Don’t try to tackle each question by yourself. Taking the exam is not like a textbook. You can’t expect to understand everything you see on the test the first time you take it. If you’re going to spend four hours studying for this examination, then you might as well make the most out of it.
Start early and be patient. You don’t want to spend all day getting confused on which questions to answer. Some IT training websites suggest that taking the examination is best done in the morning, right after you wake up. However, it doesn’t matter too much what time you do take it, but just remember that you’ll be at your best and most focused when you do it at that time.
Be realistic about what kind of questions you’re going to get. This means don’t think that you’re going to ace a test the first time you take it. It’s better to keep your expectations low than to go too high. This will ensure that you don’t burn out before you even finish the course.
Don’t listen to those who tell you otherwise. Your a+ study guide is not going to have answers for every a+ question that comes your way. You will find some that have more answers that you actually need, but if you take these it will only serve to lower your confidence. Don’t listen to the people that tell you that practice makes perfect. It may not be true, but it’s also not going to make this portion of the course easier. If you spend time doing practice tests, you’ll be able to do well on them.
Don’t get carried away with free offers. Sure, there are plenty of freebies out there that claim to give you a lot of information. But remember, these sites often have paid ads, and the information they provide might not be useful to you. While you may be able to find some free material that will guide you, don’t waste your money on them.
Studying will always produce some level of frustration. There will be times that you’ll think that you’ve found the “exact” question you were looking for, but then you end up wasting time on the wrong one. Keep these things in mind. Sometimes it takes a bit of extra time after the test to figure out what the right answer was. When you do get it right, though, you’ll feel great!
The last tip is a simple one, but it can be the key to your success. Listen to every word the expert says. If you read over a book and get caught up in the terminology, make sure you follow along. You’ll learn a lot about real exam questions by doing just this little bit extra.
You’ll also need to keep track of your time. Every minute you spend working on a problem that isn’t worthwhile wastes time. When you’ve finished reading through all the suggested solutions, make sure you enter your time spent working on each one. Use the online calculator to determine how long each of the solutions takes. This will help you see if you’re wasting your time or if you’re really learning something.
Finally, take a mental break after each class. Even if you’re not studying, your brain needs a break every once in a while. Don’t spend hours trudging back and forth from class to class. Take some time to just sit down, relax, and think.
You can improve your score significantly by following these tips. Studying and practice are just the start. Practice tests are your best friends, but taking practice tests isn’t enough. Get ahead of the pack by watching others do their + exams so you know what is going on around you. You’ll be surprised at just how much these strategies can increase your knowledge and score!
