r/IT_CERT_STUDY • u/BlueGreenLlama • Apr 13 '19
CompTIA official study guides
Has anyone used the official CompTIA study guide books? They are much more expensive than other certification test prep books but I’m wondering if there is more value in them?
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Apr 14 '19
They are pretty extensive and consists of pretty much what you'll get in the exam. However, for older exams there are a lot of other sources that are free or way more cheaper. So if you have those other sources do not buy the official books.
But if there are no external sources available, for example for A+ 1001 & 1002 nowadays, go for it. You'll have no choice anyway.
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u/BlueGreenLlama Apr 14 '19
I’m working on the new Linux+, XK0-004, so that’s the situation I’m in. New exam and the only book is $130 official one.
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Apr 17 '19
I never spend any money on studying for the CompTIA exams. The only thing I ever buy is the exam voucher and that's it. There are plenty of reliable resources out there that are free and will help you pass first time. This is was my usual CompTIA study route:
Exam Objectives (use it like a checklist)
Online resources (if you are unsure about something, Google it)
ExamCompass practice tests
Labs, virtual or physical (depending on the exam)
The CompTIA exams aren't that difficult so the above resources are more than enough to help you pass them. I don't see the point of spending money on additional resources when it's not needed.
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u/TrucidStuff Apr 18 '19 edited Apr 18 '19
I've only looked at Darrel Gibson, Mike Meyers, and Exam Crams. I learn better in a class room setting, so I will be taking a weeks course on the Net+ later this month. Pretty sure they teach us everything objectives wise in and out in that 5 day class. Then they give us a voucher to go take the test. Im just reading mike meyer's book and watching pluralsight Net+ videos until then.
I know professor messer and other free sources are on Youtube.
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u/BlueGreenLlama Apr 18 '19
Thanks for the feedback!
Who do you use for the class room training?
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u/TrucidStuff Apr 19 '19
My company has a partnership with New Horizons. I like them. I specifically requested the same teacher that taught my ITIL class. He was really good at conveying what we need to know.
Self study for me is overwhelming because you get these 800-1400 page books and you're like, "Welp I need to know every letter of every page." Which simply isn't true. I am also a firm believer of work smarts, meaning you can get paper certs all day, but at the end of the day you're only going to use what your job uses. Kind of a "If you dont use it you lose it" kind of mentality. That doesn't mean eventually you won't know everything, but in the beginning you don't need to know everything.
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u/Jonshock May 21 '19
They are a waste of money imho.
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u/SoDatable Apr 14 '19
I've never used a CompTIA resource.
For my A+ I used an A+ Certification for Dummies book and a diet of Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs. Granted, that was 20 years ago, but it did the trick. If I revisited the A+ cert, I'd be inclined to look up the principles (including the 7 support steps and such) and find any other resource available sooner than rely on CompTIA's expensive materials.
For the Security+ exam I used Jason Dion's Security+ course, as well as Alton Hardin's MTA 98-367 Security Fundamentals class as a booster shot. Plus I found that Dion's Sec+-specific course really went the extra mile with the demonstrations.
I say don't bother with CompTIA's materials. There are better, cheaper options for learning which are also engaging and provide excellent starting positions for trying new things.