Security+ SY0-701

Last week, I completed the CompTIA Security+ certification with a score of 793 out of 900.

The CompTIA Security+ is an industry-standard certification for developing the essential skills in an early career in cybersecurity. It is often required for many cyber roles, and is a great stepping stone into the world of information security. In order to obtain this certification, you must pass an exam.

What the certification exam consists of:

• 90 minutes in the exam room

• Up to 90 multiple choice and performance-based questions

• Passing score of at least 750 on a scale of 100-900

Exam prep and tools I used:

• Professor Messer's CompTIA SY0-701 Security+ Training Course on YouTube (free)

• Professor Messer's SY0-701 Comprehensive Notes and Practice Exams ($50)

• CompTIA Security+ Exam Objectives (free)

• Other YouTube resources (free)

• CompTIA Security+ Exam Prep app on the App Store

Personally, it took me about 3 months of moderate study to fully prepare for my Security+ exam. I started focusing on Professor Messer's videos in mid-march and completed them by the beginning of May. My final month of study (May-June) was very light since I was focusing on other professional development at the time. It was easy for me to balance this due to having a bachelor's degree in cyber; however, if you aren't coming from an IT/cyber-focused background, I highly recommend the last month to be focused study on labs and taking practice exams.

Practice Exams

In my experience, the key to being comfortable with the Security+ exam format is going through as many practice questions as you can. I personally found Professor Messer's exams to be the most consistent with the actual exam experience. I was able to purchase them in PDF format and use my laptop's PDF reader as well as my iPad to mark up the document. If you can achieve anywhere above 80% on Messer's exams, it is probably safe to say that you will pass the 701 version of the exam.

I took each exam twice over the course of my studying, and the scores I received are as follows:

• Exam A Attempt 1 - 58% (Please note: I took this exam when I was around 50% done with Messer's course)

• Exam B Attempt 1 - 76%

• Exam C Attempt 1 - 77%

• Exam B Attempt 2 - 86%

• Exam C Attempt 2 - 77%

• Exam A Attempt 2 - 92%

I also found a CompTIA Security+ Exam Prep app on the Apple app store, which I found helpful but not the most accurate to the 701 objectives. Some of the questions went into specific tools whereas the actual exam objectives are not vendor specific. Another common resource people use is the Jason Dion Security+ course and exams on Udemy. I did try taking one exam by utilizing a free trial; however, I found the questions to be more difficult than the actual exam and I scored a lower percentage (around 70%).

Overall, the only questions I didn't feel 100% prepared for with Messer's exams were the PBQs (performance-based questions). CompTIA's PBQs can consist of anything that is not multiple-choice. For example, a PBQ could consist of matching, selecting all that apply, or configuring a sample network. CompTIA has a sample PBQ on their website if you are more curious about this. I found a playlist on youtube by Cyberkraft that explained some sample PBQs that were very similar to what you might expect from CompTIA. Looking back, I definitely wish I spent more time trying to understand those PBQs before going into the exam room.

Exam Day

I would like to say my exam day was easy, but there were definitely a few hiccups along the way.

First, I ended up rescheduling my exam because I was nervous about my practice test scores. I rescheduled for a week and a half later, at a different testing center. During that time, I took each practice test again, and the day before my exam I took a final practice test which boosted my confidence with a 92% score.

When I was in the exam room, there were some technical difficulties with the Pearson software. I definitely think the more relaxed approach of studying for an extra week helped prevent me from struggling with the exam through those issues.

Finally, I made a point to flag the PBQs and any questions I was struggling to answer while taking the exam. That way, I could answer the easier questions and go back to complete the more complicated questions with more than enough time remaining.

Things to note if you plan on taking the Security+ soon:

1. Reschedule if you don't feel ready. CompTIA lets you cancel or reschedule with a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. It is better to reschedule and have a clear mind than go into the exam room and feel stressed. This will help you stay calm in the event that there are any exam room difficulties.

2. Be aware of the time of year you are testing if you don't live in an urban area. When I tried to reschedule my exam at my local community college, I found out they only offer testing once per month in the summertime and I had to reschedule my exam elsewhere. If you do not live near a major city, you will need to check Pearson's CompTIA site be aware of what your local testing centers offer.

3. Use more than one study resource. Although Messer's video course and practice exams were my primary method of study, I used a lot of the knowledge I gained from my university courses to help with more difficult questions such as the PBQs. If you don't have an IT/cyber degree, it will be very beneficial for you to focus on labs to help solidify the concepts you learn in your primary method of study.

4. Do not stress yourself out the day before the exam. Again, you have up to 24 hours in advance to reschedule if needed. If you already feel prepared for the exam, your last day should consist of light review. After that, go do something fun. Drink plenty of water. Try not to do anything that will stress you out too much.

5. The exam objectives are your best friend. If you understand everything on the objectives and can think critically, you will pass.

Overall, I thought my experience with the CompTIA Security+ was very good. I am interested in taking another CompTIA exam in the future and really enjoyed diving deeper into the world of cybersecurity.

If you would like to hear more about my journey with cybersecurity, feel free to follow me on LinkedIn or read about my other cool projects!