Booking The Exam

  • At the time of writing this article, the cost of the CompTIA exam is $370. You can get a 40% discount by purchasing a voucher at the Academic Store, here is the link: Certification Vouchers – CompTIA Marketplace Academic
  • If you have a valid 501 voucher it can be used to pay for a 601 exam.
  • The CompTIA Security+ 601 exam is available in two different formats: at a local test center, or online at your home or workplace.
  • If you are testing online, you will need to create an online profile. This can take anything from 15 minutes to a day to come through.
  • For online testing, you also need to carry out a systems check. You may find that any virtualization software must be disabled, but the system test will tell you If there is a problem.
  • You must ensure that you are booking your exam in your specific time zone. Some people have been caught out by this. (Remember that 15 minutes after midnight is 12.15am, whereas 15 minutes after noon is 12.15pm. Make sure you select the correct time, otherwise you may miss your test by 12 hours! It has happened before; be careful.
  • When testing online, you must ensure that your test environment is set up as per the information in the guide. You cannot use any scratch paper, read out loud, wear a watch, or wear a headset

Exam delivery policies can be found at: https://www.comptia.org/testing/testing-policiesprocedures/test-policies/exam-delivery-policies

Preparing For The Exam

Prior to testing, you must follow a structured path of study. You need to obtain a good study guide to prepare for the exam. I have written a certification guide in a format that is clear and easy to follow, making it ideal for students who are new to IT. With competitive pricing, it is an affordable and valuable addition to your study routine. You can get the book from Amazon using this link: CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Study Guide

You cannot take the exam by just reading through your study guide once. You should read it multiple times to ensure that you fully understand the concepts. Using flashcards, taking notes, and completing quizzes and mock exams are all good ways to ensure that you understand the concepts in depth.

When you are using your practice materials, you should study for a maximum of 45 minutes and then take a 10-minute break to keep you fresh. People like reading subjects that they are familiar with, but when you find a topic that you find hard to understand, you should stick with it and study until it makes sense. It is a good idea to search YouTube for video tutorials that supplement your reading. To get you started, we have put together a list of recommended YouTube videos that you can find here: Recommended Videos

As you read through your study materials, you could make short notes and drawing diagrams as you go. You can also register with CompTIA and download the exam objectives via this link: Exam Objectives

The exam has a maximum of 90 questions in a 90-minute period. The passing score is 750 out of 900 (83.3%). It is a mixture of multiple choice and performance-based questions (PBQs). Information and sample PBQs can be found at: Performance-Based Questions Overview

Testing - Do

Testing - Don't