How much of a break do you take between certifications?

SrSysAdmin

I've taken breaks as long as 6 months and as short as 1 day between studying for the next cert.

I find that it is easy for myself to get out of the routine of studying and when I do it is hard to get back into it.


How long of a break do you guys take after passing a cert test before beginning studying for the next one?

dynamik

SrSysAdmin wrote: »

How long of a break do you guys take after passing a cert test before beginning studying for the next one?

From passing the exam until I finish the drive home (sometimes I stop to eat)

rwmidl

Depends. After I got my MCSE back in 2003 I took almost a 6 year break!

tbgree00

After my first exam in 2007 I took over a year. I took 6 months after the second. Now I am a lot more motivated and generally roll into my next test within a day or two. I made the mistake of taking 2 weeks after I passed the last test and couldn't get a good date. I think I'll roll straight into the final tests for the MCSE:S after I pass the 294.

I plan to take the 294, 298, 299, and Security+ by the end of the year. I will wait until January to start studying for the next tests. Hopefully I'm not scrambling at the end of December to finish one of these tests.

If I don't keep going I find it hard to start studying again. I have a 2-3 week rush of motivation, a huge lull, and a surge of motivation the 2 weeks before the test. I think scheduling 4-5 weeks between tests works best for me.

Mojo_666

SrSysAdmin wrote: »

I've taken breaks as long as 6 months and as short as 1 day between studying for the next cert.

Same here, my current break is entering it's 6th months although I did start the CCENT but had a contract extension and never rebooked the exam after cancelling it.

earweed

If you're on a cert track like the MCSE or MCITP:EA it's probably best not to take a break of more than a few days or a week. I took a couple week break due to burn out and it made it hard to get back into the studying but I finally did.
Since January of this year I've taken 1 break and that was the 2 week break I mentioned. In that time I've gotten CIW Javascript Specialist, Net+, Sec+, MCTS:Vista,MCTS: Server 2008 AD, and MCTS: Server 2008 NI. I'll be getting the next in the Server 2008 track in 2 weeks and finishing the track in November.
After I finish WGU I plan to take a break before starting on my next cert which will either be exchange track or MS Virtualization track.

SrSysAdmin

earweed wrote: »

In that time I've gotten CIW Javascript Specialist

That's an interesting cert to get...what is your current job and how do you make use of this cert?

I'd like to study up on PowerShell as I'm not very good at scripting but I don't think there is a cert for that. I can throw scripts together when I need to but for the most part it is just from finding other people's scripts online and not actually knowing how the script works.

Devilsbane

I usually start the next one that night or the next day. Sometimes I'll take the weekend off but it is always a pretty quick transition.

earweed

That's a cert I got by taking a class through WGU. I don't even list that on my resume right now. I don't really want to get offered a job that would have a lot of scripting in Javascript. I could do it but would prefer not to. Javascriptis a very easy scripting language to learn.
Powershell is on my to do list to learn. I recently started reading Amazon.com: Microsoft Windows PowerShell 2.0 Programming for the Absolute Beginner (978159863899: Jr. Jerry Lee Ford: Books but find that this book will not really help a lot for scripting in the real world. It's basically an intro to powershell which is what I need right now. Javascript will not help you learn POSH.

pml1

dynamik wrote: »

From passing the exam until I finish the drive home (sometimes I stop to eat)

That was me after passing my last exam. I passed 291 and started studying Sec+ the same day. I'll probably do that same after passing Sec+ (hopefully tomorrow). I plan on moving on to 293 this weekend.

rogue2shadow

I never stop studying lol. I feel the occasional burnouts but learning a new thing everyday makes it even the more fun.

Mojo_666

rogue2shadow wrote: »

I never stop studying lol. I feel the occasional burnouts but learning a new thing everyday makes it even the more fun.

I tell you what I enjoy, just running through some CBT chapters on random stuff but without the preasure to learn from them.

earweed

rogue2shadow wrote: »

I never stop studying lol. I feel the occasional burnouts but learning a new thing everyday makes it even the more fun.

True here too. Even when I take a break I still crack open a book every day to read something that might help me out. I list the amount of reading I've done in my signature but I'msure I've passed the 10,000 mark already. I only count the books I've gone through from end to end. I've probably read parts of 20 different books this year that I haven't completely finished.

jamesleecoleman

I don't really take a break after I pass a test because I studying multiple certifications at the same time. So when I passed the Network+, I was studying for the A+ and the Security+. Then it got shifted to Security+, CCNA, and Project+. I'm trying to get Security+ and the CCNA out of the way so I can get to the Project+ and CCNA: Security.

Claymoore

dynamik wrote: »

From passing the exam until I finish the drive home (sometimes I stop to eat)

No audiobooks in the car? Slacker.

I took almost 8 years between earning my NT4 MCSE and my CCNA - now that's slacking. Then it was almost another year before I started to update my MCSE to 2003. In the last 3 years I have taken 23 Microsoft exams, 1 Cisco exam, and 1 EMC exam. Not a lot of breaks in the last 3 years, and some credit (blame?) has to go to TechExams for keeping me going. I'm so used to studying that I have a hard time stopping and I have to find something to fill that time void if I don't have another exam lined up.

Even though I took two exams this summer, I have considered myself on a break and have been working on other, non-IT topics. I plan on taking the rest of the year off. I get credit towards my bonus for passing exams, but only up to 3 a year. I have already taken 6 this year and I do have a couple more I would like to take, but overall I am running out of exams that have value to me. I need to save a couple for next year to make sure I can hit my exam quota.

stuh84

My longest break so far has been about a week, between finishing the CCNP and starting the JNCIA-JUNOS. I just miss the flood of new information when studying, so I always want to start up soon after.

jschreck

I would like to also identify that if its the same subject matter, then keep rolling with it. Hardware to hardware.. Win to win, Linux on up.. Cisco.. ect ect. If its a diffrent then I would take a shot breath, but not to long.

tpatt100

I took about a 6 year break after my Microsoft tests

Ahriakin

My standard used to be 2 days, I figured if I kept to that rule it made things easier. From the IE to my next was about a year though, from that to the current one I took about a 3 month break.

earweed

The IE is a whole different animal though. That's like taking on a second full time job. For anyone who's worked 2 full time jobs after you revert to the 1 full time you want nothing but that 1 job and rest.

loxleynew

Between my mcdst and mcsa I took maybe a month or two off in between. However after that I took a 6 month break and then tried starting the CCENT and it didn't go so well. Hard to study. I did like a month of studying then stopped. I need to get back into it though soon. I wouldn't recommend more than a 1 month in between studying and that would only be considered if your job is busy at the time or you're on vacation.

MSNinja

I always take the summer off, and then its study non stop until end of May. Next in line is VCP, Server+ and then lots and lots of IBM stuff

Bl8ckr0uter

Between my first two certs (A+ and N+) there was 6-7 months between them simply because I had no funds and I was a broke college student. Between N+ and CCNA there was another 4-6 months because didn't think about doing anymore certs and I needed some direction. Between CCNA and CCNA security there was a little more than 2 months. The day I sat and passed the CCNA I started studying for the CCNA:Security (and Security+) Then I lost my job (on the day I passed CCNA:Security) back in February and I was without stable income for a little bit. It is now September, I was suppose to sit the Sec+ weeks ago. I expected to pass it before the end of august and now it is looking like I won't be able to sit it until the 18th of this month. So about another 6-7 months lol. I need to finish S+ and LPIC-1 before the end of this year and then it will probably be another 4 months before the C|EH/GSEC (due to money saving and finishing school).

Some of the guys here are unreal in the terms of test they kill. Sometimes I feel like I am lagging behind I should probably pick up my pace--after I am done with school.

Psoasman

SrSysAdmin wrote: »

I've taken breaks as long as 6 months and as short as 1 day between studying for the next cert.

I find that it is easy for myself to get out of the routine of studying and when I do it is hard to get back into it.


How long of a break do you guys take after passing a cert test before beginning studying for the next one?

I usually take the day of the test off.

Mike-Mike

knwminus wrote: »

Some of the guys here are unreal in the terms of test they kill. Sometimes I feel like I am lagging behind I should probably pick up my pace--after I am done with school.

yeah I know, sometimes this forum can be equal parts inspiring and daunting... six months ago I thought I would be awesome if I had A+/Net+/Security+, but from reading this board I feel like I'd barely be entry level

DevilWAH

I don't really take breaks, but I do change my focus a lot. Like having a baby for example will really reduce your learning speed

Once we have moved to the new house, and baby is a bit more settled I want to get back to once exam ever 3 or so months.

but I also have many projects on the go, so if not studying for a cert I will still be studying for a project

earweed

I feel like I'm barely entry level compared to some people on here.

DevilWAH

Mike-Mike wrote: »

yeah I know, sometimes this forum can be equal parts inspiring and daunting... six months ago I thought I would be awesome if I had A+/Net+/Security+, but from reading this board I feel like I'd barely be entry level

We all have to be entry level some time I have a feeling I will still feel entry level once I have a CCIE!!

Just remember you are already iabove the majority of IT staff just by having one cert, many never get that far!

ColbyG

I'm always "studying". I usually take a few to six months before I get serious with the next cert though.

Bl8ckr0uter

earweed wrote: »

I feel like I'm barely entry level compared to some people on here.

I second this. There are days when I truly regret not going down the MS path a few years ago when I first started out in IT. I could have had an MCSE years ago. It probably would have helpped out a ton. Oh well.

rogue2shadow

knwminus wrote: »

I second this. There are days when I truly regret not going down the MS path a few years ago when I first started out in IT. I could have had an MCSE years ago. It probably would have helpped out a ton. Oh well.

As earweed would probably say, there's always time to join the dark side haha. My 70-299 book came today :P.