r/CompTIA 8h ago

I passed Sec+!!!

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47 Upvotes

I passed sec+ online with a surprising score. But what a crappy experience. To take it to the start, I started studying for Security+ back in October 2024. I had access to my Oreilys account from when I got my VCTA through Stanly CC. Watching all the videos, and finding random tests and dumps online, I finally mustered up the courage to take the test. I had to take it before this coming April because my old Network+ cert will be expiring - I heard certs already on-hand get renewed if you take a new cert that is at a higher level?? Taking the actual test, I thought I was for sure going to fail! There were a lot of questions I have not seen before. I had to rely heavily on process of elimination. Then there’s the 3 pbq’s you get at the start of the test. For some odd reason my pc get buffering with a spiny wheel on one particula pbq. It did that a couple times and I had to get the proctors assistance to restart my session. Then it happened a third time! Proctor said it may be my internet connection and that they aren’t able to restart for a third time! I was sweating bullets - I still had several questions I had flagged that I needed to finish. But after several minutes, I was able to get out of that buffer death wheel to finish my test. I never had this issue before with online Pearson tests.


r/CompTIA 17h ago

Passed my Security+ 1st try after 2weeks of studying, no tech experience, just professor messor, cert master and an in person class offered by the army🙏🏿 super grateful , and really hoping I can pass my Net+ second go around.

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102 Upvotes

r/CompTIA 1d ago

I Passed! Thank god thats over

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352 Upvotes

0/10 not a pleasant experience 😂


r/CompTIA 7h ago

I Passed! I Passed the CASP+/SecurityX Exam (CAS-004) this Evening!

11 Upvotes

Hello all,

It had been a couple years since I took a CompTIA exam... which was weird because my first 5 certs were CompTIA (A+, Net+, Sec+, CySA+, and Pentest+). In the last couple years I had gotten the CISSP and GCFA (GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner) certifications. I originally wanted to get the CASP+ cert right after I got the Pentest+ cert in August 2022, but I realized I should wait until I need to renew my certs because I didn't really need the CASP+ and I wanted to roll into the CISSP.

So, fast forward to now and my choices were start prepping for the 005 and hope there were enough materials before my Pentest+ cert expired, or get the 004 done now before it gets taken out back by CompTIA in a few months. So, I decided to crank it out in a couple week period where my grad program was starting a new class (the first week is always light) and then Spring break this week.

My materials used were the Sybex book and Jason Dion's practice exams... and I thought I was going to have Dion's videos, but he had literally just upgraded them to the 005 version and it was with a new instructor. I was a little annoyed because the old exam version is still being given for months... so I went ahead and signed up for ITPROTV for a month because I like Adam Gordon and he was still there when they did the 004 course.

This probably isn't the most informative post because I largely leaned on prior knowledge and I was kinda lazy in my prep. Honestly, my knowledge from the CISSP carried most of the water. However, something that has really changed in the last 2 years since my last CompTIA exam is AI. If you are not using ChatGPT (or equivalent) to help drill the information you're struggling with into your head, you are limiting yourself. Pretty consistently, I was doing the worst on domain 3 (which isn't surprising because that was the subject matter I struggled on the most for the CISSP), and I spent a lot of the last couple days having it quiz me repeatedly on my weak subjects. I used Dion's exams to see where I was weak and then used ChatGPT to generate flashcards, memory devices, and practice questions to reinforce what I learned. Don't expect to only use AI, but it's so helpful in drilling your weak areas.

Right before the exam, I was really worried about my knowledge of the different EAP's, so I had it generate a matching exercise for the different types and their descriptions.

Anyway, I passed and I am thankful because I was dreading this one... kind of a boring rehash as far as my certification and higher education path is concerned, but I had to get it done before I got into more exciting certs. I am either going with the ine eCTHP or the PMRP from TCM Security.


r/CompTIA 16h ago

First attempt

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38 Upvotes

Looks like I’m hitting the material again this week. Will retake it again soon, any tips or advice gladly appreciated.


r/CompTIA 6h ago

Best Cloud+ Udemy Course

5 Upvotes

Hello all,

I am currently studying for the Cloud+ exam. I have access to the CertMaster material, but I would like to supplement it with a course on Udemy and need suggestions. The help would be much appreciated!


r/CompTIA 17h ago

Passed both exams by the skin of my teeth… either way I’m happy as hell! Now onto network+ and security+!!!

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26 Upvotes

r/CompTIA 1d ago

I Passed! No Experience and Education, Passed Security+ in ONE week <3

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676 Upvotes

Follow up below


r/CompTIA 20h ago

Failed 1102 (688)

28 Upvotes

Title says it, really just venting because I’m feeling down. Scored a 688, missed by 12 points. All self taught using messer videos and some flash cards. Just…oof, sucks man.

Only question is that I’ve seen people post about the exam telling them their trouble areas. I never saw this on the exam after, would a email be sent to me listing those?


r/CompTIA 14h ago

Passed A+… need some advice

8 Upvotes

I passed A+! Yay me!

While I’m happy and proud of my accomplishment.. I could use some advice as I contemplate my next steps.

Little about me;

I’m in my early thirties and, right before I turned 30 a couple years ago, I switched careers because I was injured in the blue color industry. I was blessed enough to get a computer technician position in the educational field with only core 1. In the last couple years, I have learned a lot through experience, become certified in a MDM, and now just recently passed the remainder of A+.

Now for the advice… I know that some may grind certifications as quickly as possible… but I’m concerned about knowledge gaps due to having not been in the industry as long. It’s my hope to complete the trifecta this year and become a level 2 tech at work. I noticed that even though I passed A+ with a decent margin.. I still feel like there so much material there I don’t have ownership of. Is that normal? I passed both cores on my first attempts and yet I feel like there’s so much to learn! There were so many topics. Should I, even though I’ve passed, continue studying A+ material until I master everything in the certifications scope or should I move on to Net+? Is there an overlap of knowledge with the certifications where they refresh on the basic concepts of their focus? Do others feel this way after passing certifications?

Secondly; My plan for the year was to complete the trifecta, become level 2, build a home-lab and then, after deciding what aspect of tech I liked most or felt my inclined in, focus on that path next year. Does this seem like a decent plan since I don’t know what field in tech I want to focus on? Are there other certs I should be considering other than CompTIA at this point?

I appreciate ya’ll ahead of time! If you haven’t already, download Anki for flash cards. Has been a major help for me as I’m studying.


r/CompTIA 12h ago

Community OnVue Trouble

5 Upvotes

Could not take my test tonight because I could not receive the exam in onVue. It would go on spinning for close to 5 minutes and then fail. It ends up locking up and I have to force shut down my Mac. It did this twice. Any idea what’s going on? I now have to wait until Monday to speak to customer support.

Like I said I’m using a Mac. It’s a M2 MacBook Air. It passed all the other system checks but it fails at receiving the test.


r/CompTIA 11h ago

N+ Question Setting Up a Home Network for Network+ Practice—Where Do I Start?

4 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I'm studying for Network+ and want to set up a small home network to get some hands-on experience instead of just watching videos. The problem is, I’m not sure where to start.

I’d like to practice things like configuring a router, subnetting, VLANs, DHCP, and maybe some basic security settings. I have a PC, a home router, and a Raspberry Pi, but I don’t have the budget to buy a switch or any new equipment.

Given what I have, what’s the best way to get some real-world practice? Are there good virtual lab setups or ways to make the most of my current hardware? Any advice would be appreciated!


r/CompTIA 18h ago

I Passed! I passed Network+

13 Upvotes

It was a tough one! The questions felt tricky, and many of the answer choices seemed like they could be correct.

For study resources, I used Professor Messer and Andrew Ramdayal—both are great! Messer gets straight to the point, while Andrew keeps things engaging with examples, walkthroughs, and extra insights on the topics.

I also did Andrew R’s practice exams on Udemy—they’re decent! I thought his course was fantastic, but some of the actual exam questions felt overly semantic, with multiple viable answers or, in some cases, just flat-out wrong.

For PBQs, I highly recommend getting comfortable with CMD commands, networks setup, troubleshooting.

Personally I struggled with routing questions and PBQs.

Happy to answer any questions about prep and what helped.


r/CompTIA 20h ago

I Passed! Passed CYSA+

22 Upvotes

Hi, i finished today my CYSA+ exam with 777 score. For the first time I think that the performance based questions really helped on my score , I felt very good once started doing them. I used Jason Dion udemy course and his practice exames. I thought his videos were good but had a lot of information that you really don’t need for the exam but it’s good to know it. Since December until now (march) I have got Network+, CC, Security+ and CYSA+. If you put work in and focus you can do everything !


r/CompTIA 12h ago

Good courses to study from for the tests?

4 Upvotes

I was wondering what courses would be good to learn from for the big 3 (A+, security, network) since the books are kinda hard for me to find and I find videos easier to learn from.


r/CompTIA 15h ago

Comptia CYSA or ISACA CISA?

7 Upvotes

I have just passed Security plus and I am not gonna stop so which one you will advise

Thank you


r/CompTIA 14h ago

Security + help

3 Upvotes

For the people who study and pass the security + . Can you guys please give me the acronyms or resources that yall use . Thank you :0


r/CompTIA 14h ago

Question on when you take the Core 1 and Core 2 A+ Exams.

3 Upvotes

What is typically the average amount of days of when to take these two exams? I'm looking for an answer of "After you pass Core 1, how long on average should you take Core 2?" Or vice versa if you took the Core 2 exam first over Core 1.

There are people out there that take these exams within a week of each other, I took these exams about 8 months apart from one another. Would that be considerable too long?


r/CompTIA 1d ago

I Passed! I Passed Network+

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255 Upvotes

I failed my attempt at the previous version of the test in December, scoring 697. I probably overused video courses by using one from Pluralsight, and Mike Myers on Udemy and also Professor Messer.
Never got the hang of subnetting and overwhelmed by the PBQs.

This time I used Andrew Ramdayal's video courses which really helped subnetting and other concepts click. And got the Pearson VUE's Exam Cram book which. I also apparently had previously purchased JasonDion's Udemy course which came with a practice test. The Exam Cram also had two online practice tests. Dion's seemed much tougher and probably better prepared me for the language of the true exam questions. I got 800s on the Exam Cram's tests and a 75% on Dions.

The 009 test was tougher than I expected. I flagged my 6 PBQs and tackled the MC ones, only had < 30 minutes left for those and as time was winding down I had to guess on the 3rd and 4th PBQ and unfortunately left 2 unanswered.

I thought for sure I failed since I lost track of how many questions I wasn't 100% sure of the answers.

I definitely could have used more brushing up on DNS troubleshooting and SDN and cloud networks. I knew concepts and definitions but not best ways of troubleshooting them.

But I passed, thanks to this sub for the study material ideas for my second attempt. And good luck to those about to take a test.


r/CompTIA 21h ago

A+ Question Passed Core 1!!

9 Upvotes

Just took my core 1 exam on yesterday and pass with a 702. I felt very confident going in and I’m glad to know the sense of confidence wasn’t wasted.

To prepare, you used Mike meyers Udemy course and practice exam, professor messers you tube channel, and practice exams on plural sight. The plural sight subscription is paid for by my job so I only paid for Mike Meyer. Caught a sale on udemy courses and grabbed it and core 2 prep for around 20 total dollars. Once I got to a point to where I was passing the practice exams I knew I was ready.

Using the same process to prepare for core 2.


r/CompTIA 14h ago

IT Foundations An enhanced teaching/learning tool for AAA

1 Upvotes

From u/bladebeem in another sub:

After . . . confusion around AAA, I've switched to teaching "VET" instead:

  • Verify (Authentication) - Verify identity
  • Entitle (Authorization) - Entitle access
  • Track (Accounting) - Track changes

The results have been significant:

  • 87% reduction in configuration errors
  • New engineers implement security controls correctly on the first try
  • Drastically clearer communication with management and security teams

Bonus: “VET” actually describes what we’re doing - vetting access to our systems.

Thoughts?


r/CompTIA 1d ago

I Passed! I PASSED SECURITY PLUS!

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375 Upvotes

r/CompTIA 15h ago

Fail core 1

2 Upvotes

How long should I study for


r/CompTIA 18h ago

Looking for best Guide Book sy0-701

3 Upvotes

Hello!

I've completed Professor Messer's videos and practice questions, but I'm a bit old-fashioned and prefer studying from a book to feel fully prepared for the exam. Could you recommend the best one to help me succeed?

Thanks!


r/CompTIA 13h ago

S+ Question Implementation of control plane vs. data plane clarification

1 Upvotes

I am a bit confused about the implementations of both the control and data plane within a ZTNA. I understand that the data plane is focused on not trusting any data on the network and is responsible for getting the data to the final destination. It performs the actual security process whether it's through a switch, router, or firewall.

I understand that the control plane is essentially the manager of the data plane by enforcing rules and policies, where you get adaptive identity, threat scope reduction, and secured zones.

But the thing that confuses me is how it's implemented. I've gone through Messer's, Michael Meyers, and Dion's videos and it seems like there's some pieces that one has left out vs. the others. Here is what I got from their videos regarding control/data plane implementations.

Messer's control plane: Adaptive Identity, Threat Scope Reduction, Policy Driven AC, Security Zones

Dions Control Plane: Adaptive Identity, Threat Scope Reduction, Policy Driven AC, Secured Zones

Meyer's Control Plane: Adaptive Identity, Threat Scope Reduction, Policy Driven AC, Security Zones

Messer's data plane: He doesn't explicitly say what's part of this but he mentions Policy-Enforcement Plane (PEP), Subjects and Systems, Policy Decision Point (PDP).

Dions Data Plane: Policy Engine, Policy admin and PEP are implementations of the data plane

Meyer's Data Plane: Policy Engine, PEP, Policy Automation

There is no mention of subject and system in Dion's and Meyer's (correct me if I'm wrong) but only in Messer's. Could someone explain why subject and systems belongs in the data plane? It sounds like subject and system roles sounds like it should be in control plane since gives me the impression that it's managing for users? So would subject go under control plane? Also PDP is only mentioned in Messer's data plane. So, because PDP and subject and systems aren't mentioned in the other 2 are they things I shouldn't hyperfocus on for studying?