How I passed CompTIA Security+ with self-study
A story of flashcards, anxiety, and boba tea
I began my journey to Security+ about a year before I took the exam. I searched Udemy for some reasonably priced classes to take for fun and came across Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Security+ Certification (SY0–501). I purchased the class along with the CompTIA Security+ Cert. (SY0–501) Practice Tests for around $20. I watched about a third of the 19 hours of videos before I forgot about them and they went to gather dust for several months.
About three months before the exam, I decided to hit the books — and the videos — hard. I rewatched the material I had already covered, taking extensive notes along the way. Every time a new term popped up on the screen, I paused the video to write it down. In addition to writing down vocabulary, I also made sure I understood the concepts explained in the videos. If I didn’t understand a concept, I sought out additional information from YouTube or articles from subject matter experts.
Breaking down the video content with pauses and mental energy expenditure, one can reasonably tackle around one to two hours of video content a night.
Fast forward to finishing the videos, my next step was to take the practice tests. I took notes, I did extra research, I should do reasonably well, right? I got 76% on my first practice test, which in the Security+ world is considered a fail. The Mike Meyers practice tests require 85% to pass. The actual Security+ exam is estimated at around 83% required to pass. I needed to do some extra work.
My first step was to review the practice test. I looked at the answers I got wrong, found the related concepts, and rewatched the necessary videos. It seemed like this method would only get me so far, so I sought out other resources. I came across the highly rated Professor Messer. I purchased the Notes & Exams Combo for $40. Printing off the entire 94-page study guide, I got to work. I read and highlighted the study guide in sections, breaking up the larger sections into two or more study sessions. I then took one of the Professor Messer practice exams, where I did slightly better than on the first practice exam. Progress!
I noticed that my weaknesses were particularly in memorizing ports, tools, and encryption algorithms. I made flashcards for these areas. Then, I pulled any concepts from the exam objectives that I didn’t understand 100% and made flashcards for those as well. I ended up with around 100 flashcards total. My spouse helped me go through them and discussed the concepts with me, which was an enormous help.
Acronyms are a large part of the Security+ exam. I was getting some of the questions wrong on the practice exams because I didn’t understand the acronyms. To address this problem, I took the list of CompTIA Security+ Acronyms and wrote them all down. Six pages. By hand. It was worth it, because the exam questions were much easier to understand.
I alternated studying flashcards, solidifying concepts, and taking practice exams until I felt ready. I lived, breathed, and dreamed Security+ until the day of the exam. In the parking lot of the testing center I went over the last 15 flashcards rhythmically, mumbling to myself. It was time.
The exam itself was a blur. My anxiety was so high that when I went to receive my score, I felt dizzy. I passed! With a score of 792! I was elated. My husband had left work early to meet me post exam. We went to a local boba tea place and sipped our drink while playing Connect Four.
