How do I know I'm prepared?

PCGamer5

I have been studying for the Security+ Exam since August 2012.

I took the test in April and I scored a 678/900.

I have been studying through TrainSignal and its resources, as well as these two books:

CompTIA Security + All-in-One Exam Guide (Exam SY0-301), 3rd Edition with CD-ROM: Wm. Arthur Conklin, Gregory White, Dwayne Williams, Roger Davis, Chuck Cothren: 9780071771474: Amazon.com: Books

CompTIA Security+ SY0-301 Authorized Exam Cram (3rd Edition): Kirk Hausman, Martin Weiss, Diane Barrett: 9780789748294: Amazon.com: Books

I have taken the Practice Exams for the textbook CD and the two exams in the cram book, and, I have been scoring in the high-80s.

I do a little review over what I feel needs covering like XSS and XSRF attacks, and, PKCS #1-#15.

I have that feeling of certainty that I will pass this time because when I acquired my A+ and Network+ certificates, I was well-aware of the material.

The first time I took the Security+ Exam, I stumbled on a few questions that I could have gotten just by regular reviewing of my study material, and, without TrainSignal, Security+ wouldn't be very clear to me.

After I listened to all of the lectures and read the textbook, I feel confident; now, I am reviewing through the cram book trying to maintain the knowledge presented, and even covering parts that need brushing up.

I shouldn't let my anxiety get the best of me, and, I should take my tutor's advice and relax before the exam and be well-rested.

So, yes, if my heart and mind truly tell me I am well-prepared and I may very well pass the exam, as long as I keep reinforcing, will both of my feelings be right? Also, what should I do if I am nervous in the middle of my exam?

I'm retaking my exam on the 7th.

Darril

Good luck on the retake. You were close with a score of 678 so with your studying since then, you should do fine.

When taking practice test questions, your score isn't as important as your understanding. In other words, ensure you know why the correct answers are correct and why the incorrect answers are incorrect. The explanations should help.

If you haven't yet, make sure you read up on the new performance based questions. If any aren't clear to you, skip them and come back after you complete the multiple choice questions.

You are very likely to see new questions that seem foreign to you. CompTIA has a habit of seeding the current exam with beta questions from the future exam and they are currently working on the next version of the Security+ exam. These questions aren't graded but you won't know what they are. Remember this if you start to get nervous in the middle of the exam: beta questions aren't graded.