Best way to Study for the Security + Exam
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Hi Jon!
Welcome and thanks for the post. While there is no "one size fits all" for studying and preparing for a CompTIA certification exam - I want to share with you the approach that I use when attacking an exam of this nature.
Step 1: I visit the CompTIA official website and download all of the materials they make available for exam preparation. The key piece I am looking for here is the complete exam objectives that CompTIA makes available.
Step 2: I use the official exam objectives to create a study tracker. I like to use Excel for this and I make an entry for each objective regarding my level of comfort with that topic. I like to use a 5 point rating scale as follows:
1 - I have never heard of the topic
2 - I have heard of the topic and I think I know what it is
3 - I could explain the topic at a high level
4 - I could explain the topic to a detailed level
5 - I believe I am ready for the exam on this topicStep 3: I start watching the videos. I like to watch each video at least twice. The first time I am just watching and the second time I am taking notes.
Step 4: I download the Study Notes (PDF) that the instructor has made available for the video. I be sure to visit the additional resources links as required.
Step 5: Once I have completed all videos (and tracked my progress) - I start focusing on items like flash cards and practice exams. Notice here I am validating what I consider to be my weak areas from my study tracker. Making these weaknesses strengths at this point is critical for my success.
Step 6: I post here in the forums for ANY questions as I move through this process. These forums are an excellent location to achieve assistance from instructors and your peers.
I hope this post helps and I look forward to your future questions and posts. Again welcome!