How to Pass the CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ Exams

Ever since I obtained my CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications, I have been continuously hounded by my friends and classmates about how to prepare for these certifications. Hopefully, this article will assist you in passing the associated exam(s) on your very first attempt.

General Tips and Tricks

Without going into much detail, for the A+, Network+, and Security+ exams, you will have 90 minutes to answer up to 90 questions that are selected randomly, valued differently based on a variety of factors, but never change throughout the exam. There are three question types you will receive on these exams.

• Multiple-choice questions (MCQs): These questions ask you to choose 1 answer out of 4 possible answer choices.
• Multiple-select questions (MSQs): These questions ask you to choose 2-3 answers out of 5-7 possible answer choices.
• Performance-based questions (PBQs): These questions include fill-in-the-blanks, completion, drag-and-drops, matching, dropdowns, command-line interface/terminal, and basically any question format that is not an MCQ or MSQ. You will receive 2-6 of these at the beginning of your exam.

To conserve time efficiently to ensure that you answer all questions correctly, follow these tips.

• Skip and flag the PBQs that will be given to you at the beginning of the exam.
• If you are struggling with a question during your first passthrough of the exam, flag the question and skip it. You can review all answered, unanswered, and flagged questions after you view all questions at least once.
• Read all questions carefully. CompTIA loves to throw in word salad to confuse test takers, but they also love to use words such as FIRST or NEXT. These keywords will guide you to the correct answers.
• You can immediately eliminate half of the answers for most questions because they do not apply to the given problem or they are just outright ludicrous.

Recommended Training Material

It is very important to gather training material for the current version of the exam(s) you are taking. As of this writing, the A+’s current exam series is the 220-1101/220-1102, the Network+’s current version is the N10-008, and the Security+’s current versions are the SY0-601 and the SY0-701. The SY0-601 will retire on July 31st, 2024, so if you are planning to take the SY0-601 exam, you must do so before that date.

The only training materials I definitely do not recommend to use are CompTIA’s CertMaster resources, except for CertMaster Labs. The entire CertMaster suite is not indicative of the actual exam experience, and I have heard many stories in which individuals who used CertMaster resources as exam preparation tools failed their exam(s). Again, CertMaster Labs is an exception because they are actually decent, but there are many other lab simulation tools that you can use (e.g., PC Building Simulator, Cisco Packet Tracer, TestOut, Total Seminars, etc.) if you want to learn practical application of the material.

The only video courses I recommend to use are Professor Messer’s A+ 220-1101, A+ 220-1102, Network+ N10-008 or Network+ N10-009, and Security+ SY0-701 YouTube video playlists. Messer’s videos directly follow the exam objectives and cover only content that is actually covered by the exam, unlike other instructors. Similarly, the only practice exams I recommend to use are Professor Messer’s A+ 220-1101, A+ 220-1102, and Security+ SY0-701 practice exams. He unfortunately does not have any Network+ N10-008 or N10-009 practice exams, so you will have to rely on other training materials mentioned below.

Another resource I recommend to use is a textbook, but unlike Messer’s videos, textbooks are created by individual authors, who may organize content differently and may cover content that may not even be on the exam. Thus, make sure to always cross-reference textbook material with the official exam objectives for each exam to ensure that you are learning the correct material. The only textbook series that I used during my studies is Wiley’s Sybex brand, which is available on Amazon. The Sybex textbooks are decent and cover a bit of unnecessary content, but there is still valuable information that can supplement your learning. Wiley also provides Sybex practice exam textbooks that can be used as replacements for Messer’s practice exams, especially for the Network+ N10-008.

As already mentioned, download the official exam objectives from the CompTIA website for the exam(s) you are taking or are planning to take. If you learn nothing else from this article, remember that the exam objectives are your best friend. If you know all of these exam objectives by heart, you will pass the exam(s).

The CompTIA A+

The CompTIA A+ is a relatively straightforward certification that covers basic help desk skills and knowledge. You will need to pass two exams: the 220-1101 Core 1 exam and the 220-1102 Core 2 exam. The Core 1 exam is about mobile devices, networking, hardware, cloud and virtualization, and hardware troubleshooting, while the Core 2 exam is about operating systems, security, software troubleshooting, and operational procedures. The Core 1 exam has a passing score of 675/900, and the Core 2 exam has a passing score of 700/900. As previously mentioned, this is on a scaled scoring algorithm, so questions are valued differently based on a variety of factors.

There is not a lot of tips I can share for the A+. It is relatively straightforward, and if you know the exam objectives by heart, you will pass both exams. Just watch out for the word salad.

The CompTIA Network+

The CompTIA Network+ is a certification that covers foundational networking concepts (obviously). Unlike the A+, the Network+ has only one exam to take. Achieve a score of 720/900, and you are Network+ certified. I found the Network+ to be the hardest out of the trifecta, but I also found it to be the most enjoyable. The PBQs were fun, and funnily enough, I knew how to answer the PBQs because of knowledge I learned from networking classes (shout out to Instructor Reed!).

If you did your research, you would know that there are two versions of the Network+ currently available: the N10-008 and N10-009. Because there are relatively very few quality training materials released for the N10-009, I highly recommend studying for and taking the N10-008 exam instead. However, my opinion will change when the N10-008’s retirement date on December 20th, 2024, approaches.

There are several exam-specific tips that I can share for the Network+.

• Do not hyperfocus on subnetting just because it seems complicated at first. There are so many other exam objectives that CompTIA needs to test you on, and you may not even be tested on subnetting at all. However, it is still important to learn subnetting, especially VLSM/CIDR subnetting via the magic number or seven-second methods. Every second is precious during an exam, and there is no time available to be breaking octets into bits while the clock is ticking down.
• Because the Network+ is a vendor-neutral exam, keep in mind that you will not be configuring vendor-specific devices. As a result, all concepts are surface-level; just learn what you need to learn and move on. If you want to learn networking much more in-depth, then consider taking Cisco’s CCNA certification instead.
• The PBQs contain a great amount of guess-and-check work. If you know the content, then you can solve them in around 20-30 minutes of your time.

The CompTIA Security+

The CompTIA Security+ is arguably the most famous IT certification in the world and the most sought-after security certification for entry-level positions. The Security+ has only one exam to take. Achieve a score of 750/900, and you are Security+ certified.

There are several exam-specific tips I can share for the Security+.

• Like the Network+ and all other CompTIA exams, the Security+ is vendor-neutral. Everything is surface-level, so you do not need to understand all concepts in-depth. As long as you understand all of the content in Professor Messer’s videos and know the exam objectives by heart, you will be fine.
• This exam is more of a grammar and memorization test rather than a “solution implementation” test. Create flashcards or create a wordwall to help you memorize definitions. However, keep in mind that the Security+ is not strictly a pure definition exam either. You will also be tasked with solving real-life scenarios and problems. Pick out the key words and phrases that a question contains and make a determination which option(s) is/are the correct answer(s).
• The PBQs require a great amount of critical thinking and logical analysis. Read the question(s) carefully, examine all parts of the PBQ, and make a determination on what to do based on the details you found.

How do I start studying?

This is a common question I am often asked. I always refer people to the Dax Methodology, named after a community member in Professor Messer’s Discord server. Here is the Dax Methodology in full.

Watch all videos in Professor Messer‘s A+/Network+/Security+ playlist in order. Take notes while watching/listening to the lessons. Don’t try to write down everything verbatim, but rather focus on more concise/direct pieces of information. I highly recommend purchasing Professor Messer‘s official course notes. This will help you to follow along with the lessons without worrying about continuously pausing/resuming to write notes. It is still a good idea to add your own information where applicable.

A nice technique to help reinforce comprehension is to review the relevant concepts. This can be done at the end of each subsection, or at the end of a domain. I recommend the “rubber duck” method. This is where you verbally talk through/explain each item listed on the CompTIA exam objectives. In a nutshell, we sometimes trick ourselves into overestimating our knowledge/understanding. For example, looking at a term and thinking to oneself, yes, I know this. The rubber duck method forces you to “prove” that you actually know what you think you know. You may find that when you attempt to explain something out loud, your true understanding might be a little lacking. Using the rubber duck method, if there are any terms, concepts, etc. that you cannot easily identify/explain, then add this information to your study guide. This will help you to create a summary of the areas in which you may have gaps in knowledge. Reviewing your study guide will help to fill in these gaps.

Next comes the practice exams. This is the crux of the Dax Methodology. I highly recommend Professor Messer’s Practice Exams. They really are the best resource available. Per the Dax Methodology, simulate real world exam conditions by setting a 90 minute timer, completing the practice exam in one sitting, not using any external resources, etc.

Once you have completed the practice exam, score it and make a note of how long it took you. Obviously you would want to review the detailed answers for any items that you missed to understand why you got them wrong. But this is where many people make an unfortunate mistake. Do not disregard the questions that you got correct go back through that same practice exam, reading over every single question and answer. If there are any items, acronyms, etc. that you do not recognize and immediately understand, add them to your study guide. Maybe you got lucky and the correct answer was something you knew, but it could just easily have asked about one of the responses that you did not know.

Final Thoughts

The A+, Network+, and Security+ are usually the first IT certification exams an aspiring IT or cybersecurity professional takes in their career. I hope that this article assists you in your certification endeavors, and I wish you the best on your certification exams. I will continually update this article as the exams continue to evolve. If you have any questions, feel free to email me or connect with me via LinkedIn to message me. I will happily answer questions that are compliant with the CompTIA Candidate Agreement.