# How I Passed the Network+ I passed the CompTIA Network+ Exam on February 22nd of 2024. This post details my study journey and tips for passing the exam. ## My Journey I've found journals of mine with study notes dating back to October 2022 when I had started, but not completed, [Mike Meyers Network+ Udemy course](https://www.udemy.com/course/comptia-networkplus-certification). A year later I started studying again, using [Professor Messer's YouTube course]([CompTIA N10-008 Network+ Training Course - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG49S3nxzAnlCJiCrOYuRYb6cne864a7G) and stopped halfway through. I switched to using [CBT Nuggets](https://www.cbtnuggets.com/it-training/comptia/network-plus) at the request of boss since my work had an active, paid CBT Nuggets subscription. I took detailed notes on each CBT Nuggets video. Despite completing the course, I'd retained very little on the information I had learned. I decided to restart Professor Messer's course. This time, rather than writing my own notes, I purchased his course notes. After each video I'd review his notes, then make flash cards. After completing the course I finally purchased an exam voucher and [Dion's Udemy Practice Tests](https://www.udemy.com/course/comptia-network-008-exams). The voucher bundle I'd purchased included a retake, so I scheduled my exam in a week's time. The practice tests revealed areas of the exam where I required additional study. I created a "cheat sheet" to focus my studies on the areas where I struggled. The night before my exam I scoped out the exam center to ensure I knew where the test was. The Network+ exam is split between multiple choice and performance based questions. My exam contained the maximum number of performance based questions that could appear. I spent a large amount of time on the first question until I decided to complete the multiple choice questions first, then return to the performance based questions. I had finished each practice test I took with 20+ minutes to space, but during the actual exam I used every minute I was given. I finally passed the CompTIA Network+ Exam on February 22nd of 2024. ## Study Tips After several months I had finally achieved my goal, but there were definitely areas efficiency could have been improved. Here are my tips: ### Book the test first My journey mentioned study notes dating back to October of 2022. However, my desired to earn a CompTIA certification started back in high school when I was working towards the A+ Cert. Each time I started studying, I'd get to a point about a month or two into the journey where other interests, or life, would get in the way. Then enough time would pass that made it difficult to pick up where I left off, leading me to start the study cycle over. It shouldn't have taken me three years to finally become Network+ certified. 3-4 months is an achievable goal to seat the exam. I recommend purchasing the exam voucher before even beginning to study. The immediate investment of money and set deadline would have driven me to achieve my goal on a reasonable timeframe. ### Review Your Notes Notes don't help without review. When I started Professor Messer's YouTube course I took detailed notes over each exam lecture. I did the same all the way through the CBT Nuggets course. Then I made flash cards the second time viewing Professor Messer's course. I spent more time writing and formatting my notes, than actually reviewing them. This is why I would finish each course, but not retain the information. Whether taking notes, using someone else's notes, or creating flash cards review them regularly and often. ### Use a Spaced Repetition System (SRS) A Spaced Repetition System (SRS) is an amped up version of flash cards. When using flash cards, each card is typically reviewed an equal number of times. A Spaced Repetition System improves the efficiency of studying by decreasing the number of times correctly answer cards are presented and increasing the number of times incorrectly answered cards are presented. Rather than spending my time taking details notes, I would have reduced my studying time, and retained more information, if I had created a SRS deck and reviewed it daily. ### Take Practice Tests Mike Meyers, Professor Messer, and CBT Nuggets all provided valuable courses. Each resource would overlap in coverage of the CompTIA objectives, but the details of specific sections and style of presentation varied between each of them. Since the majority of information covered in each course overlaps, it would more beneficial to complete a single course, then use practice tests to discover the areas requiring additional study. Practice tests also provide a way to get use to the time restrictions and question styles of a testing environment. ### Scope out the Testing Center Reduce stress on test day by knowing where the testing center is beforehand and arrive early to provide adequate time to check-in. ### Have Your Documents Ready CompTIA requires 2 forms of identification upon arrival at the testing center. They don't allow rescheduling on test day, so be sure to have the proper identification prepared. ## Additional Improvements The above tips are what I used to pass my exam, but with the power of hindsight, there are additional improvement I would make if I had to take it again: ### Get Used to CompTIA's Phrasing Several of the questions on the CompTIA exam require picking the "best" answer. In the real-world, if a problem is ambiguous a technician is able to ask follow-up questions, but this isn't an option when taking the exam. CompTIA has their own study guide available. This guide was including with the voucher retake bundle I purchased. If I were to re-make my SRS deck, I would have based it on the CompTIA guide instead, so the verbiage would've matched what was presented on the test. I also recommend reviewing [ExamTopics (N10-008)](https://www.examtopics.com/exams/comptia/n10-008/view/1/). CompTIA doesn't post their questions and answers to the exam. This site posts real Network+ exam questions that people remember, then the community collaborates on what the best answers are. There isn't a clear community consensus regarding the best answer for several of the questions, thereby proving the ambiguity of CompTIA's phrasing, but the forum like nature of each question allows people to collaborate and provide reasoning for their answers. ### Practice Performance-Based Questions As mentioned in my journey, I was completing Dion's Practice Exams with 20+ minutes to spare, but on test day I used every minute available to me, and felt like I still needed more time. The biggest time sink was getting immediately hit with the performance based questions. On the exam, questions can be flagged for reviewed. My strategy was to skip these questions, answer what I knew (i.e. the multiple choice), then return to the performance-based questions. I recommend finding a resource to provide additional performance-based practice prior to exam day. ## Conclusion Hopefully these tips helps anyone else seeking to become CompTIA Network+ Certified. I encourage any readers to also check out my Network+ [[Resources]] page which includes a linked list of the courses, notes, SRS decks, and practice tests I used to pass my exam.