More Certification Exam Training (or learning) Tips
Azure and Security Specialist | Microsoft MVP | MCT RL | CEI
Published:
Browse All Articles > More Certification Exam Training (or learning) Tips
This is another article I wrote that has been published initially on Born to Learn - More Certification Exam Training Tips with MCT Sasa Kranjac and afterwards on my personal blog.
"Why it is here? - I can read it somewhere else", you might say. Well, yes. But I am asked over and over again about learning and studying experiences, whether it applies to certification or not. I want to share what I have learned, read and experienced - and I want to help and encourage as many of you as I can in your studies.
Book an exam early. Paying and scheduling your exam fixes "the day" and materializes it. "A day" becomes "the day" and it is no longer a fictional day. You don't want to take the exam "when you are ready". You are going to be ready at the time of the appointment, take the exam and pass. I know people getting ready and preparing for years.
The most important thing is to prepare to study. Prepare yourself mentally to learn. Be determined to achieve a result. Say it: "I'm going to be an MCSA on Windows 8 in 90 days."
Be aware that if you reschedule your exam appointment prior to the deadline you might be charged a reschedule fee. See your exam vendor pages at www.prometric.com and www.vue.com for details. Hopefully this will keep you from rescheduling over and over.
2. Prepare to study, prepare to learn.
Find yourself a quiet, comfortable place where you can focus on your studies. A place where you are alone and without distractions. I know that this is not easy, especially if you are working, have a family, or have other commitments; but do whatever you can to keep the distractions to your studies to a minimum. Do not study in a living room or in a kitchen if the rooms are crowded or noisy; in these places, your family sends the message: "please, spend some time with us; put that boring geek book away".
I used to study in the bed. But not anymore. It tells me "come and take a nap; come on, it won't hurt you, close your eyes for couple of minutes". I still read in bed but I do not study in bed. Reading a novel is not the same as studying and trying to remember what you've read.
Speed reading doesn't work either.
3. Prepare your mind. Develop your study plan.
Set a goal, define an objective, or objectives for your studies. The key is to set study goals that are "tangible". Define study goals that are:
4. Keep your goals away from trolls.
There have always been and always will be someone that will tell you that certifications are not worth pursuing and exams not worth passing. It is incredible how much energy some people put in convincing you that you threw your money away because you scheduled an exam, paid for a class, bought a book. I remember a colleague of mine telling me that certifications are worthless, that anyone could get one. Interestingly, he himself didn't have any. I am glad I didn’t care what he was saying. Now I have hundreds of (read) books on bookshelves and dozens of certifications under my belt. Recently a client picked me instead of him. I leave to someone else to figure out why.
Keep away from people telling you should abandon your goals, that your goals are not worth pursuing.
5. Which type of study is the best? How to know more?
Self-study, instructor-led, online, books, "audiobooks", podcasts, videos, e-books, blogs, articles?
The learning retention graph (well, list) looks like this:
You remember:
Good luck!
"Why it is here? - I can read it somewhere else", you might say. Well, yes. But I am asked over and over again about learning and studying experiences, whether it applies to certification or not. I want to share what I have learned, read and experienced - and I want to help and encourage as many of you as I can in your studies.
Study Tips: 5 Steps to Success
1. Schedule an exam early.Book an exam early. Paying and scheduling your exam fixes "the day" and materializes it. "A day" becomes "the day" and it is no longer a fictional day. You don't want to take the exam "when you are ready". You are going to be ready at the time of the appointment, take the exam and pass. I know people getting ready and preparing for years.
The most important thing is to prepare to study. Prepare yourself mentally to learn. Be determined to achieve a result. Say it: "I'm going to be an MCSA on Windows 8 in 90 days."
Be aware that if you reschedule your exam appointment prior to the deadline you might be charged a reschedule fee. See your exam vendor pages at www.prometric.com and www.vue.com for details. Hopefully this will keep you from rescheduling over and over.
2. Prepare to study, prepare to learn.
Find yourself a quiet, comfortable place where you can focus on your studies. A place where you are alone and without distractions. I know that this is not easy, especially if you are working, have a family, or have other commitments; but do whatever you can to keep the distractions to your studies to a minimum. Do not study in a living room or in a kitchen if the rooms are crowded or noisy; in these places, your family sends the message: "please, spend some time with us; put that boring geek book away".
I used to study in the bed. But not anymore. It tells me "come and take a nap; come on, it won't hurt you, close your eyes for couple of minutes". I still read in bed but I do not study in bed. Reading a novel is not the same as studying and trying to remember what you've read.
Speed reading doesn't work either.
"I took a speed reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. It involves Russia."
--Woody Allen
A study room in your house or a library is a good choice. Places free of distractions are the best. An hour of uninterrupted, quality studying is far better than three hours of intermittent, constantly interrupted studying.
--Woody Allen
3. Prepare your mind. Develop your study plan.
Set a goal, define an objective, or objectives for your studies. The key is to set study goals that are "tangible". Define study goals that are:
•Specific - read two chapters, or read 24 pages
•Realistic - set a reasonable goal to accomplish in an hour or two of studies; do not set unrealistic goals that will demotivate you (you can read 50 pages in an hour but probably not 500 pages)
•Verifiable - finish your studies so you can tell when you are done
Don’t ever do "some reading" or "some studying". Knowing ahead what you will learn and read generates a feeling of progress or "moving forward". I remember a good inspirational quote:
•Realistic - set a reasonable goal to accomplish in an hour or two of studies; do not set unrealistic goals that will demotivate you (you can read 50 pages in an hour but probably not 500 pages)
•Verifiable - finish your studies so you can tell when you are done
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one."
-- Mark Twain
I like this one even better: "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!"
-- Mark Twain
4. Keep your goals away from trolls.
There have always been and always will be someone that will tell you that certifications are not worth pursuing and exams not worth passing. It is incredible how much energy some people put in convincing you that you threw your money away because you scheduled an exam, paid for a class, bought a book. I remember a colleague of mine telling me that certifications are worthless, that anyone could get one. Interestingly, he himself didn't have any. I am glad I didn’t care what he was saying. Now I have hundreds of (read) books on bookshelves and dozens of certifications under my belt. Recently a client picked me instead of him. I leave to someone else to figure out why.
Keep away from people telling you should abandon your goals, that your goals are not worth pursuing.
5. Which type of study is the best? How to know more?
Self-study, instructor-led, online, books, "audiobooks", podcasts, videos, e-books, blogs, articles?
The learning retention graph (well, list) looks like this:
You remember:
•20% of what you READ
•30% of what you HEAR
•40% of what you SEE
•50% of what you SAY
•60% of what you DO
•90% of what you READ, HEAR, SEE, SAY and DO
The more styles of learning you use, the most effective your studying will be.
•30% of what you HEAR
•40% of what you SEE
•50% of what you SAY
•60% of what you DO
•90% of what you READ, HEAR, SEE, SAY and DO
Good luck!
Azure and Security Specialist | Microsoft MVP | MCT RL | CEI
Have a question about something in this article? You can receive help directly from the article author. Sign up for a free trial to get started.
Comments (1)
Commented:
Very small business but a lot of actions and new customers and small VPN project will come around soon with Cisco AAA equipement and Sophos also in the target. That a simple MSP companie I would say, but that a very good place to work and learn at the same time.
So far. Thank you for you blog post. It will give me some tips and remind that learning new IT-tech will be alot of focusing and reading at some point. So on... And trying to learn technology for new certifications, new experiementation at the end.