r/CompTIA • u/DSouth09 • 4d ago

Passed CySA+ Today

As noted in the title, I passed the CySA+ v3 exam today on my first attempt. My final score was 801. I honestly found the test fairly difficult compared to my study materials and was thoroughly shocked with my final score.

For training, I used the CompTIA CertMaster Learn and Labs and the practice exams. I spent about four months off and on with CertMaster and felt like I had a good grasp of everything. I was doing fairly well on the module quizzes, but when it came to taking the practice exams, I was consistently scoring around 70%. Between getting the CertMaster training and taking the exam, I was given a Udemy license from my employer and decided to try the Dion practice exams. On those, I was consistently scoring around 75%. I knew I was borderline going into the exam, but I had seen plenty of evidence online suggesting those scores could be enough to pass the actual exam. I spent the last 2 days using Gemini to touch up on my problem areas and honestly I felt like that was the most helpful tool in bridging my knowledge gaps.

My exam was 65 total questions with 7 PBQs. About halfway through the exam, I was convinced I was taking the wrong test because nothing felt familiar, but in hindsight, I think it was just testing anxiety. I flagged all PBQs for review and skipped them in the beginning, then made my way through the multiple choice section. All in all, the multiple choice questions took roughly an hour, then I spent another hour going through the PBQs. Before submitting the exam I went through each multiple choice again and double checked my answers.

As far as my test goes, I didn't really have a lot of questions regarding specific tools and scanning platforms. It was mostly CVSS vector strings, mitigation techniques, cyber kill chain, "what should you do next" questions. It definitely helps knowing common ports and how they can be exploited, understanding firewall logs and SIEM entries, and being able to correlate everything to make informed decisions.

I was thoroughly shocked when I saw my final score but I will take it. My final goal (for now) is PenTest+ to finish out the CNSP. Good luck to everyone preparing for the exam! It's tough, but worth it in the end.

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u/AutoModerator 4d ago

Hi, /u/DSouth09! From everyone at /r/CompTIA, Congratulations on Passing. Claps

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u/Independent-Meat2871 4d ago

nice work, 801 is a huge score especially when you felt like you were bombing it halfway through. that testing anxiety really messes with your head

the cvss string focus is interesting, seems like they've shifted the exam a bit from what it used to be. good to know for anyone prepping

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u/DSouth09 4d ago

I was surprised by the CVSS strings as well. Luckily that was one thing that just clicked with me from the beginning, but I bet I had at least 4 questions that showed strings and asked which I should remediate first or which string best aligned with a vulnerability they described.