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Posted on | By x.z3r0

To get us all caught up, I will quickly go over the CompTIA exams I took, why I decided to take them, what materials I studied, and what I wish I’d known going into the exams. All of these exams are multiple choice. The exams are proctored, which means you will either have to select a nearby testing location, or take the test with your webcam on. I personally chose to go to an exam location just to avoid any issues as the online proctors can be very finnicky about little things and may fail you for things like looking away or talking to another person. How strict the proctors are is likely different from proctor to proctor, but I think the best practice would be to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. If you have a testing center nearby, its so much easier to just go in and take the test.

Each test is 90 minutes and anywhere from 60-90 multiple choice questions. There will also be Performance Based Questions (PBQs) in which you must demonstrate your understanding of the material. The PBQs can be anything from drag and drop to opening a command prompt and gathering information to troubleshooting a network issue. You are not punished for wrong answers, so make sure to answer everything. You will pass if you reach X number of points (different for each exam). You will know whether you passed or failed immediately after the exam is over.

Each exam is updated every few years to keep up with the rapid changes in technology. The certifications last for 3 years, though each one will renew if you pass a higher level CompTIA exam. For example, if your A+ expires on 12/28/24 and you take the Network+ exam on 12/15/24, both your A+ and Network+ exams will have a new expiration date of 12/15/27.

CompTIA A+

220-1101 Core 1

    The CompTIA A+ certification if made up of two different exams, 1101 and 1102 (Core 1 and Core 2), each designed to test a different aspect of your technical knowledge. This certification is more of a tech support, help desk type of certification that tests your knowledge of the basic functionality of a computer. The 1101 will test you on the hardware side of computers. You will be tested on thinks like RAM vs DRAM vs VRAM, CPU speeds and sockets, SATA and NVMe connections, RAID arrays, various types of cables and their speeds, motherboard form factors, POST codes, printers, and troubleshooting a variety of hardware issues. The main piece of advice for this exam is to KNOW YOUR PRINTERS. Know the different parts of a printer, how printers work, how a laser printer differs from an inkjet printer, and the causes of basic printer issues. There will be questions along the lines of, “Dave is experiencing X symptom. Here’s some more about it. What would you check first?” Note the use of the word, “first.” Often times, there will be more than one answer that would fit, so pay very close attention to the wording. Look for words like “best,” “next,” and “first.” You should also know your display types inside and out (literally). How is an LCD different from an LED monitor? How does an IPS display differ from a TN display? There’s also a couple pages of acronyms that would be very helpful to know. I did not memorize them, but it would be very helpful to do so. You will need a 675/900 to pass. You can find the 1101 Core 1 exam objectives here.

220-1102 Core 2

     The 1102 exam will test your software knowledge. The exam will cover things like different wireless speeds and frequencies (802.11a vs 802.11b vs 802.11ax, etc), installing operating systems, using the command line in Linux, Mac, and Windows, common issues and how to troubleshoot, as well as the basic methodology for troubleshooting and technical support. Make sure you know how to navigate the command line as you will be tested on specific commands. You will also need to know the differences between versions of Windows (Home, Pro, Enterprise, etc), the minimum system requirements for Windows 7, xp, and 10 (I believe). You can find the 1102 Core 2 exam objectives here. 

I only used 2 or 3 different study materials for each exam. The primary tool I used was Professor Messer. He has a series of YouTube playlists that go through each exam objective. The videos are between 2 and 20 minutes with anywhere from 60 to 90 videos in each playlist. He is very thorough. The videos are PowerPoint style with voice narration going into further detail on each topic. The other tool I used was practice tests, specifically from Udemy. These tests were *vital* to my passing score. The tests don’t have any examples of PBQs, but the questions are very similar to the test questions. They are a bit unusual, so practice answering these questions will be invaluable. After you finish each test, there is an option to review your answers. What I like about this is that, not only does it explain why the correct answer is correct, but it also explains why the other answers are incorrect. There is a small fee for some of these, but you can get a free trial from Udemy to take the tests. That’s what I did. You will need a 710/900 to pass. This exam will also cover the basics of mobile troubleshooting.

Network+

The Network+, as the name implies, will test your knowledge of networking. Like the A+, there will be 60-90 questions with some number of PBQs with a passing score of 720/900. You will need to know the OSI model of networking, the names of each layer, and what happens at each layer. You will need to learn some common networking protocols and their corresponding ports (80/HTTP, 53/DNS, 21/FTP, 22/SSH, etc). There’s a lot of them, so be sure to memorize the common ones listed in the exam objectives. You will need to know the cable types and their speeds/distances as well as the names and speeds of the different generations of USB port. I’d also learn the various wireless types and their frequencies, similarities and differences (802.11a, 802.11ax, etc). Make sure you have a solid understanding of the difference between a LAN, VLAN, WAN, and MAN as well as the different types of cloud computing (PaaS, SaaS, etc). One PBQ I had showed a map of a network with specific access and protocol requirements. I had to configure an Access Control List (ACL) to meet the listed criteria. Another one showed a network map with switches and routers you could click on as well as a few computers. Once you clicked each, a command prompt popped up. The task was to figure out why X subnet could not communicate with Y database and fix the problem. These can take a LONG time to do, so I’d recommend skipping the PBQs right away, then coming back after you finish the multiple choice. Make sure you understand subnetting inside and out.

I will say that this exam was the most dense. There is a LOT of material to cover and it gets really technical. You can find the full exam objectives here. If you’re new to networking, give yourself a little more time for this one.

Security+

The Security+ exam wasn’t nearly as bad as the Network+, though I was almost certain I failed both. This exam will test your knowledge of cybersecurity. You will need to know the various types and motivations for hackers as well as basic security methods like pollards and badge readers, along with the classification of each security measure. It covers a wide range of attacks, such as SQL injections, Cross Site Scripting (XSS), zero day attacks, password attacks, cryptography, various types of malware, social engineering techniques and security measures to mitigate each. Note: this list is not comprehensive. You can find the full exam objectives here. To pass, you will need a score of 750/900. This one was a bit easier, but do not underestimate it. I passed by just 6 points.

Helpful Tips

  • Make sure you know how to get to your testing location.
  • Give yourself plenty of time to get there, find parking, and find the testing room.
  • It may seem obvious, but get plenty of sleep.
  • You can find a printout of Professor Messer’s slides, so you don’t have to waste time by writing them down.
  • That being said, writing things down is helpful for memory. We remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we discuss with others, and 90% of what we teach.
  • Try explaining the material to a friend or loved one or even a pet. Talking it out can help to ensure you have a thorough understanding of the material.
  • On the day of the exam, make sure to eat breakfast. We don’t want to be fading away during the exam.
  • As soon as you start the exam, skip the PBQs and finish the multiple choice. The PBQs take a lot of time, so we want to make sure we finish as much as possible.
  • If you aren’t sure of the answer or you are deciding between two or three choices, select an answer anyway. You can flag the question for review if you have time at the end.
  • Make sure you answer every question regardless of whether or not you know the answer, even for the PBQs. Try not to leave anything blank. You are not punished for wrong answers and you only need to reach a certain point threshold to pass. You may accidentally choose the correct answer
  • Make sure you watch through the entire playlist when studying. The videos can get tedious, but its important that you get through them. Messer does a very thorough job of covering each exam objective.
  • Before you start, take a few deep breathes to ease any test anxiety you may be feeling
  • CompTIA offers discount pricing for academic students. They verify this using a .edu email address OR a picture of a valid student ID card. I used my university card and some creative editing for mine.

I managed to pass all four exams in just 2 or 3 months. I took the Core 1 exam on June 26, the Core 2 exam on July 16, Network+ on August 8, and the Security+ on August 29. I did well on the A+ exams but barely passed the Net+ and Sec+. During the exams, I was positive that I failed. I was literally holding my breath after I finished while waiting to see my score. You may need more or less time to study depending on your experience and retention rate, so don’t feel bad if you need longer to study. I am also not working full time at the moment, so I had plenty of time to study. If you need to take the exams more than once, that’s ok. As long as you pass the exams, it doesn’t matter how long it takes.

You got this!

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