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I've read countless blog posts about certification exams over the years, but I rarely shared my own experiences. However, when I tackled the CompTIA PenTest+ exam, I found the study material to be all over the place. There were over 90 tools mentioned, but only a handful were discussed frequently. So, I decided to share my journey to help others navigate this exam.First things first, I always start by taking a practice test. My initial attempt at Dion's practice test left me with a disappointing 35%. It seemed like every question was about a different tool, especially NMAP, and it felt overwhelming. I've got some experience with Linux and other tools, but this test threw me off.After the practice test disaster, I ditched the thick CompTIA study guide – it just wasn't my style. Instead, I found Dion's study notes, which were way more manageable at 234 pages. I quickly scanned through them and focused on key topics like NMAP, Metasploit, and scripting languages.Next, I turned to good ol' YouTube for some quick tutorials. I preferred amateur videos because they were more genuine and less flashy. Then, I organized all the tools into a handy matrix based on their categories.To get hands-on experience, I downloaded NMAP and Metasploit and tinkered with them on my home network. I even challenged myself to write some Python and bash scripts – areas I'm not too confident in. The study notes were a great reference for this.For about 10 days, I went through the study notes line by line, making sure I understood everything. I also mixed in practice exams and flashcards to keep things fresh. Eventually, I started scoring in the 80s and low 90s on the practice exams – a huge improvement!I also checked out the OWASP website for code examples of the top 10 vulnerabilities and their fixes. This info came in clutch during the exam.Speaking of the exam, there were several performance-based questions (PBQs), but I can't spill too many details. They were different from the practice ones, but the material I studied covered most of it – except for one question about Harvester and Dig that threw me off.When it came to the tools, knowing their categories and basics was key. NMAP, in particular, came up a lot, so I dove deep into it. The rest of the exam covered things like the phases of a pentest, SOWs, NDAs – you know, the usual stuff.After 22 days of studying, I finally took the exam and, despite some anxiety about NMAP switches, I passed! This approach might not make you a super genius, but it worked for me. Just remember to pay attention to those bold words in the questions. Good luck – hope this helps!
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