CompTIA Exam Resources
When I started studying for CompTIA, I had no idea where to begin. I wasted time on things that didn’t help. If I had to do it again, here’s how I’d study
I started with Security+ because it teaches essential security skills that every IT professional should know. It covers a wide range of security concepts, starting from the basics. The hardest part? Remembering all the information! However, it does teach the minimum, and another reason why I chose it was that this certification was frequently preferred for jobs here in India. Not a requirement, but most employers preferred candidates with Security+
After I got my Sec+, I saw CySA+ having 40% of Sec+ material in it. I took my chance and got myself CySA+ too. However, I had no plans for Net+ but someone gifted me a voucher for Net+ so I decided to give it. “A+” and “Net+” are redundant for me, it was one of the main reasons why I didn’t plan to do any of them. I scored over 880 in Net+, I only lost around 20 marks.
A+ Level Knowledge#
If you’re a complete beginner aiming for a help desk job. I don’t think there is a better free course than Practical Help Desk ↗. This course covers entry level skills for a help desk and it also teaches you basic networking concepts. You learn everything from the ground up, and it’s entirely hands-on, which is a huge plus in my opinion. As far as getting A+ Certification is concerned, I personally skipped it. I don’t see it adding any value to my skillset, it would have looked good on my resume for sure.
If obtaining the certification is a requirement for you, then, of course, go for it. Make sure to get Andrew’s course or check free Messer’s series because practical help desk course is more related to working as a help desk technician and it might include extras.
On-Demand Courses#
For these recorded courses I subscribed to LinkedIn Learning for Sec+ and CySA+ and for Net+ I went with Andrew’s Course. You can find link for each course below by switching tabs.
Security+ Cert Prep By Mike Chapple ↗ I used this on demand course with Ian Neil’s SY0-701 book. Both were an excellent resource for studying Sec+ material. Depending on which medium of consumption you prefer, either would do just fine. I personally would always take them both together, they are that accurate!
CySA+ Cert Prep By Mike Chapple ↗ this course from Mike Chapple has some videos renewed from his Sec+ course but it covers every single topic mentioned in the exam outline which is great because that’s the most important part. You better not miss any topic mentioned in the exam outline.
Network+ Cert Prep By Andrew Ramdayal ↗ well I’m glad that this person exists and I’m glad that he doesn’t focus on cramming exam definitions alone. His course won’t teach you hands-on skills required for certs like the Cisco CCNA but for clearing basic concepts and making a solid foundation. It’s practical enough to help you score well on your Net+ exam.
Even if you don’t want to go for certification and you just want to learn what networking really is? I have to tell you that this course teaches you that. Andrew also included an IP subnetting course (4 hours long) in his Net+ course, and that was probably the best part. If I’m taking something from this course, it’s the IP addressing and subnetting section, it’s a W for those new to the networking world.
Reference Books#
This is only for those who prefer reading over watching videos. I did check these books occasionally. Whenever I felt like ‘I didn’t understand that,’ I read a detailed explanation of the topic in these books. If you want, you can use them together On-Demand Courses and maybe some reading before going to bed?
Security+ Exam Book By Ian Neil ↗ This book is GOLD! It’s hands-down the most accurate resource for Security+. Honestly, I wouldn’t have passed without it. It explains each topic just enough. I read this book more than my CySA+ book and I might consider buying a hard copy of it later coz why not? I currently only have a PDF as I had access to Packt monthly subscription. Another advantage is that it comes with many benefits, such as:
However I did find that these practice exams were the most difficult (Compared to Mike’s Pratice Exams). If you’re able to score 70% or more, fingers crossed-you’ll do fine on exam day!
CySA+ Exam Book By Mike Chapple ↗ I read this book like 20-30%? Mostly when I couldn’t understand anything. It did seem thorough and detailed. I was able to pass with Mike’s course alone, it had most of what the book had but in video format.
This book combo also comes with 1000+ Practice Questions. I did around 70 question in each domain or a total of 280-300 questions. These questions were fine but I do prefer CyberKraft’s Practice Exams for CySA+, those were realistic and quite close to the actual exam.
Network+ Exam Book By Emmett Dulaney ↗ Another great book I wasn’t expecting I’d need for my Net+ exam preparation. This book is as well written as Ian’s Security+ prep book. At the end of every chapter, there are 10-15 questions to reinforce what you just learned, also there’s every acronym for Net+ with detailed explanation of each.
This book also comes with a cheatsheet which you should go through before starting your exam. I went through the cheatsheet twice to make sure I knew most of the material. I didn’t use Andrew’s Last Minute cheatsheet. However, it was really good—I just didn’t have time left.
Practice Exams#
I will keep this section short and simple. I have added most of the practice exam resource I used to pass these exams but these aren’t all of it. Read the reference books section, as it also includes some pratice exams.
Security+ Practice Exams ↗ I did all 6 of the pratice exams, including PBQs created by Mike. He had a question or two related to setting up firewall rules, make sure to do that one and every other PBQ
CySA+ Practice Exams ↗ For this, I used Cyberkraft’s pratice exams for CySA+. These were the most difficult questions I could find for CySA+ and they lived up to my expectations. These have to be the most accurate and challenging pratice exam sets for CySA+
Network+ Free Practice Exam ↗ I used this resource in the last week of my Net+ preparation. These helped me reinforce what I studied using Andrew’s On-Demand course. I did every question there was in the Emmett’s Net+ book and on top of that these 100+ questions. Making upto a total of around 250-300 questions which should be sufficient for most.
Free Subnet Machine ↗ make use of it for improving your subnetting skills. You’ll easily see 2-3 questions related to subnetting networks.
Performance Based Questions#
Cyberkraft ↗ YouTube videos are probably the first and last resource I’d use for practicing PBQs. Especially if you’re training for Security+, Dennis’s Cyberkraft easily has some of the best Performance-Based Questions. These were the most realistic IMO. I watched some of his videos twice, and it helped me a lot on exam day.
Steps#
If I had to start over, here’s what I’d do:- Study an on-demand course | Weeks 1-2
- Complete 3 full practice exams | Week 3
- Learn from mistakes and improve | Week 4
- Review acronyms, cheatsheets & relax | Exam Week
Easily achievable for Net+ if you study for a month, utilizing at least 6 hours per day. If you’re working full time or even part time, expect to add another month. CySA+ might take more time to study as it focuses heavily on the technical side.
Timeline#
This is the estimated timeline of months I took to pass these exams
- Oct, 2024Security+
- Nov, 2024CySA+
- Mar, 2025Network+
At Last#
Take these exams at your own pace—this isn’t a race! Whether it takes weeks or months, focus on understanding the material, not just memorizing it. And don’t forget: sometimes, knowing your acronyms can be the key to passing! These exams are already quite heavy on the theoretical side. Take your time and study well enough. In case you fail , don’t worry! Depending on how much you scored, take a small break and appear for the exam again. Hopefully you’ll get it next time!
Will I Renew?#
In my case, I’m not sure. Especially after seeing the new exam prices for Emerging Countries. I paid around 500USD to get both CySA+ and Sec+. At the time of writing, it turns out that CompTIA was acquired by a private company and their new pricing for India is similar to US which is a disaster if you ask me. Considering the per capita income and how much an entry-level individual earns here. I can easily say those who are starting out in India can skip most of CompTIA certs other than Sec+. If you don’t have money, forget about Sec+ too, solid projects on your resume would do better without adding any cost. CompTIA’s entire lineup saw a 40-50% price hike in India. Unlike in the US, we don’t get government contracts, so I’m not sure why anyone would pay 500$ (including tax) for a certification that used to cost 250.
Maybe I’ll renew if I ever see their certification discounted, but chances are slim after the recent changes. ISC2 CC & SSCP are other great alternatives, if you’re someone in CSE you can complete your 1 year experience requirement using your bachelor’s degree. It does come at the cost of AMF but this clearly seems like a better option here in India.