First I want to compliment CompTIA for developing a foundational exam that is fair with most of its questions, appearing more current in its content than many certifications. Yes, the term “ransomware” was raised a couple of times, and given it relative newness to the world of many IT professionals, I was pleased with its inclusion in the exam along with other key concepts for that budding IT professional. The 75 questions in a relatively limited time allowance may cause challenges for someone taking this as their first CompTIA certification exam.

The negative side to this effort is a total lack of industry recognition of this certification. I’m gaining a sense that this is more for someone new to certification exams and with its relative low retail cost (currently $112 on the CompTIA Store), this may be a great start for someone looking to invest their time and money following the industry certification path. CompTIA actually makes taking the exam an easier task for those lacking an available PearsonVue testing center in short reach. According to the CompTIA website, those seeking to take the test, “can take the exam at your school, your workplace or even from your home.” I’m more the traditional test taker, so I chose my usual PearsonVue location.

Below is my scoring sheet. Looks like a may have missed 3 of the 75 questions, which would account for the 866/900 score. There were a couple of questions that were not properly worded and I probably could have mis-read a couple questions. Perhaps if I slowed down my pace (I completed the exam in less than 25 minutes), I could have done better. Oh well. As I often tell my students, a Pass is a Pass.