recommendation for the Security+ exam

[llcooljsl]

I have been reading this forum for a while as a guest user and found the advice very useful in choosing my path of certification.

I decided I would register as from time to time I do occasionally have questions.

I was doing the 70-270 MCSE module, but just found out my nearest test centre is london and I dont fancy a nervous 2 hours on a train before my exam, so decided to go down the comptia route as my local test centre is a 10 minute walk.

I have already done A+ and network + via conventional methods, I bought the books, downloaded some videos I think from CBT or something like that and I also had some practice question(as I thought) from testking or similar. I used it a couple of times, was getting 80-90% so took my exams and passed first time.

Now bearing in mind the investment cost of the books, training material, practice equipment, exam costs and potential travel costs, not to mention the time it takes to study when working full time this brings me on to my question.

Would people agree with the distinction that there is a difference in studying correctly, through official books, practicing with real equipment, watching tutorial videos and then using something like Testking to give you an almost guarantee that you are ready to take your test...and someone who does no study and revision and simply memorises the answers from testking or alike?

Because I for one can't afford to fail, its as simple as that. I am looking for work so don't just want to pass I want to be able to do the work and do it well, so for me being able to be pretty confident my £185 or £164 is going to get me qualified is essential. If I revise without it, my scores vary from 60-95%, with it my scores range from 75-100% so if I turn up on the day, nervous and tired as I can never sleep before an exam and then I fail, £185 quickly becomes £370. As an unemployed person that is a huge amount of money and it would add pressure for the second time.

So anyway my point was perhaps people are too judgemental of Tk and alike and should seperate off people who do no work and indeed are cheating, and those who work just as hard but for financial and pressure reasons need the validation before paying for an exam.

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by llcooljsl

Because I for one can't afford to fail, its as simple as that. I am looking for work so don't just want to pass I want to be able to do the work and do it well, so for me being able to be pretty confident my £185 or £164 is going to get me qualified is essential. If I revise without it, my scores vary from 60-95%, with it my scores range from 75-100% so if I turn up on the day, nervous and tired as I can never sleep before an exam and then I fail, £185 quickly becomes £370. As an unemployed person that is a huge amount of money and it would add pressure for the second time.

So anyway my point was perhaps people are too judgemental of Tk and alike and should seperate off people who do no work and indeed are cheating, and those who work just as hard but for financial and pressure reasons need the validation before paying for an exam.

Total crap, if you put the work in using legitimate training resources then you wont fail unless you have really bad day when you take the exam.

You don’t have to spend hundreds of pounds for the CompTIA exams imo, get a couple of good books and you are good to go.

[postman]

Unless you're a complete idiot!!

The compita+ exam should be for people who show that they understand how can they at the very least understand how computers work.

Pure logic over raw emotion.


I know what I'd prefer!!!!!!!

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by llcooljsl

Would people agree with the distinction that there is a difference in studying correctly, through official books, practicing with real equipment, watching tutorial videos and then using something like Testking to give you an almost guarantee that you are ready to take your test...and someone who does no study and revision and simply memorises the answers from testking or alike?

Microsoft makes no distinction, Cisco makes no distinction, CompTIA makes no distinction, and I make no distinction between them. Cheating is cheating is cheating. And studying to the live exam - even to avoid paying for two exams - is cheating. Paint it however you want to... and justify it and rationalize it all you want to... but it's still cheating.

If you can't afford to fail, don't take the test until you are ready.

I'll put it in clearer terms: if you need Testking to pass, you're not ready to hold the certification. If you are ready to hold the certification... then you do NOT need Testking to pass. It's that simple. If you have to cheat... you're not ready.

Thus, there is absolutely no justification for using braindumps.

Originally Posted by llcooljsl

So anyway my point was perhaps people are too judgemental of Tk and alike and should seperate off people who do no work and indeed are cheating, and those who work just as hard but for financial and pressure reasons need the validation before paying for an exam.

We are judgemental of TK, as are the certification vendors themselves. They ruin the value and integrity of certifications... no matter how they are used. You can disagree with us all you like... but the vendors who give you those certifications agree with us.

[llcooljsl]

I appreciate the replies, and I can see your point, much like it is hard to deny the logic of CCTV cameras, ID cards and chips which monitor how you drive, after all if you are not doing anything wrong, why would you object? But that is not the point in that situation and its not the point in this situation.
A braindump as you call it on its own of course is cheating and useless, and those using that method will be found out quickly in any job they get, if they can even get past an interview, unless testking does interview braindumps?

I had practice exams, past papers and 'sample questions' set by teachers for GCSE's, A levels and even at degree level, sure these are not necessarily exact questions but you can bet they are not far off, and if they could use exact questions they would.

The reason the vendors are against them is because if people lose respect and trust in the quality of the candidates then this will feedback to the quality of the certification and subsequently people will stop taking it as it will be worthless so in this respect I understand and agree with you, but that was not my point.

When I turn up to a job interview I know I have studied hard using official materials, have practiced on the right equipment and software and have real world experience to back it up, the piece of paper is just to get you the interview, beyond that however you got your piece of paper determines whether you get the job, afterall thats the point here, getting jobs, better jobs, more money.

So yes I agree if everyone did no work, had no experience and just used braindumps it would be detrimental to the reputation of the certification, but I can assure you when I turn up for interviews I do my certifications proud.

[Fergal1982]

I think you are missing the point here. TK is not the same as using past papers for GCSE. The primary difference is that the SQA (or whatever the english equivalent - the exam board for GCSE's) choose to release their past papers for general use. They allow students to use them as practice. Thus using them is not cheating.

Certification vendors do not choose to allow people to have access to their exam questions. Part of the conditions of use you sign when you sit the exam states that you are not permitted to use 'live' questions from their question database.

The main reason for this, is that Certification vendors keep using their questions. They are used over and over again on a daily basis. GCSE, etc, exams tend to be rewritten every year - mainly because the exam is sat on one day every year, rather than every day of the year like certification exams.

On a high level overview (ignoring the legality), I agree with you. Using past exams as an aide to studying can be of much use, exactly like it was in school. But thats irrelevant. Its cheating, because the exam vendor says its cheating. Whether you like it or not, using TK is cheating. End. Of. Story. If you dont like it, tough! The people who provide your certification say that thats the case. If you dont like it, dont sit their exams.

[kevicho]

Revision or not, if you cannot score high enough in the tests then you have gaps in your knowledge, and failing an exam is better so you know what gaps to fill.

Thats how we learn, from failiure, not from memorising test questions

[llcooljsl]

yeah i agree with the point about gaps in knowledge, I don't just want to pass I want to be able to know my stuff and do the job and do it well.

So in that sense yeah I agree leaning too hard on a resource such as TK would perhaps lead me to bridge gaps in my knowledge rather than filling them.

Thanks for the replies

[greenbrucelee]

Originally Posted by llcooljsl

yeah i agree with the point about gaps in knowledge, I don't just want to pass I want to be able to know my stuff and do the job and do it well.

So in that sense yeah I agree leaning too hard on a resource such as TK would perhaps lead me to bridge gaps in my knowledge rather than filling them.

Thanks for the replies

you shouldn't use it full stop, if the books and the practice you are putting in isn't working get some other books and do more practice.

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by llcooljsl

yeah i agree with the point about gaps in knowledge, I don't just want to pass I want to be able to know my stuff and do the job and do it well.

So in that sense yeah I agree leaning too hard on a resource such as TK would perhaps lead me to bridge gaps in my knowledge rather than filling them.

Thanks for the replies

Leaning AT ALL, even a little bit, on a resource such as TK enables you to pass when you otherwise wouldn't be able to otherwise. If you believe you WOULD be able to pass without TK, then that's quite easy to prove: don't use braindumps.

There is no justification for using braindumps. At all. Not even if "you already know your stuff".

[Finkenstein]

I agree about the braindumps... if you know your stuff, you will pass and are worthy of EARNing that certification.

I once worked with a guy that braindumped his way through his MCSE. Of course when it came time to apply the knowledge he was hired for, he failed miserably. I was still studying for my MCSE at the time (NT4.0) and was only 2 tests away. I knew way more than he did, and he usually ended up doing more harm than good.

Stay away from them! You'll be thankful in the long run when someone puts you on the spot and you don't know what to do.