(Part 2) Best products from r/CompTIA

I passed HealthIT early this year and wrote a good bit of advice. It is based around the Joy Dark book. Sorry if this reprints as a wall of text. I am pasting from a message. I would add that the CompTIA test is not really that meaningful professionally. Instead you should aim to do the CAHIMS cert here:

http://www.himss.org/health-it-certification/cahims


As for the CompTIA Health IT exam (HIT-001), I used:

ISBN-13: 978-0789749291

CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician HIT-001 Cert Guide

by Joy Dark, published by Pearson Certification.

http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Healthcare-Technician-HIT-001-Guide/dp/0789749297


It is around 380 pages of prose (the rest is glossary and index,) and is a solid solution for tying together the core sets of knowledge that are on the HIT-001 exam. It has an added benefit of being well written and organized. Unfortunately it is often a bit too sparse when it should focus and elaborate on a topic. A more complete edition could easily add 200 pages. The book also contained a CD that has a few study tools on it, including a printable "cheat sheet" study guide.

The book includes a coupon for the digital version with an addition set of practice questions as well. I paid for and studied those questions and did learn a little bit more from them, but the majority of them were not helpful so I can't give a blanket recommendation for paying for the additional content. However, at the time it was quite inexpensive, I think I paid $10 after the coupon.

CompTIA suggests the A+ as a pre-requisite for the HIT-001, and this book does not cover the content from the A+ in enough detail to stand alone. You should get an A+ study guide as well if you are not confident in that matterial. If you have taken security+ and networking+ you will also benefit, but this book and the accompanying practice questions are enough to get you a pass for the content from those higher level IT exams.

The best way to use this book is as a tie in for all of the different content areas that form the HIT-001. It won't give you mastery of any of them, but it will give you an excellent idea of how the test will approach them AND to what degree you should prepare for all of the content areas. If you wish to guarantee success, then you should also expect to do a bit of extra reading. This guide is to give you a pretty good idea of just how much you need do.

Having taken the test, I suggest the following:

1 First thing you should do is be comfortable with the A+ content, particularly A+ level of networking, security, and hardware/system setup content. If you are at the level of STRATA, the book may be enough to pull you up, but you will certainly miss questions on the test.

2 Go to Wikipedia, print the articles "HIPAA", "HL7", "HITECH act", "OSI Model" These four topics (especially the first two) represent several questions on the exam, and are not discussed at length in the book. Reading the Wiki's will help cement the information.

3 Start reading this book. ANY term/acronym you do not understand must be memorized. Pay special attention to the first 2 chapters and the last chapter, this is the truly unique part of the HIT-001 exam, and features heavily in the exam. Look through questions at the end of chapters and answer them for extra practice (some are useful, some not.)

4 Go back through the book, and focus on anything contained in a chart, you will likely have questions on them. particularly things such as HL7 meta tags, OSI levels, and the departments of a hospital (and their corresponding IS.)

5 Become comfortable with HIPAA, understand the role of each article, with special emphasis on article 2, and the practicalities of becoming HIPAA compliant, from a technical perspective in a hospital and inter-business setting. Become comfortable identifying what is and isn't a HIPAA violation between hospital employees and businesses, and the role of the IT tech in preventing and responding to violations. Use youtube and google to review a few employee level presentations on the topic, but be careful, many of these have vague and even incorrect points, and are insufficient over all, but, some quesitons on the test were practical or ethical in nature, and empoyee presentations are good for getting an idea of HIPAA case studies.

6 Use the software to study the practice questions until you know them all. This is actually a considerable amount of additional content, and should not be skipped.

7 Go take and pass your test!

In retrospect, I do not think the exam was especially difficult or tricky. It mainly wants to know that you, as an IT technician, have the correct concepts in your head to not make critical errors. This includes not only some technical knowledge, but also an idea of the anatomy of hospitals as business environments and how they use IT to serve their needs.

Ok,

Now that I'm a bit more rested I'll do my best to answer your questions in detail.

With the videos obviously there are a set amount of hours, but what it typically did was study/take notes on a specific objective and then watched the videos afterwards to supplement any info I might have lost. (Toward the end of the objectives I only watched videos and took notes on those because my textbook was a bit lacking but we'll get to that)

Some people take both Exams at the same time and thats cool if you think you can then go for it, save yourself an extra trip. I decided to Study/pass one exam and then the other. The first exam took me over a year because i only studied off and on and that was for the 701/702 so then those went out and i started over. As for my actual exams they were EXACTLY 3 months apart, but that was just a happy coincidence.

For my study materials i used a combination of things. My textbook was

http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Guide/dp/0789748509/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413033916&sr=1-13&keywords=a%2B+study+guide

It's a good book and i loved the software that came with it as you can add additional practice exams to it from other guides. It is a very in depth text and a bit less casual than the mike meyers books. My only gripe about this book is that it doesn't cover the objectives in order so you'll wind up flipping through looking for data on a specific subject alot. (hence why i just switched to videos toward the end)

for practice exams i used this

http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-220-801-220-802-Authorized-Edition/dp/0789749718/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=05FH7YZJ8527K4AGNB9B

The practice exams in this book are amazing and the cheat sheet in the back is pretty helpful as well. Also all of the practice exams are also on a disc so you can take them on a computer or laptop if you wish.

Finally when you start drilling the practice exams head to

http://www.examcompass.com/ they offer 10 short and sweet practice exams that you can even take on your phone.

Studying is fairly simple. If you haven't already you should start with downloading and printing out the exam objectives found here.

801- http://certification.comptia.org/docs/default-source/exam-objectives/comptia_a_220-801_objectives.pdf

802- http://certification.comptia.org/docs/default-source/exam-objectives/comptia_a_220-802_objectives.pdf

then just start at the top and work your way down. When you reach the point that you think you could easily explain each point to someone else properly then you're probably safe to move ahead. TAKE YOUR TIME do a little each day trust me it's wayyyyyyyyy to much data to just shove in your head all at once. What i did was take notes on all the objectives using the videos afterward, then once I'd reviewed everything i started drilling practice exams. Once i started scoring at least 90% I would buy my vouchers and schedule my test about a week ahead of time.

The test itself can be a bit intimidating but just take your time and read everything in detail. There will be some performance based simulations (i'm not sure how much detail i can go into with those) suffice to say if your confident in your knowledge then you'll be able to complete them. Worst case just flag them for later and skip ahead to the multi choice questions, flag anything you're not sure of so you can double check it at the end of the exam.

Lastly people very rarely pay the full 188 for the voucher comptia usually offers a 10% off coupon on their website. if you google it i'm sure you'll find it.

In conclusion If you want to test in a week go over the exam objectives and cross off the subjects that you know like the back of your hand. and study up on the ones that you don't. Don't let the exam room intimidate you when you go to test. It's just another practice exam just with uglier lighting :P

I hope this has helped you at least a little. happy studying and good luck!

Study Materials
I used this book almost exclusively. It is $10 on the Kindle (this if the 401 version). I got a 73 on the pre-assessment test, and after reading the book an 86 on the post.
As many on this sub-reddit have mentioned, Professor Messer - I gave his videos a try. Of course it's subjective, but he puts me to sleep. The other problem (no specific examples), I found some of the things he said contradicting or just different enough from my readings that it was confusing me. So I stopped using his videos.
CBT Nuggets is available for me through work, and I used Keith Barker's videos. If this is available to you, use it. They have a 7-day free trial, use that and if you can get it all in in 7 days (definitely possible and I don't know if the trial allows full access), get it done for free in 7 days). Otherwise, $88 for a month, and if it helps you pass the exam/understand the material better, do it. Best of all, what Keith was saying seemed directly in-line with my studies, no contradictions and whatever slight variances there were compared to my studies, were explained and made sense.

Practice Exams
I used the ExamCompass practice exams and CertMaster practice exams. Other than validating that I knew my stuff, they don't teach you anything. ExamCompass is free and one of the first results that comes up if you search for CompTIA security practice exam. CertMaster is yours if you get the re-take bundle through CompTIA. Since my work paid for my exam, I had them pay for that one. I'm fortunate to have a workplace that pays for these things, and HR doesn't check anything just approves whatever's put in front of them.

The Exam
The exam itself was nothing like the practice exams. The simulation questions were laughably easy - almost like put the square block in the circular hole type questions - but I'm sure there's variance in this and your results may vary. The questions themselves were nothing like ANY of the practice exams. I felt like I was taking the wrong test or something. Literally felt like it was asking me Cat is to 75786 as Microwave is to
a) carpet
b) hammer
c) wall
d) hamster.
Then again, CompTIA always has those questions not related to the exam for some kind of evaluation purpose - so maybe that's what those were. You will have these kinds of questions, and some of them on a second look can help you see things differently, you might notice a port number in that string of output that you can use to "guess" the correct answer because the multiple choice is a bunch of protocols and one of those protocols matches that port number.
I finished with ~20 minutes to spare, though I used that time to go back and review my questions and answers. On review though, on all but 3 questions, I said to myself, "that's the same answer I would've chosen anyway." I went through that tense moment of answering the demographic questions, and getting to the anticlimactic page telling me I had passed.

Advice
Use what works for you. Gibson's book really worked for me - and Keith Barker's videos were informative and entertaining (...and I'd like to thank you, for watching). Other's here have mentioned a lot of success with Messer, and fwiw, it works for them. If it works for you, use his videos. He's put a lot of work into them - they're free, and people have passed by his videos alone.
Know your gosh-darned port numbers - you should've been doing this since A+ and definitely in your Net+ studies. Though you don't have to take the Net+ prior to the Sec+, I understand why they recommend having it first. There were at least 2 questions that I was able to (easily) answer due to my Network studies.
There's no mention of this in any of my studies, but I got that POODLE question. If I hadn't read about that, literally the day of the exam on this sub-reddit, it would've been a complete guess. I got that one question right because of staying up-to-date on this.
If you are a native English speaker, and are taking this exam in English, you can reasonably correctly guess some of the terms and vocabulary answers - still, study how CompTIA wants you to know things like Threat, Vulnerability, Risk, etc.

Right now CySa+ materials are going on sale because the test is going to change. A new test is coming in the next 6 months or so. That being said it might be worth while getting Net+ first. As I'm sure you noticed while taking Sec+ there is a lot of Networking involved. However, if you are comfortable with networking then I'd just straight to CySa+ while the materials are cheep and your Sec+ knowledge is still fresh.

>New CompTIA CySA+ (CS0-002) exam coming in Q2 2020!

This study bundle is 51% off on amazon currently.

CySa+, like Sec+, is DoD approved so it's (typically) worth more in the job market than Net+

> CompTIA CySA+ meets the ISO 17024 standard and is approved by U.S. Department of Defense to fulfill Directive 8570.01-M requirements. It is compliant with government regulations under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). Regulators and government rely on ANSI accreditation because it provides confidence and trust in the outputs of an accredited program.

Try these:

Network+

Security+

Linux+

If you get the digital versions of these they're each less than $20. Also they come with a code to get the Total Tester software for net+ and security+, which has lots of practice questions. That's pretty much all I used to pass Net+ on monday. The passport series just gives you what you actually need to pass the exam, and their written pretty well.

There is some stuff, at least in the most recent Network+ exam, that covers weird, old tech. stuff that really isn't used anymore like Token Ring, which I believe wasn't in some of the past exams and was reintroduced. Or it might have been ISDN. But anyway, best to get something up to date.

I'm not 100% on the linux one. It was published in 2008 and they have changed the test since, but most of it should still be perfectly relevant.

Alternatively you could try studying Kali Linux specifically. Good thing with lots of nice tools for security and penetration testing. The book is online and completely free. That should teach you most of what you need to know for linux+.

I posted this in another thread but check it out, it might help.


Here is some information. Note that I still haven't taken my Net+ but this is the information that seems to be widely used:

All Hail Professor Messer:

http://www.professormesser.com/network-plus/n10-006/n10-006-course-index/

ExamCompass Practice Tests:

http://www.examcompass.com/comptia-network-plus-certification-practice-test-1-exam-n10-006

Crucial Exams Practice Tests:

https://crucialexams.com/

AioTestKing:

http://www.aiotestking.com/comptia/

Also, if you want hardcopy material look into Mike Meyer's series. I think it is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Guide-Sixth-N10-006/dp/0071848223/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453823065&sr=8-1&keywords=mike+meyers+network+%2B

Good luck and happy studying!

Just scored 827 on the 220-801 exam. I'm using this text though I hear great things about the Meyers book. Watch these videos and puchase his study guides they're excellent value. Read a chapter then watch the appropriate video, a few a week is a great pace. Then once you get through and are somewhat confident in answering the questions in the book, book your exam and have a week where you really blitz the material (around 3 chapters a day). Practice exams would be bonus, I used the ones that came with this but that was a loaner from a friend.

I am currently reading the [CompTIA A+ Complete Deluxe Study Guide] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/CompTIA-Complete-Deluxe-Study-Guide/dp/1119137934/ref=pd_cp_14_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0HV752EMYP82DNXV92P7)

 

Pros:

 

• Covers everything in depth
  
  
• The practice exams at the end of each chapter do a good job of covering the chapter
  
  
• PDF copies of Book (most have this now)
  
  
• online tests you can configure to include questions from different chapters
  
  
• "Performance Based Questions" - Essay like questions at the end of each chapter.
  
  
• extra tests for the 901 section and 902 sections
  
  
• 30 day subscription to online video lectures (ITProTV)
  
   
  
  Cons:
  
   
  
  
• Style of writing is a little fluffy. Sometimes it seems like they added content that wasn't necessary.
  
  
• Pictures in the book are not in color (PDF copy of book is though). This makes it difficult to recognize color coded hardware
  
  
• I wish they had more charts.
  
  
• Some figures included don't provide extra insight
  
   
  
  Overall, I think it's a good book. I extras you get from the Deluxe package are great. I would still suggest watching some professor messer videos and maybe evening writing up your own personal study guide for subjects that challenge you.

yes very helpful; much thanks. I see amazon has a complete certification kit for both the 901 and 902 that comes with study and review guides for only $40. if i decided to go for the 900 series cert would this be my best option?

here is link to the product: https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Complete-Certification-Kit-220-901/dp/1119139740/ref=dp_rm_img_

I didn't find many good free tests. I would say examcompass is ok for 1001 but they have some straight up wrong answers for the 1002.

Here is what I used- https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-901-220-902-ebook/dp/B019HX5EOM

The book is 30 bucks and the book is ok if a little too in depth, but comes with free access to totalsem.com, which is amazing in terms of practice tests. It even has a few simulations that were actual PBQ's ripped from the test.

Between the totalsem tests and professormesser i just passed my A+ and got certified earlier today.

You should remember a three-word strategy to studying for and passing the Network+: Divide and conquer.

You need to be smart about what you put effort into understanding and memorizing. Look at the Exam Objectives. If you scroll all the way to the bottom of the Exam Objectives, you'll see there is a list of hundreds of terms and acronyms. I would not encourage anyone to try and memorize every single acronym on that list. Instead, you should focus on WHATEVER is an OBJECTIVE. Here is a list of SOME of the things I would encourage you to memorize.

• Leased lines
  
• T-1
  
• T-3
  
• E-1
  
• E-3
  
• OC3
  
• OC12
  
  
• Copper Connectors
  
  • RJ-11
    
• RJ-45
  
• RJ-48C
  
• DB-9/RS-232
  
• DC-25
  
• UTP Coupler
  
• BNC Coupler
  
• BNC
  
• F-Connector
  
• 110 Block
  
• 66 Block
  
• Copper Cables
  
• CAT3
  
• CAT5
  
• CAT5e
  
• CAT6
  
• CAT6a
  
• PVC vs plenum
  
• RG-59
  
• RG-6
  
• Straight Through vs Crossover
  
  
• Fiber Connectors
  
• ST
  
• SC
  
• LC
  
• MTRJ
  
• FC
  
• Fiber Coupler
  
• Fiber Cables
  
• Single-mode
  
• Multimode
  
• APC vs UPC
  
  
• Tools
  
• Cable Crimpers
  
• Punchdown tool
  
• Wire Strippers
  
• Snips
  
• OTDR
  
• Cable Certifier
  
  
• Topologies
  
• Mesh (Partial vs full)
  
• Bus
  
• Ring
  
• Star
  
• Hybrid
  
  
• IPv4 Classes
  
• A 1-126
  
• B 128 - 191
  
• C 192 - 223
  
• D 224 - 239
  
• E 240 - 254
  
  
• Attacks
  
• DoS
  
• ARP Cache Poisoning
  
• Packet/Protocol Abuse
  
• Spoofing
  
• Man-in-the-middle
  
  
• Troubleshooting Methodology
  
• 1. Identify Problem
     
• 2. Establish Theory
     
• 3. Test Theory
     
• 4. Establish Plan
     
• 5. Implement Solution
     
• 6. Verify Functionality
     
• 7. Document Findings
     
     
• Command Line Tools
  
• Ipconfig
  
• Netstat
  
• Ping
  
• Tracert
  
• Nbstat
  
• Nslookup
  
• Arp
  
• MAC address lookup table
  
• Pathping
  
  
• Troubleshooting Tools
  
• Line Tests
  
• Certifiers
  
• Multimeters
  
• Cable Tester
  
• Light meter
  
• Toner Probe
  
  
• OSI Model
  
• 7 Application
  
• 6 Presentation
  
• 5 Session
  
• 4 Transport
  
• 3 Network
  
• 2 Data Link
  
• 1 Physical
  
  
• Wireless Standards
  
• 802.11a
  
• 802.11b
  
• 802.11g
  
• 802.11n
  
• 802.11ac
  
  
• Ethernet Standards
  
• 10Base-2
  
• 10Base-T
  
• 100Base-T
  
• 100Base-FX
  
• 1000Base-T
  
• 1000Base-TX
  
• 10GBase-T
  
• 10Gbase-SR
  
• 10Gbase-ER
  
• 10Gbase-EW
  
  
• Wiring Standards
  
• 568A
  
• 568B
  
  
• Standard Business Documents
  
• SLA
  
• MOU
  
• MSA
  
• SOW
  
  
  
  
• Ports & Protocols
  
• 20 FTP Data
  
• 21 FTP Control
  
• 22 SSH
  
• 23 Telnet
  
• 25 SMTP
  
• 53 DNS
  
• 67 & 68 DHCP
  
• 69 TFTP
  
• 80 HTTP
  
• 110 POP3
  
• 123 NTP
  
• 137-139 NetBIOS
  
• 143 IMAP4
  
• 161 SNMP
  
• 443 HTTPS
  
• 445 SMB
  
• 1720 H.323
  
• 2427/2727 MGCP
  
• 3389 RDP
  
• 5004/5005 RTP
  
• 5060/5061 SIP
  
  Look up everything I've listed above (and a lot of other things I missed out too that are listed on the Exam Objectives) and learn about them through different means (books, videos, podcasts, apps, etc)
  Don't just memorize something. Understand it. Understanding it will help you memorize it.
  
  You should have a plan on how you plan on studying. Don't just study aimlessly. The Network+ exam is a marathon. People don't just get up one day and run a marathon. They train for it. The finish line is passing the exam, the race track is the Exam Objectives. Not everyone can successfully finish a marathon. You need to train (study) and condition (practice) yourself to be prepared to run and finish that race.
  
  Remember to take it one day at a time. You should pay for and schedule the exam so that you have a set date for the exam which will incentive you to study instead of procrastinating. Take it one day at a time BUT HAVE A PLAN. DIVIDE AND CONQUER. BREAK THINGS UP INTO SMALLER MANAGEABLE CHUNKS. MAKE LISTS. BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT MEMORIZING SOMETHING, CHECK THE EXAM OBJECTIVES TO SEE IF IT IS WORTH YOUR TIME AND EFFORT TO MEMORIZE SAID THING.
  
  Some tools to help you study:
  
  
• Books
  
• [Mike Meyers All-in-One Network+ Book] (https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Guide-N10-005/dp/0071789227)
  
• [ExamCram Network+ Book] (https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-N10-006-Exam-Cram/dp/078975410X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1498175683&sr=1-1&keywords=exam+cram+network)
  
  
• Videos
  
• [Professor Messer's Network+ videos] (http://www.professormesser.com/network-plus/n10-006/n10-006-course-index/)
  
• [Mike Meyers' Network+ videos] (https://www.udemy.com/comptia-network-certification-n10-006-the-total-course/) (You can find these same videos on Lynda.com and you can sign up for a free trial)
  
  
• Podcast
  
• [Professor Messer's Network+ podcast] (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/professor-messers-network-study-group/id1197907469?mt=2)
  
  
• Apps
  
• [Darril Gibson's Network+ app] (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.learnzapp.networkplus&hl=en) (ANDROID VERSION)
  
• [Darril Gibson's Network+ app] (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/comptia-network-n10-006-exam-prep/id514411688?mt=8) (iOS VERSION)
  
  
  
  

CompTIA Server+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide (Exam SK0-004) https://www.amazon.com/dp/125983803X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wO2WDbH7X2CSY

Tempting to be that guy..but link above is for a book I used, and most video training is available through CBT/Pluralsight etc in some fashion or another. Also, for any reference material, always best to first check vendors sites on specific certs and 99% will list books or additional training options.

Best of luck.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1463762364/ref=od_img_link_refresh_T1

I was recommended this book and I've only had a quick skim through it as I am trying to get more employibility through other avenues and then start studying for it. But it seems well laid out and easy to read. It also has a lot of great reviews

Part of it would be IF the employer or HR person is aware of the cert. However, just by looking at the objectives, 47% of the test is IT Hardware/Software and Security. Most likley stuff that you would already know if you took the A+/Net+/Sec+. There are two subsections of the IT Hardware (3.2 and 3.10) that deals with EHR/EMR technologies, something I do not recall being covered in A+/Net+.

The rest of the objectives covers things that are most specialized in the healthcare field. Policies, Procedures, and Regulations. It also covers things like how a Hospital may be organized and some medical terminology that some laypeople may not know. Here are a few review questions I pulled from the CompTIA Healthcare IT Technicatin HIT-001 Authorized Cert Guide

>Which branch of the HHS controls the electronic standards of transaction for an insurance claim? And what is the current standard?
>Which HHS division is responsible for enforcing HIPAA rules?
>What does the HIPAA Enforcement Rule determine?
>What are possible breaches of e-PHI?
>Why are SLAs important and what do they establish?

And here are a few practicus exam questions from Healthcare Information Technology Exam Guide for CompTIA Healthcare IT Technician and HIT Pro Certifications

>You are an office manager at a long-term care facility that provides medical services for chronically ill patients. You are responsible for ensuring that patient history and physical examination information for your patients are dictated and transcribed in the appropriate time frame to meet The Joint Commission (TJC), formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), s standards. What is the appropriate time frame to meet the standard?
>A. 24 hours
>B. 7 days
>C. 14 days
>D. 30 days

>Which of the following is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI)–accredited Standards Developing Organization (SDO) operating in the healthcare arena that develops standards for clinical and administrative data?
>A. CCD
>B. HL7
>C. CCR
>D. CPT


So does it have weight? IDK, but when I applied for an IT Manager position at a small regional hospital last year I looked over the HIT-001 as kind of a starting point to get me going. If anything, having it on your resume/cover letter could help set you apart from the rest of the pool, and give you a leg up when it comes to knowing how some of the medical stuff works. I know FERPA regulations due to my current job, I do not know HIPAA regulations.

Congrats! I've read through the following a few months ago and am hoping to do the same soon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/CompTIA-Certification-LX0-103-LX0-104-101-400/0071841687/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=N6W14D8WP5GW0JVTJ0Q5

Did you feel the exam was easy having taken classes, or stretched your skills?

I mostly used TestOut-Labsim for a majority of it and even then mostly the practice tests. I have a very hard time paying attention when it comes to instructional videos and I have an easier time with studying texts. The text I read through was Exam Cram - CompTIA Security+ by KirkHausman (http://smile.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-SY0-301-Authorized-Edition/dp/0789748290/). I used Microsoft OneNote for taking notes (this is my favorite application ever) and Cram.com for flash cards on my phone. I memorized 25 different protocols and their corresponding ports using the cards. About half (maybe more) I had already memorized for Net+, but those are just further concrete in my mind.

The problem with Security+ is there is a lot of studying and memorizing facts, where Net+ and A+ has a lot of "hands on" situations, like configuring devices. I think this is because a lot of the security principles have been around long before computers. Cryptography has been found in Egypt dating back to like 1900 BC!

This option is $22 for Kindle version of Meyers book:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019HX5EOM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_NPJwBb5D89824

Download a free sample and see if you like it.

You can also listen to it and it will turn pages for you if you have iOS or Android phone:

Check these links for setting up the audio feature:.

https://youtu.be/BxrkYFd63E8

https://youtu.be/0mXkme9abiU

If you like the features of the digital version, buy it and with the savings you can afford Messer's notes too!!

Buy this, this, and this.

If you can, try to build your own box from scratch.

Sign up for an account with Professor Messer, and watch every video.

Download, install and become familiar with VirtualBox...then install a Linux distro and become familiar with it. Everyone and their grandmother will instantly pounce on you to try to shove their personal Linux distro preference down your throat. Ignore most of them. Try Ubuntu, Fedora or openSUSE. Better, try all of them. They're all based on different flavors of Linux. Find one you like? Does it feel comfortable? Good. Use that one.

Ignore most "free" online practice tests (they're mostly shit), make flash cards, use VirtualBox to get as much hands on as you can, keep your head down and study.

I would highly suggest getting an exam prep book such as this or this

Pay attention to concepts, not just memorization but ask yourself in what situations would these concepts apply. For example...when they discuss Business Continuity, understand why one plan would be better used in certain situations than another.

Pay attention to ports and protocols, incident response techniques, attack types. Don't get caught up in the nitty gritty, but have a baseline understanding of the differences between certain items in the same category (phishing techniques, malicious codes, different attack/defense types) and why someone might use one item vs another.

Some of it will be straight memorization, but a lot more of it will be concepts. Concepts Concepts Concepts!

Good luck, I felt completely underpreped when I took my test, a lot of my test prep kicked my ass. Even as I was taking the test there were times when I sat back, stared at my screen and wondered what the hell I was doing with my life. Ended up with a score in the high 800's...so this test is beatable...just make sure you put in the book time beforehand.

Edit: Also, look around here and on some other forums, the info on how to do well is out there, just go find it!

I have enjoyed the Sybex series, https://smile.amazon.com/CompTIA-Complete-Study-Guide-220-1001/dp/1119515939/ref=sr_1_5?crid=39NGOO1J9JE1G&keywords=comptia+a%2B+1001&qid=1575104128&sprefix=comptia+a%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-5

But I dare say the majority I've seen on this sub forum seem to prefer the all in one series, and Mike Meyers did the one for the A+,

https://smile.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Guide-220-1001-220-1002-ebook-dp-B07PPY7P1T/dp/B07PPY7P1T/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=

But thats just my opinion on books, take it with a huge grain of salt as I have not passed the A+.

There are two exam-prep books available - the Sybex study guide by Troy McMillan and the All-in-One Server+ book by Daniel LaChance.

Either of those will teach you what you need to know.

If you don't have experience with Active Directory and domain controllers, there are probably some free videos on YouTube to teach you the basics of those. Or look for free/inexpensive courses on Lynda, Coursera, or Udemy.

See also my post about my passing the Server+ exam.

This is what I'm working with now and I just passed the 801.

Professor Messer Videos, free on Youtube

Professor Messer Study Guides, $10 each

Study Book, This book doesn't feel like a text book like some of the other study guides do.

I agree. I would look into virtual labs too.

I personally liked these:

https://www.cybrary.it/catalog/practice_labs/comptia-cybersecurity-analyst-csa

And the Sybex book and practice questions:

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-CySA-Study-Guide-CS0-001/dp/1119348978/

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-CySA-Practice-Tests-CS0-001/dp/1119433207/

Edit: CompTIA renamed Cybersecurity Analyst from CSA to CySA. So you will see a mix for a while.

im watching jason dion cysa videos and bought this one based on the most reviews, theres no perfect book like gibson was to Security+

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1119348978/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1525549311&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=comptia+cysa%2B&dpPl=1&dpID=51F3etaiN4L&ref=plSrch

I'm currently the Meyers book and find it easy to follow, but there are others on Amazon that you can look at. Maybe there's a difference between books in his writing style? I found two A+ books to be boring because of the material. But that's just me.

I also plan on purchasing the Professor Messer Net+ .pdf study guide to supplement my own guide I will expand on, which is based on the CompTIA Exam Objectives.

It was easy. This was all I really needed:

CompTIA Server+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide (Exam SK0-004) https://www.amazon.com/dp/125983803X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NzbuDbV3TNPEW

If you're getting 94% on your practice exam you're probably ready to go. Get a few more practice exams (you can buy books of practice exams on Amazon pretty cheaply) if you continue to get mid 90s you should be good to go.

Make sure you have your standard ports memorized. They came up a lot for me.

To pass my Security+ I watched the CBT Nuggets and read
this and [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Security-Certification-Official-published-McGraw-Hill/dp/B00E6TOT2Q/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394728491&sr=1-8&keywords=security%2B+clarke) but I really had to learn a lot, I don't do much security work in my day to day. In the end I was way overprepared. I think I only missed one question.

Well don't just rely upon the working experience...

http://www.professormesser.com/n10-005-study-guide/

http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-All---One-Guide/dp/0071789227/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421872668&sr=1-6&keywords=network%2B&pebp=1421872676529&peasin=71789227

Everyone's working experience is different and there are probably things you don't know that will be in the exam.

I would imagine that this is the book. https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-CySA-Study-Guide-CS0-001/dp/1119348978/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518465950&sr=8-1&keywords=sybex+csa
It seems to be often recommended.

If you want to pass the 103 and 104 try finding the text book by Jason Eckert... https://www.amazon.ca/CompTIA-Linux-Guide-Certification/dp/1305107160

I had Jason as my Linux teacher and his book is 100% gold. He personally claims going thru this book cover to cover 3 times makes for a pass on these exams!

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-CySA-Study-Guide-CS0-001/dp/1119348978/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519675757&sr=8-1&keywords=CSA%2B

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Cybersecurity-Analyst-Guide-Certification/dp/0789756951/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1519675757&sr=8-2&keywords=CSA%2B

The Sybex study guide will be available on April 24th. I plan on buying that, studying for a month, then taking a shot at the exam in late May.

>The official study guide



Is it this one?

​

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CompTIA-Complete-Study-Guide-220-1001/dp/1119515939/ref=asc_df_1119515939/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241430810118&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12533844040823489630&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006567&hvtargid=pla-696500029900&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0071848223/

Im using this book. https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Healthcare-Technician-HIT-001-Guides/dp/0789749297

He does! I just bought the kindle version (only $10) to use for my own studies.

CompTIA A+ Complete Certification Kit: Exams 220-901 and 220-902 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119139740/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_k47MBbDD0GWZS

It’s 52, when I bought it back in July

Stick with Prof M. He's big for a reason. You should have a book or two you've read already though. https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Complete-Certification-Kit-220-901/dp/1119139740/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1523973203&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=comptia+a%2B+certification&psc=1

This book? http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Security-Certified-Ahead-SY0-301/dp/1463762364

Study this book and Pluralsight server+ videos.
https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Server-Certification-Guide-SK0-004/dp/125983803X

-Watched the videos read the book and took the practice the test from the book.

i am also using the udemy videos plus this book https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-CySA-Study-Guide-CS0-001/dp/1119348978/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Q1HMEANW19CTDCH8E366

Yea, in face this is the bundle I got:

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Cybersecurity-Analyst-Certification-CS0-001/dp/1260453251/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=CySA%2B&qid=1558129385&s=gateway&sr=8-5

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Server-Certification-Guide-SK0-004/dp/125983803X

I read this book and with the practice test did okay, it helped that I had hands on experience so it was easy.

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Server-Certification-Guide-SK0-004/dp/125983803X

I didn't even bother with the sims but if you have time and no experience I would say try them out.

Sorry for the delay, I used http://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Network-Certification-Edition-N10-005/dp/0071789227/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396240683&sr=8-1&keywords=comptia+network%2B