1: This may be the most obvious resource for those of you who have been studying for CompTIA certs but Professor Messer’s Study Groups, After Show and above all, the videos that cover the course work. These free videos and podcasts were fundamental to my success.
2: Keeping on the topic of Professor Messer, using the practice exams offered on his website gave me a feel for the style and types of questions. They are extremely easy to use and honestly, I don’t think I would have passed without them. Well worth the low price. I don’t know how many times you should really re-do them but I tried my best to explain my way through the answer when I felt like I had just memorized the particular entry. Asking myself “Why is this the right answer?” And “What are the other answers actually used for? Why is that wrong for this question?”
3: Anki. If you’re unfamiliar with this program, it is a simple but highly effective flash card program. You are able to create or download pre-made decks, rate each question on how easy it was for you and it will sort them accordingly, the harder questions showing back up more frequently. I made my own from Professor Messer’s Practice Exams. Again, not sure how many times you should reuse them but I would copy and paste the questions and answers in. If I had a term I struggled with, for example “How is RAID 5 set up?” I would put the answer on the back. You won’t really get “What does RAID stand for?” Type questions but it is more helpful to know how RAID types are set up, not what RAID stands for.
4: ITProTV. These videos are great, super informative and engaging. The price is a bit high considering you can get all of Professor Messer’s videos for free but it is easier to pick up where you left off. However! I do have one major complaint, the practice exams and labs go off topic. I scored so poorly on one of their practice exams I thought about rescheduling my exam until I cross checked their questions with the course materials and didn’t find a lot of the topics I failed on listed there. I’ve spoken with other users of that site and they have run into similar issues with outdated or off topic items, not saying it’s a bad site, just a heads up.
5: Speaking of the course materials, print these out and read them. Read them again, read them a bit more. Underline the things you don’t know how to explain then read them again. I swear to you, the exam will not stray from these topics. I was reading over my copy right up until they made me put it in the locker.
6: Certmaster Labs. This was almost the same price as the test itself (I think like $100 less) however, it was still cheaper than retaking the test. Plus, if you’re like me and didn’t have as much hands on experience with say Centos or configuring global Active Directory policies, this gives you hands on time and way more. Also, put it on your resume. You now have a lab to practice on and talk to recruiters about.
7: O-Line Security. In that same vein as Cert Master Labs, O-Line Security does a great walkthrough of using and completing these labs, I would highly recommend following along with this video series. Do them with and without the videos so you really get the hang of the topics covered in the labs. Check them out at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ4vdb01vqpsEr1Yb36Icf3BZRP9mxbwG
8: TryHackMe. Though there isn’t a learning path for Security+ (There is for PenTest+) it does have a lot to offer on Wireshark, Nmap, Metasploit and frameworks that are all on the Security+. It’s cheaper than Cert Master but less of a tailored experience.
9: Stick to a few sources. There’s a lot of CompTIA study materials out there, I found it was best to stick to a study source that’s trusted and not bounce around. You may end up reading 501 materials and waste time. So find a trusted source and learn all you can.
10: Study every day. It’s hard to work a full-time job, be social, have a relationship, feed the animals (kids included), keep everything clean, sleep and also, study. I constantly listened to audio versions of everything I could, studied on my breaks, watched videos here and there. I would devote full weekends to getting through the items listed above but even if you have an hour a day, just make it count. Focus on what you know the least about.
11: Book it. I didn’t feel ready, I booked it for a month out even though I didn’t feel ready. I had been studying for probably 6 months but I knew I would never feel ready. Even walking in, I felt hopeful but for sure I didn’t feel ready. I passed and was shocked when I saw the passing score but the fact is, giving yourself a deadline does wonders for motivation.
12: Take a break. I know it’s a lot to take in, there were days where I felt like I couldn’t fit more in my head. Stop for a bit, relax and come back. When I felt like this but still wanted to study, I would listen to podcasts like Darknet Diaries or Hacked. Still learning, refreshing myself on terms that they mentioned and looking up things I didn’t know. Try to chase knowledge, not just answers to test questions.
Thanks so much for reading! If you have any questions, please let me know. I will do my best to give any information I have or point you the a good direction. Most of all, good luck on the exam!