I think you are absolutely right. Now that I know the test won't expire until next July I feel I have enough time to study. I see you have the sec+ I've always purchased meyer's book for my a+ and net+. Have you read or do you recommend this one? CompTIA Security+ All-in-One Exam Guide, Fifth Edition (Exam SY0-501) by Conklin
What's up u/iamnotacrook36,
I do have a few tips...
I had five simulations and two of them kicked my ass. They are not as intense as you think. One of the simulations was really odd and I am still not sure what it exactly wanted from me (sometimes the questions just suck). The other one that killed me had to do with creating a few firewall rules. If I had a better understanding of Firewall ACL format I probably would have been fine.
But here is the thing. Just because your practice simulations are difficult doesn't mean the Security+ exam ones are going to be difficult. One of my simulations involved a picture of a device and all I had to do was drag a few specific keywords under it. It was nothing serious.
All you need to do is make sure you understand the CompTIA Security+ Exam Objectives and you will be fine. Best of luck!
For the exam guide, it's Wm. Arthur Conklin (Author), Greg White (Author), Dwayne Williams (Author), Chuck Cothren (Author), Roger L. Davis (Author). For the study guide, it is Darril Gibson. Links below:
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https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Guide-Fifth-SY0-501/dp/1260019322/
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https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Get-Certified-Ahead/dp/1939136059/
Can you pass a drug test and do you have a clean record? If so, get your Comptia Security+ 501 certificate. It is required for any government IT job which is probably one of he biggest employers here in the Springs. Every video instruction you need is free on youtube. The books are $35 on amazon. You can get discounted test certificates here. Sec+501 took me maybe a month of studying to pass, and getting it will open up more doors for you in the IT field in this town than any other certificate, so long as you meet the requirements in my first sentence. The clearance may or may not be a necessity depending on where you go. On base might be difficult, but there are more jobs than you think out there for government contracting. DOD, DHS, and numerous other agencies all have contracting jobs readily available in this town. But you need Sec+.
Personally i don't think the material is difficult or hard. Also working off the assumption that if you got the network+ you can definitely get the security+ immediately after. I took the network+ and 3 weeks later I took the security+. I was a student at the time so I had a lot of free time and I just dedicated to it. My rule of thumb for anyone that asks me how to study is, do a chapter a day and just focus in on that one chapter. Make sure you know the concepts before you move on. The end of chapter quizzes are a great way to test your knowledge, so if you don't score 100%, read the chapter again. That is what i did and successfully passed.
All you need is this book that i included as a link. Don't need no cbt nuggets, pluralsight or any of those other training materials. Yes they are great resources but can be time consuming, but if you aren't working against time then you should look for additional material.
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Guide-Fifth-SY0-501/dp/1260019322
Basically I got a call from a recruiter on Wednesday night saying that if I passed the test by the end of Friday I would have a guaranteed job. Thursday morning I popped an addy, read messers study guide, did the chapter quizzes in the book, and the rest of the day I worked on the chapters I was deficient in. Friday morning I took the exam and passed.