SSCP or CASP

azger · August 2016

I have been in the IT field for 9 years now and 2 of them in Security. I have my Net+ and Sec+ (SEC needs to be renewed by end of year) I'm wondering where I should go next. I was thinking SSCP>CASP>CISSP however is that overkill? I know my next cert if taken in a few month will be reimbursed to me but after that it would be out of pocket.

Also would the SSCP renew my SEC+? Not sure on that

Thanks!

danny069 · August 2016

If your Security+ needs to be renewed by the end of the year and you also have the Net+, then you should take the CASP. It will automatically renew your Security+ & Network+. After you attain your CASP, then you can renew that with your CISSP. I wouldn't take the SSCP, but that's up to you. Refer to this link: https://certification.comptia.org/continuing-education/how-to-renew

azger · August 2016

Thank you! that sounds like a good plan to me.

AverageJoe · August 2016

I'll caution that I found CASP to be very difficult. I tried it last year and didn't pass, and like you, I have a fair amount of experience and some certs to go along with it. Your mileage may vary, but I found CASP harder than CISSP or CISM (I was not expecting that!). I used two different books, studied for about 2 months, and when I tested I felt like I got run over by a train.

Then, just recently I wanted to renew my Sec+ and I used FedVTE courses to earn CEUs. While I wasn't originally considering taking the SSCP exam, one of the courses I took was a 16-hour video course for SSCP. It seemed pretty easy, so I ordered the SSCP All-in-One as a second source, went through it quickly, and then took the SSCP exam last week. They give you up to 3 hours for the exam, but I was done in about an hour and passed.

My lesson learned out of both exam experiences is that, for me at least, SSCP didn't require near as much focused study as I'll need for the CASP.

So, I guess my point is, it may depend on how much time you're able to devote to preparing and what kind of contingency plans you make. For example, if you spend 4 months preparing for CASP and fail, will you have enough time to earn your Sec+ renewal a different way? Or is it better to guarantee your Sec+ renewal first through SSCP and/or other CEUs and then work on higher level certs after?

Just my 2 cents!
Joe

Ertaz · August 2016

AverageJoe wrote: »

I'll caution that I found CASP to be very difficult. I tried it last year and didn't pass, and like you, I have a fair amount of experience and some certs to go along with it. Your mileage may vary, but I found CASP harder than CISSP or CISM (I was not expecting that!). I used two different books, studied for about 2 months, and when I tested I felt like I got run over by a train.

Then, just recently I wanted to renew my Sec+ and I used FedVTE courses to earn CEUs. While I wasn't originally considering taking the SSCP exam, one of the courses I took was a 16-hour video course for SSCP. It seemed pretty easy, so I ordered the SSCP All-in-One as a second source, went through it quickly, and then took the SSCP exam last week. They give you up to 3 hours for the exam, but I was done in about an hour and passed.

My lesson learned out of both exam experiences is that, for me at least, SSCP didn't require near as much focused study as I'll need for the CASP.

So, I guess my point is, it may depend on how much time you're able to devote to preparing and what kind of contingency plans you make. For example, if you spend 4 months preparing for CASP and fail, will you have enough time to earn your Sec+ renewal a different way? Or is it better to guarantee your Sec+ renewal first through SSCP and/or other CEUs and then work on higher level certs after?

Just my 2 cents!
Joe

CASP was a doozy because of the applied technical knowledge that spanned multiple disciplines. I also thought it was more difficult than the CISSP. Now I'm back on the Cisco track prepping for CyberOps.

trueshrewkmc · August 2016

@azger If you renew Sec+ with CASP, you do not have to pay the CE fee(s) for Sec+. If you use a non-CompTIA cert, courses, etc., you will have to pay the CE fee. I just passed CASP on 22 July and got an e-mail within a few days telling me Sec+ was renewed. My CASP and Sec+ now expire on the same day in 2019.

Rather than prep for SSCP and CASP, I'd recommend CASP instead. It's cheaper due to CompTIA CE rules and it's only 1 test fee to pay.

@Ertaz....Nice to see that CISSP is easier than CASP. I am prepping for CISSP now.

DatabaseHead · August 2016

@ True not the first time I heard that.

AverageJoe · August 2016

trueshrewkmc wrote: »

Rather than prep for SSCP and CASP, I'd recommend CASP instead. It's cheaper due to CompTIA CE rules and it's only 1 test fee to pay.

Good point, but if you carry out the same logic one step further then it's actually cheaper to go straight to CISSP, especially since OP will only be reimbursed for one exam.

If cheapest Sec+ renewal is the goal, though, then another option is seeing if there are free CEUs available so you can skip taking any exam at all and pay only the $150 Sec+ CE renewal. Federal employees and military veterans, for example, can use FedVTE to garner all the CEUs they need at no cost.

Mike-Mike · August 2016

trueshrewkmc wrote: »

@azger If you renew Sec+ with CASP, you do not have to pay the CE fee(s) for Sec+. If you use a non-CompTIA cert, courses, etc., you will have to pay the CE fee. I just passed CASP on 22 July and got an e-mail within a few days telling me Sec+ was renewed. My CASP and Sec+ now expire on the same day in 2019.

Rather than prep for SSCP and CASP, I'd recommend CASP instead. It's cheaper due to CompTIA CE rules and it's only 1 test fee to pay.

But the CASP is substantially more expensive than the SSCP right? SCCP is like $250, and the CASP is like $400. The CE fee + SSCP is probably still cheaper than just the CASP

I have not taken the SSCP, but I did take the CASP and found it to be pretty brutal

angryelvis · August 2016

When did you take the CASP? Why did you say it was brutal? I'm preparing to take it in 3 weeks, would welcome any suggestions.

Remedymp · August 2016

angryelvis wrote: »

When did you take the CASP? Why did you say it was brutal? I'm preparing to take it in 3 weeks, would welcome any suggestions.

The exam drills down into technical aspects of security, the simulators will stump most. The SSCP is not like this by any means. SSCP is a level II exam and the CASP is a level IIII exam.

jeremywatts2005 · August 2016

I concur with the brutality of the CASP. I took it as beta and it was so hard it made my head spin. I thought I knew security but with the combination of multiple disciplines sims and then on top of that the management,arch and everything in between for questions I easily felt overwhelmed. Most people have one area they are good in this wanted you to be an engineer, analyst, architect and manager all in one.

angryelvis · August 2016

@jeremy, @Remedy did either of you try the Transcender exams? I've not found them to be especially difficult but I don't know if they are reliable anymore. I've also been focusing on the McMillan & Abernathy book. Do you have recommendations for study/preparation materials that were beneficial to you?

Remedymp · August 2016

angryelvis wrote: »

@jeremy, @Remedy did either of you try the Transcender exams? I've not found them to be especially difficult but I don't know if they are reliable anymore. I've also been focusing on the McMillan & Abernathy book. Do you have recommendations for study/preparation materials that were beneficial to you?

I've only used the Pearson CASP-002 book seen here: CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) CAS-002 Cert Guide | Pearson IT Certification

I used it for both SSCP and CASP.

Ertaz · August 2016

angryelvis wrote: »

@jeremy, @Remedy did either of you try the Transcender exams? I've not found them to be especially difficult but I don't know if they are reliable anymore. I've also been focusing on the McMillan & Abernathy book. Do you have recommendations for study/preparation materials that were beneficial to you?

I had the Transcender exams. They were good for general review, but the actual CASP questions were much more difficult. I sped through the CISSP questions, but some of the CASP questions I was reading three or four times. Neither of the question banks I used (Transcender/Pearson) matched the depth of the actual exam. I recommend knowing the material from the Pearson book inside and out at a minimum.

Z0sickx · August 2016

Ertaz wrote: »

I had the Transcender exams. They were good for general review, but the actual CASP questions were much more difficult. I sped through the CISSP questions, but some of the CASP questions I was reading three or four times. Neither of the question banks I used (Transcender/Pearson) matched the depth of the actual exam. I recommend knowing the material from the Pearson book inside and out at a minimum.

+2

CASP really is good at making you feel like **** after your done...even when you pass... get both books for CASP. they're things in the Sybex book not found in Cert guide

SSCP or CASP

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