How I have passed certification tests.

I have a slightly unconventional way of taking certification exams from CompTIA. I read every study guide related to cyber security before I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in cyber security. Then I enrolled in college to get a bachelor's degree in cyber security. I wanted to also get at least one certification before I graduated. I thought that would help my resume stand out a little bit and also had a student discount when I was enrolled.

Six months into college, I bought a voucher for the Network+ exam. I scheduled that exam for two weeks later. I felt like I was not prepared for the exam on test day, but I decided to go for it anyways. I didn't get the highest score on the exam, but I passed it. After I passed the Network+, I decided that I should ride that momentum and try to pass the Security+. In the same month that I passed the Network+, I took and passed the Security+. I think that taking the test with the Network+ information still fresh helped me on some of the Security+ questions.

Then time went on and I got a job in IT. I was not as determined to get certifications at this point because I was going to school and getting some hands on experience at work. Then I entered into my Senior year at college and realized that my discount was going to go away soon. I bought the voucher for the Pentest+ and scheduled the exam for the day before my family was going on vacation to Gatlinburg, TN. I knew if I passed it, I could ride that good feeling right into my vacation, but if I failed it, I might have spent my vacation thinking about what questions I got wrong. I ended up passing it though.

After passing the Pentest+, I thought that I should go ahead and purchase the vouchers for the two other exams that I wanted to pass before I graduated. I purchased the vouchers for the Cysa+ and the newly branded SecurityX (formerly CASP+). I ended up buying both vouchers with a retake, so I thought screw it. I will go ahead and take the Cysa+ exam the weekend after I got back from vacation, two weeks after I passed the Pentest+. I also passed that exam and I think that building on the exams one after the other like that helped me to build my knowledge and to better retain it.

I passed the Cysa+ two weeks ago and now I scheduled the exam for the SecurityX for a little over a week away. I am not overly confident that I will pass it, but I have been studying for it since before I started my cyber security journey and am currently making sure that I have all of the domains covered. If I don't pass it, I will probably give myself about a month to study more and then take the exam again.

I spent a long time telling myself that I could not afford certifications, while also buying video games and systems. Then I realized that buying the certifications was not wasting money on a piece of paper, but investing in my future. I got a late start on my cyber security journey, so now I am doing everything I can to make up for it.