lithron's Journal: now with more Network+ certifications

I've been studying for the Network+ exam for 4 hours a day for the last 3 weeks. And today I passed :-)

Boring details will now follow. Probably only of interest for folks looking to get Network+ certified.

The test requires a score of 554 out of 900 possible points. They give you 100 points for showing up, so the scale is really 100 to 900 points, and you need 69.25% correct which is 554 points. The test is multiple choice (4 answers) and contains 85 questions. It is not adaptive, so it doesn't get more difficult as you take it.. and you have 90 minutes to complete the test.

The objectives on the CompTIA web site accurately represent what is on the test. I used two books to study from.
Network+ Guide to Networks, 4th edition, Tamara Dean, Thompson Course Technology
CompTIA Network+ Certification Study Guide, 3rd edition, Glen E. Clarke, McGraw-Hill/Osborne

The book by Tamara Dean was used in a networking class I took through my college last year. It is a decent primer for networking knowledge, but not a very good book to study from for the exam. The book by Glen E. Clarke was much better about pointing out what will be on the test, and helped me focus my time on important material. Each book included a CDROM and I used the programs and PDF files to help study. I also used the ExamSaver software that is available at examsaver.com as a practice test.

All that being said, the test is $245 USD, and failing will mean you have to pay to take the test again.

Overall I felt the test was easy enough. It does need someone with an English or Journalism degree to go over it with a fine toothed comb though. It was inconsistent in its use of acronyms, its grammar was poor, and often sentences were confusing. I expected better from a test that has been in use for more than 3 years (and a test that costs $245!)