S+ Boot Camp

ramrunner800

I recently passed my A+ exam, and my next objective is to knock out S+ before working on CCNA. The company I work for will pay 100% of the cost for any boot camp I want to take, provided that the boot camp is done on my own time. I've looked at the schedules for our local training companies, and there are 3, 4, and 5 day options. I have two use or lose days right now, so I would be able to somewhat minimize the amount of personal time I'd have to take.

My question is, do you think a 3 day boot camp would suffice for me to pass the exam? Or would 5 days be more worthwhile? I am taking a security course in college right now, and that is going really well. I've only missed one question on our homework and exams in the 6 weeks of the semester so far. I'm also a few chapters into the Gibson book, and that's going swimmingly as well. I really think I could pass without the boot camp, but I feel a bit silly not to taking advantage of the opportunity for additional free training.

Any input from you guys would be greatly appreciated.

MJohnsonres

Congrats on passing the A+ exam!
It couldn't hurt to sit through a Security+ boot camp.

Carl_S_901

I would save the boot camp for another certification. Your class and the Gibson book is enough for Security+. Plus, who knows how many of these boot camps your employer will pay for once the bills start coming in the door.

CowgirlKendra

Hi -

I have taken two bootcamps - one for my PMP certification and the second for the Security+ certification. I took both bootcamps through a company called Training Camp, but did lots of research on others in the industry. Basically, for me, it came down to location and not wanting to travel too far... but that's neither here nor there. I think the bootcamp format is really an excellent way to take in the information you are going to need to know in order to pass the test. Of course you have a deeper knowledge of the subject, and you're working in the industry, etc., but these test are asking for you to regurgitate specific information in a specific format, and I (personally) find it helpful to have that "crammed" into my brain just prior to testing. My course was a 3 day course - two VERY full training days - 10-12 hours + studying, and we had reviews on the morning of day 3, and tested around 10:30 AM. I passed and was happy with the experience.

The only thing I would caution against is putting too much stock in the "sample" test questions that the company gives you. In both of my experiences (maybe it is just Training Camp's problem?), the sample test questions were far easier than the actual test questions, although, the information they were getting at was the same. I just found that annoying because you build confidence with the practice questions and then get shot down with the real ones... lol.

NotHackingYou

I don't think you need a boot camp to learn the Security+ material. Pick up Darril Gibson's book. Read it, understand it, and pass the test.

Darril

Congrats on the A+ pass.

Many people can take and pass the exam with the book alone, but I'm a big proponent of education too. With that in mind, taking the class might not be necessary to pass the test, but it might be valuable to expand your knowledge. You'll get the benefit of an instructor's feedback, an opportunity to interact with like-minded people, and your company will recognize that you are trying to improve yourself.

Bootcamps are ideally suited for people with most of the knowledge on day 1. They are often a fire hose of facts designed to help participants focus their efforts on exactly what is needed to take and pass the exam. Some full length classes are called bootcamps simply because they are five 8-hour days but in reality, most corporate IT training use this format to provide in-depth training. With that in mind, the 3-day class is probably more like a boot camp but the five day class is probably more like a regular class with the time to teach and expand concepts. And, all training is highly dependent on the knowledge and skillset of the instructor.

Good luck with your decision.