Security + Boot Camp

ewing384

I have taken a new job that requires a Sec + cert. I have taken and passed the A+ with little trouble and I have a decent amount of IT experience gained through 15 years of communications experience.

My employer is going to send me through a week long boot camp to help me pass the exam. My question is, should I get some supplemental materials to help prepare or will the boot camp be enough to pass them exam?

I understand that Darril Gibson's book is a tremendous resource but I have so many things going on during this transition that I don't want to take time away from other things if the boot camp is usually sufficient.

Thanks in advance.

Darril

Welcome to the forums.

A week long class gives you the opportunity to focus full time on the topics with little outside distractions. If you go into the class with some knowledge about the topic, the class fills in the holes for you and you can often take the exam shortly after the class is over. On the other hand, if the topics aren't familiar to you, you can easily get lost and overwhelmed at the pace of a class like this.

I've taught many week long classes running from Monday to Friday. Students that came into the class with some preparation took and passed the exam on the Saturday after the class completed. Students that came into the class with a "feed me" perspective often took as long as a month after the class before they took the exam.

Another important element is the instructor. There are many outstanding instructors out there that will help you learn all the relevant material and dedicate that week to helping each and every student walk away with the knowledge they need to pass the exam the first time they take it. There are also some instructors that aren't so outstanding and it is difficult to predict what your experience will be.

If your job is dependent on getting the Security+ cert, I'd strongly recommend you do some preparation before hand. Some people have said that they read the book you mentioned in a weekend. I can't read that quickly, but any preparation is much better than none. One more thing to consider is your new employer's expectations. If they spend $2,000 (or whatever the class costs), they might expect you to certify right away and if you aren't able to pass the test right away, it might affect how you're viewed.

Good luck with the exam and the new job.