there I was thinking "damn I'm going to fail it and have to wait a month to take it". Glad I passed it.

Norbie

Norbie wrote: »

I couldn't wait the 3 weeks

I was so mad at myself for getting so close and blowing it. Saturday I decided I would retake the exam and scheduled it for today. I just passed it a couple hours ago.

I got a 793. For a moment there I was thinking "damn I'm going to fail it and have to wait a month to take it". Glad I passed it.

Oops I edited my last post instead of replying

I passed 10-27-2009 not 10-22-2009 like my post indicated.

Darril

Congratulations!

Darril Gibson
www.sy0-201.com
Author: CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead

Security+ Blog
Security Plus: Get Certified Get Ahead

Security+ Tip of the Day
twitter.com/DarrilGibson

Zartanasaurus

Matt_Smi wrote: »

Was this the new 2009 objectives test? It seems like CompTIA is trying to redeem is name/reputation and making all its new certs much harder to obtain but that could be just me. But the bar is def set higher on mostly all of their new exams, for example when I took my A+ (2003) the hardware exam was 505/900 and the OS was 515/900 which is really low IMO, now it is 675 and 700. My Network+ (2005) was 554 now it is 720, Security+ has always been high at around 750 and Sever+ used to be 615 now we shall see what the new exam will be like. So they seem to be making the minimum passing score much higher on all of their exams unless the questions are being weighted differently? Or the tests are a bit easier to pass so the mim score is higher now I really have no idea just speculation.

CompTIA is weird.

When I first took my A+ back in 2000, the tests were adaptive. Yeah you only needed a 500 or something to pass, but you would get pounded if there was any one area you were weak in. Plus it was possible to get a low score and still get 95% of the questions right if you got an easy draw.

Then it seems like they got rid of the adaptive portion but kept the low bar in place to pass (my experience from the old Network+ 2005 version).

Now it seems they want a straight-forward test, but a high passing score, which seems about right. Even if the bar is 750 to pass, you have to figure that comes to about getting 80-85% of the questions right which makes sense to me.

I got 800+ scores on Net+ and Sec+ but only 500 something on my A+. I dunno if it's just my increased experience or the nature of the exam, but Sec+ seemed really boring and easy. The questions are one short sentence. I was done all 100 in about 35 minutes. I'd rather they go back to the adaptive exams because I felt like I was really being challenged.

CompuTron99

Congrats on the passed.

I respect the fact that you didn't give up, and went right back to the exam to retake it.

Norbie

CompuTron99 wrote: »

Congrats on the passed.

I respect the fact that you didn't give up, and went right back to the exam to retake it.

Yeah I felt like if I waited too long that would just be longer for me to agonize about it and then I would just psych myself out.

Thanks for the support.

I plan on studying for Server+ next and I'm just as nervous about that one as I was about Security+. I can't seem to find many recent books for the SK0-002 exam and none for the upcoming SK0-003 exam. Plus I'm not familiar enough with servers yet as I would like to be.

abefroman

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Yikes, that kinda freaks me out. I have been getting in the 90% range while practicing with MeasureUp. I would say maybe the best thing you can do is start reading based upon the Security+ objectives. I noticed one of the areas you are weak in is Cryptography. That is a very confusing and hard area to study if you have little experience with it.

When do you plan to take it again?

Getting a 90% the first time you take the practice test is different than getting a 90% after you have gone over the questions a few times.

abefroman

Norbie wrote: »

I couldn't wait the 3 weeks

I was so mad at myself for getting so close and blowing it. Saturday I decided I would retake the exam and scheduled it for today. I just passed it a couple hours ago.

I got a 793. For a moment there I was thinking "damn I'm going to fail it and have to wait a month to take it". Glad I passed it.

Way to go!

veritas_libertas

Congratz, I'll bet you feel better now!