Never Pay Full Price for CompTIA Exams
You don’t have to pay full price for CompTIA Exams. You can purchase Discount Exam Vouchers and save on the cost of the exams. CompTIA partners can provide discount prices on exam vouchers and pass the savings along to their students.
Here’s how it works: CompTIA member companies like Total Seminars are able to purchase vouchers for the CompTIA exams and resell them to our students at a discount to the full price you would pay when you register with VUE or buy at the CompTIA web store.
Before you register for your CompTIA exam, go to Total Seminars web site and purchase a Discount Voucher. Your order will be
processed, and you will receive an email with your voucher number.
When you register for your CompTIA exam online at the VUE web site, you have an option to pay by credit card or by voucher. Select “voucher” and type in the voucher number you received by email when you purchased the Discount Vouchers from Total Seminars.
Total Seminars’ vouchers are only good in the US and Canada. If you live outside of the US or Canada search the web for CompTIA discount vouchers in the country where you live.
When you purchase a discount voucher it is good for up to 11 months (the exact date the voucher expires is included in your email). You must register for your exam online with VUE before the date the discount voucher expires.
Discount Exam Vouchers
Save on your CompTIA exams by purchasing vouchers from Total Seminars web site.
Try our TotalSims
Prepare for performance-based questions and do hands-on exercises to reinforce concepts while studying for the exams.
Try our TotalTester
Hundreds of questions with customizable exams. Each new exam is pulled from a pool of questions, so each exam is different. Create exams by objectives or by chapter. Take your custom test in Exam mode or in Practice mode with hints, explanations and study references. Get results graded by exam objective so you know where to focus your review. The best way to prepare for the exam questions is to practice as many questions as you can.
Testing Strategies for CompTIA Exams
CompTIA includes performance-based questions on their exams to make them more practical and keep up with trends in certification testing. Knowing what to expect and how to approach these question types is key to your success in passing the exams. First, let me fill you in on some facts about the exams.
Exam facts:
There are several different types of questions you may see in your CompTIA exam:
- Multiple choice – the standard question, choose the right answer
- Multiple response – choose all answers that apply with more than one correct answer
- Fill in the blank – fill in the answer to the question
- Drag-and-drop – image or question where you drag answers to match the image or text
- Exhibits – answer questions relating to an attached picture or diagram (variation to multiple choice)
- Performance-based – detailed question, open dialog boxes or other configuration windows and configure as needed
CompTIA has added more of the newer drag-and-drop and performance-based questions to their exam pool. You may get as few as 2-3 or as many as 10-12 of these type of questions depending on which exam you are taking. The more of these questions you get, the fewer of the traditional multiple choice, multiple response or exhibit-type questions you will have, depending on the difficulty of the performance-based questions you get.
Save on your CompTIA exams by purchasing from our web site
How new question types are graded:
Two important pieces of information about the new drag-and-drop and performance-based questions that you need to know:
- Partial credit – Scoring credit may be offered if a candidate answers only part of a question correctly.
- No negative credit – CompTIA does not employ negative scoring on exam questions, so you won’t lose points for incorrect answers. A candidate should answer every exam question, even on the ones where they are not sure of the answer.
Testing strategies:
The new question types, like drag-and-drop and performance-based questions, show up at the beginning of the exams. These questions can be more complex and take longer to answer than traditional multiple-choice questions. DON’T GET BOGGED DOWN WITH THE PERFORMANCE-BASED QUESTIONS. You can skip questions and come back and answer them at the end. Here are some strategies to use when taking the exams:
- Skip the performance-based questions and come back at the end to answer them so you aren’t bogged down and run out of time
- Count the performance-based questions as you skip them so you know how many you have to do when you come back to them at the end
- Read over all the performance-based questions and answer the ones you are most comfortable with first; leave the ones you are less confident about until the end
- If you are not sure about some of the steps in the performance-based or drag-and-drop questions, give it your best guess, you may receive partial credit.
CompTIA provides information that may be helpful in preparing for the exams at the following links:
- CompTIA Exam Taking Tips: http://certification.comptia.org/testing/about-testing
- Performance-Based Questions (PBQs) – http://certification.comptia.org/testing/about-testing/performance-based-questions-explained
Prepare for performance-based questions and do hands-on exercises to reinforce concepts while studying for the exams
Hundreds of questions with customizable practice exams, the best way to prepare for exam questions is to practice as many as you can
CPU-Z: Info on Your Core Components
There’s few tools more useful than Frank Delattre’s amazing CPU-Z, available over at www.cpuid.com, to help learners wrap their heads around processors speeds, multipliers, CPU family/code names, cache, RAM timings, and SPD (RAM serial presence detect) than this wonderful product. CPU-Z has been around for almost 20 years but it’s very well supported and constantly updated.
The fun starts the second you run the tool, opening you to a host of nerdy details about the CPU.
Isn’t that a wonderfully simple way to show a CPU multiplier? Even better, it shows the motherboard speed which you can use later to multiply DDRX memory.
Ah, the cache sizes. Yeah, I know: no one really needs to know cache but it definitely fits under Mike’s CiC (Cuz’ It’s Cool) rule. Honestly, there’s enough cache information on the CPU tab I rarely use the dedicated Caches tab.
Total Seminars has resources to help you study for your CompTIA Certifications
Practice Tests: TotalTester has hundreds of questions in a pool that allows you to create custom exams by exam domain or by chapter. Take exams in Practice mode with assistance (hints and explanations) or in Final mode to see if you are ready for the real exams. Complete explanations for each question.
Lab Simulations: TotalSims for A+ and Network+ have hundreds of online labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn more about technical concepts covered on the exams.
Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.
My next favorite tab is Mainboard. Manufacturer, model, Southbridge, and IO chip are great, but it even tosses in the brand, version, and date of your BIOS – need to flash? Find out here.
The Memory and SPD tabs give almost the same information: RAM type, speed (shown in both PCX-rating and DDRX), even part numbers. These are great but I prefer the way the SPD tab shows the used and unused RAM slots on my motherboard – sure beats crawling under a system to see how you can add more RAM. Also, if you’re brave enough to show RAM timings (handy for learning overclocking) this tab is very clear and easy to read.
Last is the Graphics tab. It really only answers one question for me but it’s a big one: “What graphics card is in this computer?”
Look, I admit it. I’m a CPU-Z fanboy. It’s free, fast, safe, and provides accurate detailed information. This tool is on my thumb drive and in the hands of every entry-level standalone student I teach. Thanks, Frank!
The CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway
IT Fundamentals > A+ > Network+ > Security+ > CySA+ or PenTest+ > CASP
With the increase in cyberattacks and the number of new connected devices, the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals is growing at a rapid pace. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of information security jobs will increase 18 percent from 2014 to 2024, making it one of the fastest-growing fields. Employers, from government to Fortune 500 companies, value CompTIA as an authority in cybersecurity certifications.
How to Get into Cybersecurity
The CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway helps IT pros achieve cybersecurity mastery, from beginning to end. The centerpiece is the CompTIA Security+ certification. It establishes the core knowledge required of any cybersecurity role and provides a springboard to intermediate-level cybersecurity jobs.
CompTIA just released a new updated CompTIA Security+ (exam code SY0-501). The new version continues to validate the foundational skills necessary to perform core cybersecurity functions. With performance-based questions, it emphasizes the hands-on practical skills used by junior IT auditor/penetration testers, systems administrators, network administrators and security administrators.
After earning CompTIA Security+, cybersecurity professionals can take the next step by pursuing CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+). It assesses the skills needed to apply behavioral analytics to networks to improve the overall state of IT security. The certification covers tools such as packet sniffers, intrusion detection systems (IDS) and security information and event management (SIEM) systems. After the seminal Target attack of 2014, the security analyst job role has gained more importance, making these skills essential for most organizations.
The progression from CompTIA Security+ to CompTIA CySA+ is logical because Security+ assesses the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) an IT professional demonstrates after two years of cybersecurity field work, and CSA+ assesses three to four years of cybersecurity field work.
An alternative or additional certification is the newly released PenTest+ PT0-001 exam. It assesses the skills needed to do Cybersecurity Penetration testing. Show you can Hack systems and propose fixes to close the door.
After CompTIA CySA+, IT pros can pursue CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) to prove their mastery of cybersecurity skills required at the 5- to 10-year experience level. CASP is the pinnacle of cybersecurity certifications and includes performance-based questions. It is intended for those who wish to remain immersed in hands-on enterprise security, incident response and architecture, for example, as opposed to management of cybersecurity policy and frameworks.
The Building Blocks of Cybersecurity
But how do you get into cybersecurity with no experience? If you aren’t quite ready to start with CompTIA Security+, then you’ll need to start earlier on the pathway.
If you are new to IT, start with CompTIA IT Fundamentals. It provides a broad understanding of the IT profession. It helps answer the question, Would I enjoy a career in IT?
If you already know that IT is right for you, begin with CompTIA A+. It validates understanding of the most common hardware devices and software technologies in business and certifies the skills necessary to support complex IT infrastructures. Consider the large number of devices connected to networks that must be supported by IT help desks, including smart phones, internet of things (IoT) devices and laptops.
That fact makes CompTIA Network+ the next logical step. It validates the essential knowledge and skills needed to design, configure, manage and troubleshoot wired and wireless networks. To best support devices that exchange information on your network, you must understand how the network functions.
The progression is logical because CompTIA A+ assesses the KSAs that an IT professional demonstrates after six months of field work, and CompTIA Network+ assesses nine months of field work.
CompTIA Network+ is also an important recommended prerequisite to CompTIA Security+. Before you can secure a network, you must understand how it functions. In other words, you shouldn’t skip algebra to start with calculus. Otherwise, you are learning security skills and applying them to a network you don’t understand.
Total Seminars has video courses, lab simulations and practice tests to prepare you for each of the Cyber Security Pathway certifications. Click here to get CompTIA Discount Exam Vouchers.
Now that we’ve covered the certifications in the cybersecurity pathway, let’s explore some of the common questions surrounding it.
Questions About the CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway
Where should I start on the CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway?
The pathway is intended to help people get into the field of cybersecurity. IT pros can enter at any point, depending on their IT experience, existing certifications or course of study. There are no required prerequisites for these CompTIA certifications. For example, if you have two years of IT security experience or equivalent knowledge, you can jump into the pathway at CompTIA Security+ to prove your knowledge. If you already have CompTIA Security+, you can jump in at CompTIA CSA+, etc. See the CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway graphic to find your place on the pathway.
Do I need to take these certifications in order? Do I need to take all of them?
No. This is a recommended pathway, but it’s not a requirement. Some people may skip CompTIA CSA+ and go directly to CASP if they aren’t looking for IT security analyst skills. It depends on your job needs or interests. Some people will take CompTIA Network+ before CompTIA A+ because thats the way their class schedule worked out. In general, the pathway follows a hierarchy of skills needed for IT security; each certification builds upon the skills from the previous one.
Can I take these exams with no IT or cybersecurity experience?
Yes, you can. Many academic institutions base their IT courses on CompTIA certifications, which are part of diplomas, associate, bachelors and even masters degrees. CompTIA certifications mirror the current job roles of IT professionals, so it makes sense to earn these certifications to gain the knowledge and hands-on skills currently being used in the workforce, whether you have job experience or not.
Do these certifications replace on-the-job experience?
If you are an IT professional or an employer, you understand the value of on-the-job experience. IT certifications are a great place to start, but they do not replace hands-on experience. If you have CompTIA certifications and on-the-job experience, you have the best of both worlds. In summary, the recommended CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway offers guidance for IT pros, employers, instructors and students. You can start wherever it makes sense, depending on your personal background, job requirements or course of study. The pathway is unique because it offers vendor-neutral skills for IT professionals to achieve cybersecurity mastery, from beginning to end.
More Certifications = More $$
IT Certifications have value both in the knowledge you learn and the credential you can show employers. Studying for a certification alone adds a whole new skill set to your tool box. Learning these new skills keeps you sharp and drives interest in “what’s next”. This attitude is necessary in a field that requires lifelong learning. The IT field is rapidly changing and you must keep up by continuing to study and learn. Certifications are the way you show others that you are leaning.
Turning that learning into Certifications is how you show employers that you are constantly growing and gives a method to verify your current level of knowledge. The proof is in the paycheck and the opportunities those additional skills provide.
The data from the Certification Magazine Salary Survey for 2015 shows the value of IT Certification. More importantly it shows the value of continuing to learn and add additional certifications to your resume.
The most common foundational certification is CompTIA’s A+ Certification. Most techs begin with A+ then advance to Network+ and Security+ certification. The salary survey shows how quickly the addition of more certifications leads to rapid jumps in salary. More Certifications = More $$:
- A+ Certification with no other certifications = $47,500 / year
- A+ Certification with 1 or 2 other active certs. = $84,250 / year
- A+ Certification with 3 or 4 other active certs. = $92,080 / year
- A+ Certification with 5 or 6 other active certs. = $97,310 / year
- A+ Certification with 7 or 8 other active certs. = $105,150 / year
The knowledge you gain builds one certification upon another. More importantly your income potential grows right along with it. If you stop at A+ your earning potential is likely to be somewhat limited. Adding even 1 or 2 additional certifications (such as Network+ and Security+) rapidly opens a whole new world of opportunity to grow your career and your earnings.
Total Seminars has resources to help you study for your CompTIA Certifications
Practice Tests: TotalTester has hundreds of questions in a pool that allows you to create custom exams by exam domain or by chapter. Take exams in Practice mode with assistance (hints and explanations) or in Final mode to see if you are ready for the real exams. Complete explanations for each question.
Lab Simulations: TotalSims for A+ and Network+ have hundreds of online labs. Prepare for CompTIA’s performance-based questions and learn more about technical concepts covered on the exams.
Discount Exam Vouchers: Purchase a CompTIA voucher and save on the cost of your exams.
