So... I've had a CompTIA SecurityX exam voucher sitting in my account for quite a while. I must have rescheduled this test a dozen times because of work commitments, family schedules, not enough time to study, kids screaming in the background, and life in general.
Last night, while the kids were outside following the classic rule of "come home when the streetlights come on," I headed to my home office testing center and finally sat for the exam.
I felt calm, focused, and confident. But I knew that Linux simulation question was coming, the one you can't go back to. It showed up around question 10, and honestly... I completely botched it. At that moment, I was convinced the exam had beaten me. After all, it had defeated me back in February 2025 and my older version recently expired.
I pushed forward, finished the remaining questions, went back through my flagged items, and even had some fun working through the Performance Based Questions (PBQs).
Then came the infamous 13 question survey. If you've ever taken a CompTIA exam, you know exactly what I'm talking about! I clicked Submit, and unlike most CompTIA exams, there was no immediate pass or fail message. I walked away wondering where I stood.
This morning, I was texting my friend Nancy, who is a huge part of my Facebook community, and I was telling her all about my experience. I was convinced I hadn't passed.
Then... I received an email from CompTIA congratulating me and asking me to accept my digital badge.
Wait... what?!
I logged into the CompTIA portal, pulled up my score report, and there it was.
PASS!
The biggest lesson I took away from this experience is simple. Don't doubt yourself. One tough question, or even one tough exam experience, doesn't define the outcome. Set a goal, commit to it, and keep moving forward. Sometimes the biggest obstacle standing in your way is your own self-doubt.
Last night, while the kids were outside following the classic rule of "come home when the streetlights come on," I headed to my home office testing center and finally sat for the exam.
I felt calm, focused, and confident. But I knew that Linux simulation question was coming, the one you can't go back to. It showed up around question 10, and honestly... I completely botched it. At that moment, I was convinced the exam had beaten me. After all, it had defeated me back in February 2025 and my older version recently expired.
I pushed forward, finished the remaining questions, went back through my flagged items, and even had some fun working through the Performance Based Questions (PBQs).
Then came the infamous 13 question survey. If you've ever taken a CompTIA exam, you know exactly what I'm talking about! I clicked Submit, and unlike most CompTIA exams, there was no immediate pass or fail message. I walked away wondering where I stood.
This morning, I was texting my friend Nancy, who is a huge part of my Facebook community, and I was telling her all about my experience. I was convinced I hadn't passed.
Then... I received an email from CompTIA congratulating me and asking me to accept my digital badge.
Wait... what?!
I logged into the CompTIA portal, pulled up my score report, and there it was.
PASS!
The biggest lesson I took away from this experience is simple. Don't doubt yourself. One tough question, or even one tough exam experience, doesn't define the outcome. Set a goal, commit to it, and keep moving forward. Sometimes the biggest obstacle standing in your way is your own self-doubt.
a million times