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The Security+ exam (current version SY0-701) from CompTIA is probably one of the most common entry points into cybersecurity. With this article I will be going over the best resources to utilize in order to pass this exam and gain a foundational certification to establish some credibility in this field.
Professor Messer
I would probably consider Professor Messer to be the G.O.A.T when it comes to CompTIA exam prep. My only gripe with him is he really only has content for the base level certs, as soon as you start to climb the ladder as far as difficulty he is no longer an option. But I guess that means he can sustain himself off just maintaining that content, in which case I can’t really blame him.
Professor Messer sells course notes and practice exams to help you prep, however the best value is arguably his YouTube channel. This completely free of charge resource goes through every objective in bite-size(byte sized xD?) portions in a way that is easily digestible. Beyond that he regularly does a long stream where he goes over practice questions with those who are getting ready to take the test. These “Study Groups” can really help get someone into the mindset of what questions you might expect during a CompTIA Exam.
As far as the products he sells I found the Practice Exams to be quite similar to the CompTIA exam itself. Earning north of an 80% set me up to be rather comfortable during the exam itself. Just pay extra attention to the types of questions you are getting wrong, and make extra effort to brush up on those domains before you sit for the real thing.
Sybex
I used Sybex for my recent CySA+ exam and not for Security+(and that is because Messer doesn’t have CySA+ content… shakes fist). But now I see why this is another staple in terms of CompTIA prep content, it’s just THOROUGH. This is basically the book version of professor messer quality, so if you prefer to hold onto something and flip through it yourself and at your pace then this might be more your speed to begin with.
I would value the practice tests the most in my opinion, this beast holds 1000 practice questions that are quite similar to the style you will find on the actual CompTIA test. Finding practice tests with question FORMAT that is as similar as possible to the real thing is the most valuable resource you can find in my opinion. And the questions within Sybex’s material are no different.
Jason Dion
I used Dion’s practice test course he sells on Udemy. These are not the most accurate representation of questions you may get on the CompTIA exam but they do well if you utilize them to find knowledge gaps. Again, my view is the more practice tests the better… Without spending more than you can afford of course. Frequently you can find these tests on an extremely high “sale” on Udemy for like 10 or 20 dollars. Do not pay the normal fee for this course, it is simply not up to that value.
He also sells a normal course to go through, but considering Professor Messer has an entire course for free via YouTube. It is not worth it in my opinion to pay for a course when there is a perfectly acceptable option for free.
Cyber James
https://www.youtube.com/@ImCyberJames
This is another reason I only found out about when studying for CySA+, but given how effective it was in test prep, I wish I had found him sooner. Cyber James runs a youtube channel where he goes over practice questions for exams. For the Security+ in particular he is at about 4 videos over 30 minutes long each. The way he has done these practice exams is he will read through the question, explain what it is asking (this might sound silly but CompTIA is tricky about this), and then explain why some answers are wrong.
This resource is excellent to go through in the days leading up to your exam. It brings you into the right headspace for how CompTIA is going to handle questions.
PocketPrep
Mobile App
This is not a resource I would rely on when you have other options at hand. But when on the go and you find yourself with some downtime and just messing around on your phone, this app can come in clutch.
Conclusion
CompTIA’s Security+ exam is an excellent certification to have when starting your career in cybersecurity. Utilizing these resources efficiently can help you get ready for the exam rather quickly. I wish you all luck.
Don’t click links from strangers,
Bryce
