Here is some feedback on the certifications I passed recently, and some tips on how to be efficient when taking these kinds of exams.

I recently got 3 certifications in 3 different IT domains while studying for 4 months. I passed each of these exams on my first attempt, with a full-time job. Here are some details on the certifications:

CISSP exam - March, 7 2024

The CISSP is composed of 8 domains around security :

• Security and Risk Management
• Asset Security
• Security Architecture and Engineering
• Communication and Network Security
• Identity and Access Management (IAM)
• Security Assessment and Testing
• Security Operations
• Software Development Security

Training for the CISSP was not very tough for me due to my previous experiences in multiple work environments in cybersecurity and general security knowledge, but I was still astonished by the quantity of topics and things to memorize. The official training guide is a book of more than 1000 pages in itself, and it does not cover all the topics and questions in the exam.

It took 1 month to train and pass the exam, I scheduled it very early as a gamble, and I honestly did not think I would get it on my first attempt.

I already had good knowledge of all technical domains, but I also had to learn new things about the governance and risk management topics. I was surprised because I really enjoyed learning the risk management part.

Resources used: OSG (official study guide, learnzapp app, practice tests, youtube, reddit)

AWS Certified Developer exam - January, 21 2024

The AWS certified developer is focused on cloud, design and development on AWS .

This one was the one that took the most time for me to complete. I spent around more than 2 months and a half on it, I think I could have passed it earlier but I made a mistake in my studying strategy:

I bought video courses,but the amount of knowledge in the videos far exceeded the knowledge required for the AWS DEV. Most of the videos had useful knowledge for other associate AWS certifications, but it was way overkill.

I do not regret learning many new things that are not specific to the AWS dev certification, but I regret using videos for this as it takes a lot of time, and it is not adapted to my way of learning fast.

• Resources used: Acantrill aws dev training, practice tests, youtube, reddit )

CKA exam - January, 06 2024

The CKA is focused on DevOps, containers and kubernetes cluster administration.

The exam is a practical one, which is something I really liked. I studied for 1 week and a half and passed the exam.

This one was quite easy for me as I had previous experience on kubernetes development for 2 years and a half, and I recently had a lot of helm development and deployment at work. Knowing bash, unix and containers also helped a lot.

One thing that really surprised me was the difficulty of the exam simulator on killer.sh compared to the real exam: It is very difficult to complete all the practice questions before the end of the time limit.

• Resources used: setting up kubernetes clusters at home, Killer.sh, youtube, reddit )

TIPS for taking exams

Exam specifics

Learning resources

The first thing I do when I start to prepare for a new certification, is to go on reddit. Reddit has a very good system of “communities” with lots of posts and tips about the exam. Most exams have very specific rules, and the exam format is also very important.

For example, aws structure their questions and answers in very specific ways. I also take a quick look at some of the most voted posts, as it usually contains mindmaps, cheatsheets or lists of very helpful resources.

Youtube can also be very helpful , but too many resources are for beginners, and concepts are over simplified… I usually go on youtube to get tips, or feedback from people.

Regarding the resources, I usually use the official courses or guides, or the recommended ones by the reddit communities, and if I am in a rush or have existing knowledge I will just use an LLM or chatgpt to understand concepts I do not understand.

After the AWS dev certification, I tend to avoid videos as it can take a lot of time to watch, and you cannot easily skip parts and things you already know. Another advantage of using books and pdf guides, is that you can learn and use speed reading techniques. Speed reading is extremely useful to gain time when studying, but it requires practice.

Planning the study schedule

After that I create a study plan based on all the information I have , and if I have time, a mindmap of things to learn in order to organize the study schedule.

Cross-disciplinary knowledge

If you already know some topics, or learned similar concepts, it will reveal to be helpful in many ways, and reduce the study time needed. Cross-disciplinary knowledge is very helpful.

When I studied for my OSCP certification, I had to learn a lot of things, and all this knowledge is still helpful in many ways,and now everything becomes easy after passing things like the OSCP.

Scheduling the exam

Usually at this time, I start to schedule the exam, scheduling an exam early is good because it forces you to commit to your schedule and break your limits.

But at the same time, if you schedule it too early, it might be too difficult to prepare well for it. For some exams you might even never know when you are ready or not, due to the exam structure (such as OSCP, CISSP..).

Lifestyle and productivity

Life obligations

Lifestyle and productivity are also important aspects of taking exams. It can also be very difficult to take the time to study if you have a family, social life or full time job.

I have huge respect for people studying when they have a family. Personnally I do not have a family , and I choose not to have a life, so finding the time to study becomes easy.

Health

Being in good health , getting good sleep, good food and habits also help a lot when studying and focusing on something for long period of time. Books and resources for self-improvement are endless, but as a general rule I found that if I lacked one of these things, it would drastically impact my productivity, and I believe one of the most important thing would be to get good sleep.

Study Routine

Finding a study routine can boost your efficiency when preparing exams. I wake up every day at 6 am, then I do some sport and study or work on something before I go to work. I have been doing this for 3 years now, and it i amazing to see how it helps me to be able to focus on something and get thing done quickly thanks to this kind of habits. I also try to study at lunch while eating when I can , and during the week-ends.

Dedication

When passing certifications, I would say one of the most important thing is to be consistent. Having a study schedule, and sticking to it improves the chances of passing the exam in the required amount of time.

Studying during week-ends is not fun, but you can have a lot of time to study . Sometimes I think it is better to study intensely than studying at a slow pace, because when studying complex concepts we tend to forget things quickly.

Also, the brain is also a “muscle”, the more you use it intensely, the better it works. I found that when I was focusing on one single goal or was studying for a long period of time, I would assimilate complex concepts and learn new things easily.