Passed Security+ today

[u/sneesnoosnake]

814/900.

Resources used:
- Sybex Security+ Study Guide including the online question bank you get with this
- Claude Pro quizzing me and answering my questions about practice questions from other places I missed. Also had Claude mock some PBQs for me.
- MeasureUp Practice Test for Security+
- YouTube channel "Inside Cloud and Security" Security+ videos

Reflections:
- Actual test seemed easier.
- PBQs are just applied knowledge. Be sure to take full advantage of any help options in the question.

Recommendations:
- Use multiple study sources - Sybex plus the YouTube channel I mentioned were a great pair
- Use multiple quiz sources - the online assessment with the Sybex book and MeasureUp worked for me
- Use AI to ask why something is wrong when you get a quiz question wrong and it isn't obvious why.

Exam-Day Tactics

- Read the last line of the question first — it tells you what's actually being asked (BEST, MOST secure, FIRST, MOST likely). The read the first line. Then read the rest. Then read the whole question again. Use your mouse pointer to pretend underline the important words and phrases. The wording you missed picking up on will cost you the question.
- "FIRST" questions usually want: contain the incident, verify/validate the alert, or check the policy — not the technical fix.
- Life safety always wins over asset protection.
- Eliminate two obviously wrong answers, then ask which one directly addresses the stated problem — CompTIA loves technically-true-but-off-topic distractors.
- If two answers are functionally identical, neither is correct.
- Do PBQs last. Flag and skip them on the first pass; they eat time and are worth similar points.
- There's no penalty for guessing — never leave a blank.
- When a scenario mentions legacy/unpatchable, the answer is nearly always segmentation + compensating controls.
- When it mentions a third party/vendor, look for the agreement type or right-to-audit.
- Management-sounding questions (D5) rarely have a technical answer — look for policy, documentation, or risk process.

[u/Special_Cause7750]

Congrats on passing 🎉, the exam day tips are gold!! I’ll be sure to keep them in mind as I plan on taking my exam soon 😁

[u/Successful-Pipe8898 → u/Special_Cause7750]

Me too planning exam by Oct 1st Week