My Experience with the CompTIA Security+ Exam

This past Friday, I took the CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 exam for the first time and passed with a score of 792. I had been studying for months, so passing on the first attempt was a huge relief. In this quick post, I’ll talk about my study methods, what I found effective, exam day itself, and how I feel now that it’s over. This post is purely subjective, just a collection of my thoughts and experiences.

Study Process

I started studying about four or five months ago after one of my professors suggested I take the exam. I began with LinkedIn Learning, watching Mike Chapple’s CompTIA Security+ prep course over the next month or so. While the videos introduced me to all the exam topics, and no hate toward Mike, I found them a bit slow and hard to stay engaged with.

After finishing the course, I bought the Security+ Study Guide textbook and a book of practice exams. I read through the textbook in a little over a month, and honestly, I wish I had started there instead of the videos. Taking notes from the textbook and doing the included practice questions was a much more engaging and effective way to study for me. When reading a book like this, taking notes is just as important, if not more, than the reading itself.

Once I finished the textbook, I spent a few weeks going through the 1,000 practice questions from the other book. I’d answer 50 questions, review which ones I got right or wrong, and go over every single one, even the ones I answered correctly. This was probably the most effective part of my study process because I learned not only why the correct answer was right but also why the other options were wrong.

During these months, I also watched Professor Messer’s YouTube Security+ study sessions. The resources he provides are incredibly helpful and maybe enough to pass the exam on their own. I only watched a few of his lecture videos (since I’d already seen Mike Chapple’s), but from what I saw, his content is the clearest I had found.

Finally, during the week leading up to the exam, I reviewed my notes and textbooks, wrote down every topic I wasn’t confident in, and used AI and other tools to build a stronger foundational understanding of those areas. Even after all that, I still didn’t feel very confident standing outside the testing center.

Exam Day

On exam day, I did a quick review of port numbers and security frameworks, which ended up being not very useful since they barely showed up on my test. Once the exam started, I skipped the four performance-based questions (PBQs) and went straight to the 70 multiple-choice questions. I finished those in about 45 minutes, leaving me another 45 for the PBQs and review.

What I didn’t anticipate was that the four PBQs would take almost the entire remaining time leaving me no time to review my answers. The PBQs were challenging but surprisingly fun. I actually enjoyed the interactive, scenario-based format. It felt like my studying was being put to a real-world test instead of just another multiple-choice drill.

I do wish CompTIA would share detailed feedback or correct answers afterward, I’m very curious which ones I missed. There’s so much content on this exam that sometimes it really does feel like luck whether a niche topic you studied shows up or not.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this exam was an extremely valuable experience. I’ve seen people online say they passed after a week of studying, and that’s great, but I find it hard to believe they understand the material as deeply as someone who spent months reading textbooks, watching lectures, and taking detailed notes. Maybe I’m wrong, thats just how I feel.

My 792/900 score shows I still have room to grow, but I’m confident that real-world experience will quickly fill in those gaps. I also don’t think anyone with no prior IT or cybersecurity background walks into that exam feeling totally confident, and if you do, that might not be a great sign.

The exam taught me a lot and feels like a solid first step into my cybersecurity career path. If you have any questions about my experience I shared here, feel free to reach out, I’d be happy to share more.