Security+ on Tuesday

Iristheangel

I'm taking my Security+ on Monday. I read Mike Meyer's Passport and Sybex's Security+ book along with watching the Testout series just to drill it in my head a little more. I took and pass my Network+ exam about two weeks ago and Security seems to be a lot of the same stuff I learned there so I'm pretty confident that I'm going to be passing this thing with no problem and then onto Server+ which I'll take in about 2 weeks and then Linux+ about a month after that.

P.S. Did anyone watch the Security+ Testout videos?
LabSim - CompTIA Security+ 2008 Certification Training
Just watch the sample video.
Worst. Trainer. Ever.

Darril

Good luck with the Security+ exam. It sounds like quite an aggressive schedule.

Darril Gibson

Iristheangel

Darril wrote: »

Good luck with the Security+ exam. It sounds like quite an aggressive schedule.


[/URL]

I wanted to get some certs under my belt. I started studying for my A+ at the beginning of December and nailed those both by December 21st. Then started on my Network+, passed that in the middle of January, and now Security+...

I'm at the point where I want to do some tougher certs like CCNA or start on MCITP, but I want to nail the 5 CompTIA exams right now so I don't have to deal with the whole "renewing" crap that'll take effect next year. Those aren't certs that I would put money into more than once.

Plantwiz

If you have A+ and Net+ already,
then the only CompTIA exam that will require recertifying (if not completed by 2010) is the Sec+

All the other CompTIA exams (at this point) are not slated for the renewal process.

Iristheangel

Plantwiz wrote: »

If you have A+ and Net+ already,
then the only CompTIA exam that will require recertifying (if not completed by 2010) is the Sec+

All the other CompTIA exams (at this point) are not slated for the renewal process.

Good to know...

Selfmade

how much time are you spending studying a day/week? if you don't mind me asking

Iristheangel

Selfmade wrote: »

how much time are you spending studying a day/week? if you don't mind me asking

I have sort of a weird schedule and study routine so I'll break down how I personally get ready for a test... I work two jobs (Help desk for my full time 8-5 M-F job and a security job on weekend nights) at the moment. I usually get two books and a Testout series for whatever cert I'm on... I'll usually read a chapter or two during the day at work and then do at least one section of the Testout at night. At my weekend job, I literally just spend 8 hours in my car reading the book or watching the Testout series... By the end of the first week studying, I'm done with the Testout series and at least one book. Then for the next week, I'll read the second book at either job or at home. Usually by the end of that week, I'm ready to take the test. I started studying for my first A+ test on December 1st, took the desk around the 15th and scored a 845. Then the second test A+ test, I study less for and took around the 23rd. Then I studied for three weeks for the Network+ exam and truly think that was probably the learning material that I felt I learned the most from and I passed that around the middle of January with a score of 900. I studied for the Security+ since then and to be honest, I felt like half of it was Network+ regurgitated and I wish I had taken it last week. Server+ will be easy... I have the voucher already so I'm going to try to knock it out in a week or two. Linux+ I think I'll actually learn a lot from since I haven't really had as much hands on experience with Linux and I've always wanted to learn more... so I might actually spend 2 weeks on books/Linux practice and then just spend an additional week just practicing Linux 24/7.

I don't know if anyone else studies like this or spaces it out more, but I feel like I'm retaining most of the material and my test scores have spoken for themselves. I know that a lot of the CompTIA tests have been more about general concepts than anything else so I'm getting antsy to move onto more advanced certifications. Maybe it's just pride or whatever, but I want to finish Server+ and Linux+ just to say I have them done...

kiki1579

Iris...I think the way you are studying is just fine.

When I took my MCSE 2000 track, it took a little longer than the 2 weeks schedule that you have, but I did the MS exams back to back untill I got it. Took about 6 months to get it. It's kinda good too that the Sec+ is on a 3-yr renewal now, so I dont feel like Im wasting my time on a cert I already have.

What I have done for this exam is I first took a Security+ course in college, mainly so I could transfer that credit to my 4 yr school. I took that back in the Fall, and since I knew I was going to have downtime in January, I got the Sybex Sec+ book as well as Exam Cram. Sybex goes over the basics, but getting 2 books is always the best route IMO. I think it's good that you take the time and go through the book, make notes, and then take notes from a 2nd source, and combine the two. That way you aren't missing anything.

Right now I have my 201 exam scheduled in a week. After that it's Network+, and back to MS certs.