Passed first try

I passed on my first try (Barely) with a score just above 760. I did not expect to pass and intended to take the test as a trial run before scheduling next week.

I used only one study guide, the 2009 Sybex boxed set which included the primary book, a review book and a "street smarts book". It also had two Cd's with practice exams from the books. I would recommend reading the entire book page for page over the course of a month or so. Take the practice tests to make sure you understand.

Advice?

1. As many have said. Know the objectives well FIRST and then go into detail with each. I focused too hard on a few subjects and should have spread my study time. There were many questions I simply did not know the answer to.

2. The questions are not hard but cover a lot of ground. (see above)

3. If you don't know the answer, make an educated guess and move on. Don't dwell on the ones you don't know.

4. The nice thing about multiple choice is you have a 25% chance right from the start. (unless they ask for mutliple answers). If you can rule out any of the answers that you know are wrong, you increase your odds. In other words you might not know the answer, but you know what is NOT the answer. Again don't dwell. If you have to guess from two use your gut and move on.

5. DO NOT drink a lot of liquids before taking the test ! I'm getting older and my bladder was not holding well....! You cannot take a break ! I really had to rush on the last 20 questions. Next time I get my caffeine from Espresso instead of two huge coffees.

6. Schedule the exam ! This forces you to study harder. Take the exam even if you are not ready. (if you can afford it)

I had over a half hour left and was pretty sure I failed. I hit the "done" button and headed for the bathroom. (sad but this is very true) I almost did a dance when I returned to see the "congratulations" result. I could not believe it.

Life time Net+ for me. No need to retest ever ! Woo Hoo !

Now we'll have to see if I can squeeze in Sec +.....

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earweed

careerchange wrote: »

I passed on my first try
Life time Net+ for me. No need to retest ever ! Woo Hoo !

Now we'll have to see if I can squeeze in Net +.....

Why are you gonna try to squeeze it in again...LOL (I usually drink one of those 4 or 5 hour energy shots)

Congrats !

careerchange

earweed wrote: »

Why are you gonna try to squeeze it in again...LOL (I usually drink one of those 4 or 5 hour energy shots)

Congrats !

Nice list of certs you have there ! How does Sec + compare to Net +? Easier? more less study time?

The last time I certified for anything was Nt4.0 MCP and 2000 MCP certs. Those two certifications carried me for well over ten years in IT. Now I've quit admin work (I've had enough dealing with Microsoft) and am working with Switches and Routers. (entry level: building 10-20 routers and switches a week.) This cert is good for my career move.

Sec + or CCNA next. I'd love to knock the Sec+ off as our customers are requiring it.

CCNA will help me learn my job, but I'm already learning much now (on the job)

ajs1976

I did the Net+ in 2003 and the Sec+ in 2008, so things might be a little different now. I thought the Net+ was mostly review and pretty easy. The Sec+ was harder and covered more material.

earweed

The Sec+ and Net+ are different in that there is less memorization for the Security+ but you need to understand the material at a deeper level. I thought the Sec+ test was harder but only scored 10 points lower. Get the Darril Gibson book Amazon.com: CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-201 Study Guide (9781439236369): Darril Gibson: Books#_ and you should be set. A lot of people here have used this as their sole resource and swear by it. I didn't hear about the book until after I'd taken the exam so I got my info from the Sybex study pack (like you did for Net+) Study guide, review book, and street smarts.
I'm trying to finish my MCITP:EA (if I can get past the 70-643) and then I'm gonna tackle the CCNA too.
I spent about an equal amount of time on the Net+ and Sec+ (4 -5 weeks each) with pretty much zero prior experience with either.

rogue2shadow

earweed wrote: »

The Sec+ and Net+ are different in that there is less memorization for the Security+ but you need to understand the material at a deeper level. I thought the Sec+ test was harder but only scored 10 points lower. Get the Darril Gibson book Amazon.com: CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-201 Study Guide (9781439236369): Darril Gibson: Books#_ and you should be set.

+1. Congrats on the cert

sthompson86

careerchange wrote: »

Life time Net+ for me. No need to retest ever ! Woo Hoo !

Now we'll have to see if I can squeeze in Net +.....

Thats what I am talking bout! way to go

Paperlantern

Congrats on the cert, and I agree about Sec+ being a little harder, but it is a lot less memorization and more understanding, so, like earweed my score was only slightly lower than my Net+ score (by 2 points).

Repo Man

Congrats.

I actually found security+ a lot easier than Net+ and I think you could definitely pass it with a few weeks of study.

badboyeee

congratulations on the pass

good tips for those yet to take the N+ exam, well actually for all CompTIA exams.

i'm studying for the Sec+ exam as well. Reading DG's book is going pretty smooth so far. It helps that I already have my A+ & N+, since it has some overlap. So seems like I will need to study with less effort but I will still try to "overstudy."