How I passed the CompTIA Security+ SY0-701

After a long journey, I finally passed the CompTIA Security+ (SY0–701) exam with a 785 out of 900 score. It wasn’t a straight path, and I…

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How I passed the CompTIA Security+ SY0–701

After a long journey, I finally passed the CompTIA Security+ (SY0–701) exam with a 785 out of 900 score. It wasn’t a straight path, and I thought I’d share my experience with anyone else who might be in the same boat, especially if you’re juggling studies, internships, and life.

The Start

I began my prep with Jason Dion’s course on Udemy. I did his first practice set and felt like I was making decent progress… but then life got in the way. I had to take a long break between academic commitments and preparing for an internship. When I finally returned to studying, I realized I had forgotten over half of what I had learned. Not the best feeling.

Starting Over (But Smarter This Time)

This time, I took a more structured approach. I restarted with Professor Messer’s free YouTube videos and took thorough notes. I made sure to understand the concepts instead of just memorizing terms. His teaching style worked well for me.

I followed up with practice tests, Messer’s, and Jason Dion’s second set. I tracked every question I got wrong, revisited those topics, and made separate notes on areas I struggled with.

The Secret Weapon: AI

One of the biggest game-changers for me was using ChatGPT and Gemini. Whenever I hit a concept that wouldn’t stick, I’d ask follow-up questions and dig deeper through conversation. It helped clarify confusing topics and reinforced my understanding of where I had gaps.

Performance-Based Questions (PBQs)

I knew PBQs could be tricky, so I specifically practiced them using YouTube videos. They were similar to the ones on the exam, and that practice helped reduce my stress going into the test.

I got 3 PBQs in the exam and felt confident.

My Practice Scores

To give an idea of progress over time:

• Jason Dion Set 1: 71, 74, 74, 81, 73, 80- Jason Dion Set 2: 72, 75, 77, 80, 77, 91- Professor Messer’s Practice Tests: Mostly between 75–80%

In my opinion, Messer’s tests felt more like the real deal, especially in terms of wording and level of difficulty.

Final Thoughts

This wasn’t a quick win. There were moments of frustration, forgetfulness, and self-doubt. But sticking with it, revising smart, and using the right tools made all the difference.

If you’re planning to take the Security+ exam, my advice is:

• Don’t rush it.- Track what you’re missing and fix those gaps.- Use multiple sources to reinforce tricky topics.- And don’t underestimate the PBQs!

Now that it’s done, I’m looking forward to what’s next in the cybersecurity journey.