Yes, you can pass the Security+ exam in 30 days or less. Many other people have done it. Why not you?
If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
– Jim Rohn
If you really want to earn this certification, and you have some IT experience, you can pass the Security+ exam and earn this certification. Here are seven simple steps.
1) Get a Good Study Guide to Pass the Security+ Exam
The first step to pass the Security+ exam in 30 days or less is to get a good study guide. I hear from people almost daily that have passed the exam using the CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-601 Study Guide.
Don’t take my word for it though. Check out these reviews on Amazon.
Here are a few sample comments:
- “I got this book and studied like crazy for one month….After all my preparation, I take the test and score 841 of 900!!”
- “Well written. After 3 weeks of study I passed with an 816.”
- “I read a chapter and a half a day for two weeks, took my test and passed.”
- “This Book is simply amazing….I was required to take this for my job, and was only given 9 days to study. I am happy to report that I managed to score an 841.”
- “The information is provided in a clear and concise fashion that highlights aspects of the text that need to be remembered for the test. Bottom line I read this in three days, took the exam and passed with an 885.”
The CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-601 Study Guide is available in both a paperback and Kindle format.
You can also get supplementary materials for the study guide including”
- Audio from the study guide
- Flashcards using material from the study guide
- Practice test questions in an online testing engine from the study guide
- Simulated performance based questions in an online testing engine
2) Do the Assessment
As soon as you get the book, do the Assessment exam at the beginning of the book.
When doing practice test questions from the book, write down your answers on a piece of paper instead of marking up the book. This way you can take the questions again later without seeing the answers circled.
Alternatively, you can purchase the online practice test questions. The 60 day packages include the questions organized by chapters.
3) Get a Discount Voucher and Schedule Your Exam
Schedule your exam for 30 days after you do the assessment.
You can get a free code for a discounted voucher here.
This coupon code will give you 10% off any CompTIA test vouchers. However, it is NOT valid for any of the CompTIA packages at this time. In other words, this code won’t work for any of the CompTIA bundles.
4) Start Studying
Read half a chapter a day for four days in row.
- After reading, review the Chapter Review topics for what you read.
- After the review, do at least 10 of the practice test questions for the chapter.
- After doing the practice test questions, take the time to read the explanation.
5) Mix Studying with Review
After four days of studying new material, take one day for review.
- Reread all the chapter reviews from chapters you’ve finished.
- Do all of the practice test questions that you’ve finished previously.
- Look at blog articles for any topics that interest you or you want to dig into deeper.
Some blog articles that might interest you are:
- Security+ Performance-based Questions
- Performance-based Question FAQs
- 5 Performance-based Questions Tips
- 7 Steps to Security+ (SY0-501) Certification
- Firewall Configuration Performance Question
After the review day, spend the next four days reading new material followed by another day of review. The last set of studying days will be only two days of new material.
If you want to use a day-by-day study plan, you can use this one.
6) Do the Post Exam
Do the post exam at the end of the book.
- After doing the practice test questions, take the time to read the explanations.
- Review any material that isn’t clear to you.
7) Take the Exam and Celebrate Your Success
On test day, review key material. This includes:
- Chapter Reviews from each chapter
- Key tables within the book such as:
- Wireless standards (Table 4.1)
- Linux permissions (Table 5.1)
- Algorithms (Table 10.1)
- Symmetric encryption protocols (Table 10.2)
- Certificate formats (Table 10.3) (Refer to errata page)
This post includes five success tips for the Security+ exam, including some strategies you can use when answering the questions.
After taking the exam, take time to celebrate your success. You deserve it.
Hi Darril,
I’ve been studying with the professor online videos and am looking to purchase the study guide you’ve mentioned-since the 501 is out now, should I still go ahead and purchase this 401 study guide, since ive already scheduled the 401.
> and am looking to purchase the study guide you’ve mentioned
I’m not sure what study guide you’re referring to. However, you should purchase study materials for the exam you plan to take. If you’ve scheduled the 401, use 401 materials.
> since the 501 is out now, should I still go ahead and purchase this 401 study guide, since ive already scheduled the 401.
If you plan to take the 401 exam, use the 401 study guide.
At first I was thinking you were asking if you should take the 401 or 501 exam. If you’re wondering, check out the blog post titled
Should I Take 401 or 501 Security+ Exam?
Try this.
1) Go to this page: https://blogs.getcertifiedgetahead.com/
2) Enter a search term into the Google Custom Search text box (such as “401 or 501” without the quotes)
3) Press Enter
You’ll see a bunch of blog posts on the 501 exam including one titled “Should I Take 401 or 501 Security+ Exam?”
Good luck.
Darril,
I used your book primarily to study for my sec+ exam, which I took today and failed with 730. The questions on the actual exam were much more complex with not many obvious wrong answers to eliminate. I’d say there were about 25-30 questions that were answered with no confidence. I got 95%-100% on most of your end of chapter practice exams. Did my brain just freeze up or how would you explain it?
Hi Tommy,
Here are some things I know:
1) I hear from people almost every day telling me that they’ve passed the exam using the CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-401 Study Guide and/or study packages on the premium site. Yesterday, I heard from three people telling me that they passed.
– One person told me he passed by studying the study guide for six months along with attending his company’s internal training class.
– A second person told me he passed by after studying the study guide and using the online practice test questions for a week and a half.
– The third person just said he passed along with a thanks.
2) CompTIA has been adding new questions and many people complain that they’re not clear. I suspect many of them are still in beta stage, and wonder if some of them are for their new cybersecurity exam.
3) Many times I hear from people telling me that they’re getting over 90% on the online exams (gcgapremium.com), but when I check, I see that the logs indicate they are NOT getting over 90% on the exams. I’m not sure what is causing them to remember this incorrectly.
– On a similar note, I heard from someone today telling me that he failed the second time. However, he’s not getting passing scores on the practice tests. I pointed this out on to him about a week ago when he asked if he was ready. He continued to get failing scores on the practice tests, but took the exam anyway.
4) Practice exam scores are not the only metric. I often repeat the importance of knowing why the incorrect answers are incorrect, in addition to knowing why the correct answers are correct. This method has helped many people pass the exam. You might like to check out this post.
The Less FAQ page might help too.
“I Failed – Any Advice?”
5) I have written many, many blogs covering additional content. All of them are on this site. The main page includes a search feature you can use to look up specific content. This page lists almost all of the the posts in different categories. Additionally, we email a free weekly newsletter listing new blog posts. You can sign up here.
6) I’ve written many new questions and added them to the online packages. The Extras test bank currently includes 32 new questions and Set 9 and Set 10 of the Performance-based Questions include a total of 36 questions. The What’s New page shows how we’ve regularly added new questions.
Hope this helps.
Hi!
I have been using your book in conjunction with 2 others. Also using professor messer and a couple of phone apps. I have been feeling really confident…until I started my measure up practice exams. I feel a huge regression when I feel like I was making so much headway. I am taking the exam this Friday. Any tips? HELP!
Hi Kelly,
Three things come to mind.
First, the CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-401 Study Guide is designed to help you pass the CompTIA Security+ exam.
– It is not designed to help you pass the MeasureUp practice tests.
– I hear from people almost every day telling me that they’ve passed the exam using the study guide and/or study materials on the premium site.
Second, when using any practice tests, the goal isn’t just to get the questions correct, but also to know why the correct answers are correct and why the incorrect answers are incorrect. This way you can accurately interpret the questions and answer them correctly.
– For example, some people have told me that some of the questions on the actual exam are worded so oddly, that the correct answer wasn’t clear. However, three of the answers were clearly wrong leaving only one answer to choose.
– I can’t speak to the other sources you’re using, but the explanations of the questions in the study guide explain why the correct answer is correct, and why the incorrect answers are correct.
Last, if the MeasureUp questions made you “feel a huge regression” you may be quite surprised when you see the performance-based questions first on the exam. Check out these blog posts:
– Skip Performance-Based Questions
– 5 Performance-based Questions Tips
Good luck.
Darril
Hi Darril,
I found the SYO-301 book in library authored by you and am thinking of using it for the security+ exam preparation. Is this sufficient or do I really need to buy the SYO-401 version? Please advise.
Thanks!
Hi CS,
Take a look at this post that outlines the differences between 301 and 401.
If you’re comfortable with the new material or can google it on your own, the 301 book might be enough. That’s one of the reasons I’ve left it on Amazon as a Kindle edition via the Kindle Unlimited program. Subscribers can read it for free.
As an FYI, the Kindle edition for the 401 book is only $9.99 and Amazon has free apps for just about any platform for Kindle books. You don’t need a Kindle. ood luck
Hello, is there a study guide specifically created for network +? If so, please direct me to a purchase link. Thank you!
Sorry, but no. There is a practice test questions book available here.
And an online package available here.
I have purchase both hard copy and the Amazon Ebook version of your GCGA security + study guide book.
I see that you have a “420 SY0-401 security + practice test questions” that are included in the security + package:
are these 420 additional and different questions apart from the questions are the end of each chapters, assessment and final assessment question?
Hi Rubin,
That’s not an easy yes or no question. Check out the FAQ page here for the answer to that question:
“Are the questions on this site the same as the questions in the book?”
Hi, The link for discounted code is forwarding to xxxx.
can you please fix it.
thanks
Hi Awais,
People in your country have launched extended attacks against the site so I blocked them. I have removed the blocks but will reenable them if the attacks begin again.
Best regards,
Darril
Did you have a NOOK version?
Not at the moment. I haven’t had much luck with books published for the Nook.