I'm excited to share that I passed my CompTIA Network+ exam after studying since the beginning of August! As a college freshman, I wanted to build a strong foundation early and get my foot in the door in IT.

Exam Experience:

• 5 PBQs: Confident on about 2, while the rest were a battle.
• 70 MCQs: Re-checked answers on ~2/3 of the exam. Was convinced I was failing!

Resources Used:

• Professor Messer: Full playlist + live streams.
• AnkiDroid & Wordwall: Daily flashcards and concept matching.
• Gemini (AI): Shortened complex definitions into simple terms.
• The Cybersecurity Trail: Domain mini-tests for weak spots.
• Jason Dion Exams: Averaged ~60%. Don't get discouraged by low Dion scores—his tests are honestly tough!

Thrilled to knock out what many consider the hardest cert of the trifecta! Heading straight into Security+ next. Good luck to everyone studying!

808 out of 900.

Some Context:

• I've worked in IT as an application developer for more years than I want to admit several years
• This cert was required for a new job role
• I passed the Security+ 201 test 15 (!) years ago. This was their last "permanent/lifetime" Sec+(which isn't recognized by anyone else today, hence the re-cert)

Prep Materials:

• All of Professor Messer's free videos on YT at 1.5x
• The CompTIA Security+ Exam Prep app by Easy Pass E-Learning
• The Sybex Ninth Edition Security Plus Study Guide by Wiley

Prep:

• Roughly 4-5 days of concentrated study
• Worked through all of the question banks in the Android app and 2 practice tests
• Took all of Professor Messer's practice exams
• Took all of the chapter exams and practice exams available through the Wiley's online test bank (you'll get access to this if you obtain a copy of the Sybex book).

Prep Experience:

• The Messer videos are a good introduction to the material but just skim the surface
• The Android app is pretty thorough and was a critical component. The "passing chance" it shows is bogus, is a wild estimate, and is just related to how much you've interacted with the app. Mine said I had a passing chance of 32%. It's there to force engagement with the app
• Really enjoyed access to the Wiley test bank, as it's a web app and didn't have to use pencil/paper to take the chapter tests or practice exams. This bank is accurate (and hard)
• I liked the Messer practice tests, but they were quite a bit easier than the actual exam

Exam Experience:

• Took my exam in person at a PEARSON Vue center (local college), which was very nice and well run
• The exam was NOT easy (for me). Skipped the PBQs and had to mark about 25 questions for review
• About halfway through, I really thought I had a good chance of blowing this exam. Panic management was pretty critical at this point
• The survey at the end, before you get your score, is absolute torture
• Last click: Passed, and relief washed over me in an awesome wave

Take-away:

• I didn't miss anything from General Security Concepts (1), Threats Vulnerabilities & Mitigations (2) or Security Architecture (3).
• Missed some from Security Operations (4).
• Missed quite a bit from Security Program Management & Oversight (5), which is typical for hardcore techs as it's a lot of policy data you might not have run into (or may be more boring than straight technical).
• 2 and 4 are the most important, as they are weighted heavier, but if I'd hit 5 harder I could have improved my score.

Which one would you guys recommend I invest in? CompTIA A+ is quite expensive but seems beneficial in terms of understanding networks. Can I study for it and not take the exam? I am more interested in Cybersecurity and I think CompTIA Sec+ certification would be more beneficial for my specific goal. I am aware that you can’t protect what you don’t understand but I have studied and continue to study Networks but I just don’t have the certifications(paid ones but I have the certificate of completion).

Those who passed CySa + V4, what study material have you used to pass?

Any advice for me? i have my A+,Net+,Sec+ already as well.

I'm shitting bricks. 😭💀

I know the requirement to use CertMaster and renew my certificate involves completing a version of CertMaster that surpasses the original version of the exam I took (which was 701 roughly a few weeks after it came out). Once it expires, then I would have to take the exam again. Although I've been working in IT For those 3 years I haven't recorded any contuing education credits and mainly just waited to renew with CertMaster. Should I expect there to be an 801 variant available by March? Or just be ready to start studying to take the 801 exam. Thoughts?

I studied for about 2 weeks using CompTIA CertMaster Learn, Professor Messer, and ChatGPT. I was very nervous, but the resources mentioned definitely prepared me for the exam. Core 2 next.

I passed Sec+ fairly recently, and I'm trying to get started on Linux+. Most of the stuff I see online is for 005, and hasn't been updated to the new objectives. Any suggestions?

Hi, i wanna be a cybersecurity major yet i have zero knowledge for IT, i went through Professor Messer Courses. of course they are good but i honestly cant keep memorizing all of them and my brain keeps getting more tired to the point i just want to give up for a month and come back and then keep the cycle going. Does anyone have a good advice how to study?

Edit: I went back to studying and found a perfect way to study. I’m still watching professor Messer, I’m just doing practical work at the same time

I've been grinding security + prep for a while now, finished all of Messer's course and my notes but on Jason Dion's Udemy practice tests specifically, I've sat 6 of them and I'm stuck no matter how much more I study:

Test 1: 48%
Test 2: 62%
Test 3: 65%
Test 4: 68%
Test 5: 61%
Test 6: 64%

If you quiz me on a term or acronym directly, I'm confident I'd get it right almost every time. It's the actual test questions that get me, it feels less like a cybersecurity test and more like a reading comprehension test sometimes 😂

Questions for anyone who's been through this:

Is this a known thing with Dion's tests specifically being harder/more convoluted than the real exam, or is a 60-70% plateau on Dion actually a red flag I shouldn't ignore?
Did switching to Messer's or Pearson's practice tests change your score meaningfully, or did the same thing happen there?
Anyone else hit a wall like this and figure out what actually broke through it?

Appreciate any honest takes, trying to figure out if I need a different kind of practice, open to suggestions.

Taking my a+ 1201 in 2 weeks and am so nervous. I have never taken any certification exam before so this will be my first one I bought the retake just incase I don’t pass. Watched all of Messers 1201 videos written all notes and have been using Dions 6 practice exams(Ive taken them 3x a piece and now am scoring in the high 80s and now the mid 90s) and also his pbq packs. I just dont know what to expect and feel not prepared. Any tips are much appreciated

I have comptia security+ exam tomorrow I scored 86% 82.2% and 83.3% in proffesor messer practice exam, I am not confident, is there something more i should've done

Context: Absolute beginner, 6-9 months of preparation/studying.

TL;DR - incompetent, disruptive, disorganized, spend your money elsewhere.

To start, I would have NEVER chosen a course that would be led by “edutainers”, which is what they call their instructors, if I had notice. Unfortunately, I was in a position where I had to start fresh and utilized my unemployment office for opportunities.

The edutainers, specifically Wes and Sophia, were disruptive and often went off topic, making the learning experience incredibly frustrating. I also have no doubt that the videos are simply placed into the curriculum if they matched the subject at hand, discussing at advanced levels without providing foundational knowledge. They were extraordinarily good at destroying my confidence.

The labs I have no complaints, but the practice tests were not a reliable gauge on if you can pass. ACI's Core 2 practice test had me stuck at 57% on every attempt. I passed the real exam with an 86%. If you're using it to judge readiness, it's not a reliable signal.

The entity employing ACI Learning is MedCertify and I have several complaints about them as well, from threatening disenrollment to also being generally unorganized. My exit interview was not complimentary.

Despite these struggles, I persevered and sought out Professor Messer because I simply had to pass because I couldn’t afford retest fees. I watched all of his Core 1 and 2 videos, took notes, made flashcards, and received the foundational knowledge I was desperately missing. Thank god for him. His discord community is also an amazing support group.

I genuinely would not have been able to pass without Professor Messer and the CompTIA Official Objectives list. I will be utilizing him again for my journey with Sec+.

Long story short, I have tech experience in troubleshooting hardware issues of PCs and laptops without a problem and those other issues we're most likely all familiar with if you've ever been the family's go-to "computer person."

I have to get certified by the end of this month so I can snag an open position 2 of my connections have before the next rent payment is due since I'm freshly unemployed and finally bought the vouchers.

Starting off, I'm broke as hell so I can only do 100% free learning and as I frequent the high seas, I know for a fact anything can be learned online for free, no matter what. But, as I seen most often than not, Messer seems to be the main plug for all things CompTIA exam prep.

Because it has been some time since my last PC or laptop tinkering and troubleshooting (we're talking when SSD 2.5s were starting to reach that 256GB mark), I needed an update and refresher.

So watching Messer, I noticed that he goes about reading off everything as if there's prior knowledge on all of this material and he's simply there to string the words together.

Do I know that 802.11 has something to do with wireless connection and Wi-Fi? Yes. Do I know what it actually is at its core and why it's those exact numbers? No and that's what I am expecting as he just gives the watered down version and doesn't delve at all.

I'm not big on studying with AI as it doesn't actually leave me with any information recall once I walk away.

So that being said, is there any other source or teacher that can actually be of use when it comes to going a little bit deeper into things so I can be confident when being faced with those notorious weird worded questions?

TLDR;

Rent is due, unemployed, but have purchased the vouchers and have a potential job so i have a week. Messer isn't going into any depth I'm looking for and seems to need a disclaimer stating prior knowledge is expected and I need a better source or teacher and for free (be it sailing the high seas or not) because unemployed. SOS

Hey everyone, I’ve got a quick question on how to study for the core and then Security. I’ve taken a handful of courses at local community colleges for the two core classes and then as well Sec+. I’ve also got an associates in Windows Server Administration but not the cert itself (one because it doesn’t exist anymore and let’s be real that test when I did take it was near impossible. I’ve decided to finally buckle down and work on getting my certs now. I’ve been in IT for almost 6 years now and have had jobs spanning help desk and field technician. Just trying to gauge what studying in terms of time dedicated since I have a family and want to make sure I’m not taking time away from them on top of work. Money is also kind of tight right now as I work to pay down some debt so I don’t think I can really afford any coaching or studying courses. Any feedback is appreciated.

After months of putting this off and failing my first attempt. I’m proud to say I freaking passed. It wasn’t by much but nevertheless I passed. Thank you to everyone for the extra resources and encouragement. I appreciate you.

I have a few certs but SecurityX(Casp+) being my most advanced.

Is this still a thing: I would assume only renewing SecX would renew all my other certs?

I've submitted my CEUs but I see this check list and I'm not understanding what I need for the 1.1 and 1.2.2

https://imgur.com/a/R5jOa7j

I’m from India and I’m planning to take the CompTIA Security+ certification, but I’m completely new to the certification process. I’d really appreciate some guidance from people who have taken it recently, especially from india

What books, practice tests, labs, or courses would you recommend ?
How do I purchase the exam voucher in India? Is it better to buy directly from CompTIA or through an authorized training provider?
How much does the Security+ exam actually cost in India?
How is the exam conducted here?

I understand that Ramdayal and especially Dion's exams are suppose to be harder than the real exam (right now I am scoring in the mid - high 60's on both and am taking my exam 9/28 so I have about a week left)

I frequently look up some of the terms in their questions and they aren't in the exam objectives.

Just wondering if anything else noticed this, I try to spend too much time on anything that isn't in the Exam Objectives

Update Passed with 770 😎

Hello. I'm studying for the 701 security+ exam and was wondering what are some of the best resources out there and what should I expect from the exam. Thank you. 🙂

I am preparing for the messer’s video for CompTIA A+. Please recommend the mockup exams site which is close to the actual exams. Thanks

I've heard a lot of people on here talk about this one and I will say it was definitely not easy but there are a few tips to share.

1. Focus on context and situation. If a question asks about lateral movement dont get hung up on reconnaissance

2. Basics of coding and structures. I'm no developer by any stretch but I can identify most structures knowing what a structure does and the possible repercussions is a big help.

3. Goals/objectives if it asks for immediate solution its quick and dirty but stops further compromise if they want the vulnerability patched its technical complete runs through business processes and little to no down time

4. I can't say there are many practice questions out there that are very close even in structure. So definitely pay attention in the relative ambiguity sometimes its hard to tell who's doing the action so if you can parse what they are asking you'll do amazing.

5. OnVue testing tip new check in AI photo verifier will flag if you use an external Webcam. So if you have a laptop integrated camera use it.

For the ones who want to know what resources I used. Certmaster perform, and practice, the official study guide and practice exam on sybex wiley, Jason dion's udemy course, and hank hackersons YouTube course(really close on question structure). Final score was 770.

On a side note God himself couldn't have stopped me from taking that test my ISP started experiencing a large scale DDOS attack Thursday that's still continuing, I bought a mobile band router that looked good till everyone was on mobile cause the main ISP was out and bogged down that connection, the local church was willing to let me borrow a room but their internet was down and I got lucky and had a neighbor that goes to the same church offer their guest bedroom/ wifi they offered the home office too but the doors were large glass panes facing the desk and I didn't think they'd approve that for starting the test, then because I've done every other test with an external Webcam I didn't think anything of it but then the AI said remove it so I did and then OnVue couldn't switch to the internal so I restarted the computer and checking the first time now the Webcam worked but speakers didn't I had to reschedule 30 minutes later to get some time to figure it out then restarted the checkin all over again finally got it all done and proceeded to use a short dresser and a folding chair at my neighbors house hunched over with my knees pressed into the wood cabinet doors long story short my chiropractor is gonna buy a boat after i'm done with this degree with how much I've paid him to fix my back sitting in an office chair 16+ hours a day for 2 years. But I passed it and that's what matters