Common Exam Pitfalls and How to Overcome Them

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precious

precious

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Apr 22, 2024
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#1
CompTIA examinations can indeed be tough, particularly to those who are fresh. There are many students who are not good at managing time, while there are others who simply try too hard to figure out performance-based questions.

As instructors, let’s share tips to help our learners prepare effectively, control anxiety and have a go at the examination.
 
#2
1. Problem Based Scenarios: create a Packet Tracer file with configuration errors for them to fix. Stuff that aligns with the exam objectives.
2. Practice as many questions as possible, maybe 10-15 every day during class and 10-15 at home.
3. Case studies that align with objectives, now with AI you can get something like objective 1.4 from Network+ (Given a scenario, configure a subnet and use appropriate IP addressing schemes) and create a good scenario for them to create the subnet, assign IP's, see what works and what does not.

In my case for the stress the first thing I tell them is that we live in Puerto Rico, CompTIA doesn't consider us as native English speakers, so make sure you get the extra 30 minutes extension on the exam (this doesn't apply to the States) . Also, when I give them full practice exams (70 questions give or take) I subtract 15 minutes from the original 90 minutes allotted. This way they practice for a 75 minute exam and get the real thing with 120 minutes. In the end, they go in knowing that time will not be the determining factor of stress. Also sometimes I build questions with AI that are on levels 4 to 6 of the Boom taxonomy scale, resulting on some questions way harder than on the real exam.
 
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#3
My advice starts before they start studying or taking courses.

READ THE RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITES.

So many students sign up for classes where they have little to no experience, skills, or preparation.

For example, I lost track of how many times I had students sign up for CySA+ with no cybersecurity experience or IT experience at all. They wanted a job in cybersecurity because they heard it had high salaries, low unemployment, and upward mobility. Salespeople and marketing departments sold them on the idea that with just a few boot camps, they would instantly become employable in mid-career cybersecurity roles.

It doesn't work that way. It never has and never will. People have to start at the bottom and build the foundation first.

The recommended prerequisites for CySA+ are Network+, Security+, or equivalent knowledge, and a minimum of 4 years of hands-on experience as an incident response analyst or security operations center (SOC) analyst, or equivalent experience. It's fairly common to have students that meet few or none of those recommendations. They can only pass the exam through exhaustive test prep, memorization, and practice exams.

But they don't learn anything. Memorization isn't learning. They can't apply any of the information or skills and struggle with the PBQs because they can't USE the information they've memorized.

Read the recommended prerequisites. If you don't meet the recommendations, you're not ready for the class. The purpose of the certification is to validate your skills and experience. It was never meant to be a shortcut so you can get jobs you haven't earned.
 
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#4
Jose A Ruiz Marquez said:
1. Problem Based Scenarios: create a Packet Tracer file with configuration errors for them to fix. Stuff that aligns with the exam objectives.
2. Practice as many questions as possible, maybe 10-15 every day during class and 10-15 at home.
3. Case studies that align with objectives, now with AI you can get something like objective 1.4 from Network+ (Given a scenario, configure a subnet and use appropriate IP addressing schemes) and create a good scenario for them to create the subnet, assign IP's, see what works and what does not.

In my case for the stress the first thing I tell them is that we live in Puerto Rico, CompTIA doesn't consider us as native English speakers, so make sure you get the extra 30 minutes extension on the exam (this doesn't apply to the States) . Also, when I give them full practice exams (70 questions give or take) I subtract 15 minutes from the original 90 minutes allotted. This way they practice for a 75 minute exam and get the real thing with 120 minutes. In the end, they go in knowing that time will not be the determining factor of stress. Also sometimes I build questions with AI that are on levels 4 to 6 of the Boom taxonomy scale, resulting on some questions way harder than on the real exam.
Click to expand...
These are brilliant strategies—thank you for sharing! I love the use of Packet Tracer for troubleshooting, the time management tip with practice exams, and the idea of creating higher-level AI-generated questions. Definitely inspired to try these out!
 
#5
Gregory Childers said:
My advice starts before they start studying or taking courses.

READ THE RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITES.

So many students sign up for classes where they have little to no experience, skills, or preparation.

For example, I lost track of how many times I had students sign up for CySA+ with no cybersecurity experience or IT experience at all. They wanted a job in cybersecurity because they heard it had high salaries, low unemployment, and upward mobility. Salespeople and marketing departments sold them on the idea that with just a few boot camps, they would instantly become employable in mid-career cybersecurity roles.

It doesn't work that way. It never has and never will. People have to start at the bottom and build the foundation first.

The recommended prerequisites for CySA+ are Network+, Security+, or equivalent knowledge, and a minimum of 4 years of hands-on experience as an incident response analyst or security operations center (SOC) analyst, or equivalent experience. It's fairly common to have students that meet few or none of those recommendations. They can only pass the exam through exhaustive test prep, memorization, and practice exams.

But they don't learn anything. Memorization isn't learning. They can't apply any of the information or skills and struggle with the PBQs because they can't USE the information they've memorized.

Read the recommended prerequisites. If you don't meet the recommendations, you're not ready for the class. The purpose of the certification is to validate your skills and experience. It was never meant to be a shortcut so you can get jobs you haven't earned.
Click to expand...
This is a crucial point—thank you for bringing it to attention. Bypassing essential knowledge results in a pattern of rote memorization without genuine comprehension, ultimately letting students down. Beginning with the necessary prerequisites is essential for substantial learning and achieving success in this area.
 
#6
precious said:
CompTIA examinations can indeed be tough, particularly to those who are fresh. There are many students who are not good at managing time, while there are others who simply try too hard to figure out performance-based questions.

As instructors, let’s share tips to help our learners prepare effectively, control anxiety and have a go at the examination.
Click to expand...

The first 10 questions include PBQs and the hard ones. Flag them for review, skip, then find the easier ones first.
This will help the student build their confidence and the momentum to continue on.

Got a question that you are unsure of? Or perhaps, the scenario is too long to read and comprehend. Flag it for review, then move on.
I typically advise my students not to spend a minute on 1 question alone.
There are 80+ questions with only 90 minutes or so.

Once they get to read all questions and answered the easy ones, spend the rest of the time to answer the remaining questions, and review all of their answers over and over again. They are given with the time. Use it fully.

I don't like it when students finish the exam with about an hour of time left, and they fail. Fortunately, none of my students had this experience. Co'z this means that they either rushed the exam, or they gave up. Sadly, I hear lots of stories like this.

The day before the exam, they should just relax. They have prepared for weeks or months. They now just have to trust that they are competent enough to pass. Sleep well. Eat well. In this way, their body and mind are prepared for the battle ahead.

I hope this helps.
 
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#7
jarrelrivera said:
The first 10 questions include PBQs and the hard ones. Flag them for review, skip, then find the easier ones first.
This will help the student build their confidence and the momentum to continue on.

Got a question that you are unsure of? Or perhaps, the scenario is too long to read and comprehend. Flag it for review, then move on.
I typically advise my students not to spend a minute on 1 question alone.
There are 80+ questions with only 90 minutes or so.

Once they get to read all questions and answered the easy ones, spend the rest of the time to answer the remaining questions, and review all of their answers over and over again. They are given with the time. Use it fully.

I don't like it when students finish the exam with about an hour of time left, and they fail. Fortunately, none of my students had this experience. Co'z this means that they either rushed the exam, or they gave up. Sadly, I hear lots of stories like this.

The day before the exam, they should just relax. They have prepared for weeks or months. They now just have to trust that they are competent enough to pass. Sleep well. Eat well. In this way, their body and mind are prepared for the battle ahead.

I hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Yes it helps, these are antastic suggestions - thanks for sharing! Crying over the easy questions first to build up momentum as well as proper time management are both very practical aspects. Definitely that part of relaxing and trusting their preparation the day before is very critical too. Surely good tips for students and Instructors!
 
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#8
jarrelrivera said:
The first 10 questions include PBQs and the hard ones. Flag them for review, skip, then find the easier ones first.
This will help the student build their confidence and the momentum to continue on.

Got a question that you are unsure of? Or perhaps, the scenario is too long to read and comprehend. Flag it for review, then move on.
I typically advise my students not to spend a minute on 1 question alone.
There are 80+ questions with only 90 minutes or so.

Once they get to read all questions and answered the easy ones, spend the rest of the time to answer the remaining questions, and review all of their answers over and over again. They are given with the time. Use it fully.

I don't like it when students finish the exam with about an hour of time left, and they fail. Fortunately, none of my students had this experience. Co'z this means that they either rushed the exam, or they gave up. Sadly, I hear lots of stories like this.

The day before the exam, they should just relax. They have prepared for weeks or months. They now just have to trust that they are competent enough to pass. Sleep well. Eat well. In this way, their body and mind are prepared for the battle ahead.

I hope this helps.
Click to expand...
I like all this. One thing I'll add in is that I want students to answer that question they're flagging. I tell them to go with their first gut feeling, flag it, and then come back to it at the end of the exam. I say this for two reasons: 1) If they run out of time because they loop back to the PBQs and end up running out of time, they don't have unanswered questions, and 2) I think that generally, people's first choices are more correct, and that people tend to second guess themselves into the wrong answer. I tell them when they get the opportunity to go back to the flagged questions, do NOT change the answer they chose UNLESS they are feeling positively that by changing the answer, they are more than likely going to get the answer right.

I have done practice tests with my students, and I've also been teaching them to not second guess themselves during the exam. We take the tests, and I have them go with their gut for every answer, and no second guessing. Then, before they grade the test, I have them retake it again with the same time, and the next time, go ahead and second guess themselves. When we score both tests, they find that the majority of time, the second test shows them that when they changed their answer, they mostly changed it from the right answer to the wrong answer. Once they understand that, then they start picking with more confidence, as well as feel more confident in their recall abilities.

I hope that makes sense.
 
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#9
jarrelrivera said:
The first 10 questions include PBQs and the hard ones.
Click to expand...

I would not underwrite this.
PBQ on the Beginning: Yes. i recommend skip them, go back later, when you finished the rest.
nearly all my students are thankfull for that advice, when followed it.
But the order of questions is random, and if a questions is consider hard (without knowing the scoring) may depend if you know the stuff or not.

CASP / SecX had one VM challange in between. when you closed it, you could not go back. it would not start again, but then i had like 30 more questions to answer, and did not know how much time i needed for them. so i did not waste to much time with that. But that is imho the only CompTIA Exam sofar with an this type of question..
jarrelrivera said:
Flag them for review, skip, then find the easier ones first.
Click to expand...
not with all questions skipping. but CompTIA allows you that.
jarrelrivera said:
This will help the student build their confidence and the momentum to continue on.

Got a question that you are unsure of? Or perhaps, the scenario is too long to read and comprehend. Flag it for review, then move on.
I typically advise my students not to spend a minute on 1 question alone.
Click to expand...
in my experience it does not work that way. Some questions are short, some are longer, some need so time to understand it.
but i recommend: read them twice. (i have mostly not Eng. Native Speakers)
jarrelrivera said:
There are 80+ questions with only 90 minutes or so.
Click to expand...
Not with Engl. as Secondary Language : you got 30 min mors.

I recommend that they check the time remaining. and when reaching the 5min Limit before finish: better randomly select an Answer then not answering it at all.
25% chance to be right is better then 100% not answered.
 
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#10
jarrelrivera said:
The first 10 questions include PBQs and the hard ones. Flag them for review, skip, then find the easier ones first.
This will help the student build their confidence and the momentum to continue on.
Click to expand...
The only hard ones are the ones you're not prepared for. They can't front-load hard questions because what's hard for one candidate might be easy for another candidate.
 
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