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CompTIA A+ Test Taking Tips It is possible to study and learn about a topic and still not find success on a certification exam. Studying develops specific skill and knowledge, but it is the presentation of your skill and knowledge that satisfies the exam. This difference is vital to successful exam study. Multiple choice: What’s right and what’s wrong? Knowing what is wrong (and why it is wrong) as well as what is right, demonstrates mastery, and can lead you safely through the minefield of exam distracters (incorrect answer choices). Ineffective study may leave you knowing only a narrow vision of what is right in a particular circumstance. Multiple choice certification exams emulate the real world by including subtle knowledge, descriptions, and information. On the job, a customer: May not provide information in a standard way every time May present you with information that is irrelevant to the job May end up confusing several different issues, but mistakenly present just one issue Memorizing obvious factual knowledge may not deliver enough. Certification exams probe for mastery-level ability - beyond knowledge of a simple fact. You must be able to actively apply your knowledge in skills such as troubleshooting, installing or configuring. Follow a balanced study “diet” Look at an exam topic from several perspectives: in a hands-on lab, in a book, from an instructor, on test prep products or in the exam objectives. All of these together will reveal contextual knowledge. With sufficient contextual knowledge, spotting the reasons why distracters are wrong becomes a simple process of elimination Understand the actual exam objectives. CompTIA exam objectives are posted on this Web site. Review them and know the emphasis (percentage) for each exam domain. Know your learning preferences and select study methods suited to them. You will likely learn faster if you know you “get it” by seeing it, doing it or hearing it. Retake: Utilizing the Score Report If you are retaking an exam, you already have a valuable study tool: your exam score report. Your CompTIA exam score report includes a list of specific subject areas identified as incorrectly marked areas. This is an excellent resource. Look for common subject areas listed on the exam score report. Are you seeing verbs in the subject areas such as, install, configure or set up? This could be an indicator of insufficient actual practice, or practice that is not 100 percent correct. Is there no pattern to what you see? Show your score report to your instructor or a skilled friend. They may see a pattern or have a suggestion. Or use the objectives you downloaded to compare to the score report and find the topic you struggled with. Test taking skills Slow down and carefully read the question. If you don’t understand it, reread it. Do you know the material too well to “waste time” reading the question? CompTIA certification exams are written with the assistance of dozens of Subject Matter Experts. Do not expect to find clues in a consistent writing style for every question. The “BEST” choice is always the right choice. Some distracters will seem technically correct, but if there is a better way to approach the question, go with that choice. If you get stuck, you have options before skipping and returning. Slowly reread the question and all of the distracters individually. Give the question a shot before giving up and moving on. If you’re still unsure, return to it with a fresh look later. Do not read more into the question than what is stated. This is of utmost importance. Only your knowledge and skills are needed to answer any question. It is not your job to create the circumstances surrounding the question; it is your job to answer it based on the information provided. |
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