I Passed the Network+ Exam! Here's My Journey
I can't believe it. After months and years of practice, patience, and frustration, I am Network+ certified. Even thinking about it gets me excited. The journey here was not easy. Many people have their stories on how they passed, such as what study resources they used, the amount of time spent, sacrifices, or even field experience. I am going to throw my hat in the ring and share my experience, from what I remember, to get here. I'll even include some tips and the resources I used to pass this exam.
Discovering Networking Through A+
It started with going into the A+ certification. The hardware sections were overwhelming at first, but I especially enjoyed the parts about cloud computing, virtualization, and networking. Consistently, networking stood out as my best-performing domain. At first, I just needed an introduction to networking, but as time went on—and with the opportunity of getting an internship—the need for the Network+ certification became clear.
Studying and Gaining Experience
Because I also attend university classes, my journey involved a mix of self-study and reinforcement from coursework.
For self-study:
- Jason Dion's Network+ course (Udemy) - Full course with practice tests after each chapter and the final exam. He also provides two full sets of six practice tests. That gave me 12 full 90-question practice exams that revealed my weakest areas.
- Union Test Prep - Free practice tests and resources
- YouTube channels like BurningIceTech, Professor Messer - For quick reviews, course content, and practice tests
In my university classes:
- Subnetting became one of my favorite topics
- Courses covered technical concepts the Network+ didn’t touch on as much,
such as TCP windowing, bandwidth, and measuring transmission rates and
latency.
- Hands-on networking labs gave me experiences with
- Switches, RIP, Wireshark, iperf.
- Network design using Cisco Packet Tracer
My internship helped me get my hands dirty:
- Used tools like puTTY and network monitoring systems
- Learned about the physical layer like Ethernet, RF signals, and antennas.
- Make my own Ethernet cables, which helped me recently restore a broken network connection
Struggles and Sticking With It
Now, this was not easy—especially in terms of patience and persistence. I initially planned to do both the A+ and Network+ certifications together. I had read mixed reviews about studying for both at the same time, and I found that to be true. The A+ was a heavy exam on its own, and Network+ deserved its own study time. Because of that, I stopped studying for a few months.
Eventually, I restarted but fell off again. What brought me back was realizing how foundational networking is to everything in IT, especially security. I knew I needed it to meet my goals. That drove me to finish.
I went back to the Udemy course, this time taking notes on each video. I focused mostly on definitions to build understanding, rather than writing every minute detail. Still, I captured the more technical points that needed extra research.
I didn't have a strict schedule. I studied until I completed a chapter or until the content just wouldn’t stick anymore. Making time was tough too—I was taking six classes at the time. It really came down to finding downtime whenever possible to squeeze in progress and eventually take the exam.
Another delay came when I noticed a new version of the exam was on the way. The upcoming objectives included automation and a few new topics, so I wanted to make sure I was ready before switching tracks.
Exam Day and Certification Moment
The day finally came—May 13. The night before, it felt like everything I had learned was starting to slip away. I was nervous and unsure of what to expect. As if that weren’t enough, traffic started to back up on the way to the testing center. I arrived just 15 minutes before my scheduled time, hoping to gather myself and calm down a bit.
Once inside, things became real. The test administrator walked me to the computer and assisted me with the setup. The initial pages—terms and policies—were familiar, but as soon as I reached the screen leading into the actual exam, the nerves kicked in hard. The Performance-Based Questions (PBQs) didn’t help either. I was still shaken.
I was just relieved to reach the multiple choice. That shifted everything. I felt noticeably calmer. As I moved through the multiple-choice questions, I found my rhythm, even though I had to skip many to return to later. Time flew.
After completing the exam, I went through the demographic survey as quickly as I could—I just wanted to see the results. I placed my hands over the screen. I didn’t care about the number at that point—I just wanted to see one word: "Pass" or "Fail".
I peeked through my fingers and saw "passed".
I was relieved, then seconds later, ecstatic when I saw my score.
Takeaways - What I Learned
What did I take from this? Here is what I learned and what I would do differently.
I wish I tracked what I learned.
Lesson: Document, document, document!
I now realize the importance of markimg milestones, such as when subnetting finally clicked or when I officially began my Network+ journey. I was taking notes, but not taking in the scenery.
There is no one way in studying.
Lesson: There's fundamentals; from there, you make it your own.
Hands-on experience goes a long way.
Lesson: I had some experience with Cisco gear, virtualization, Ethernet cabling, and virtual topologies. An older gentleman once said to me, "What is your carrot?" — meaning, what motivates you? It stuck with me. Here's how I see it: you are not going to taste progress until you get your hands dirty. Create a home lab — physical or virtual. Even if you don't have an internship or a job, keep tuning your skills.
Be curious.
Lesson: When there was something I didn't understand, I sought to understand. Even so, there are layers I have yet to uncover. For example, I see the benefit of utilizing the OSI model in troubleshooting. Start off with cabling; check for anything blocking a signal. Layer 1 issues happen a lot.
Don't be discouraged by inconsistency.
Lesson: I had long pauses within my studying. It was a series of starts and stops, and even some restarts. That was my case. Things happen, life happens. Make room for those inconveniences and pace yourself not just to learn, but to understand. Slow and steady does win the race.
Test anxiety is real.
Lesson: Worrying on cert exams like these is not necessarily bad; it shows you care. It heightened for me because failing this more than likely would raise questions for myself on what I'm doing. I prepared, but was it enough? Did I wait too long? Valid questions. Yet, I found strength in prayer and calming thoughts. In the end, I passed.
Practice, practice, practice.
Lesson: Get your hands on some practice tests. There are so many online - some paid, some free. Take those tests and see what ones you got wrong. I loved Jason Dion's practice exams because it pushed not for the minimum passing score; they pushed mastery by achieving 90%.
Reach out to others.
Lesson: I started to listen to podcasts and watch videos of IT pros in the field. Their experience made me excited and prepared me what the field involved.
Get real-world experience.
Lesson: My classes and internship were very helpful in putting what I learned into practice. It is often said create a home lab. I won't go on about its practical value, but what constitutes as one. My home lab has been mostly virtual: VirtualBox, Cisco Packet Tracer, Home Assistant, and creating a network share.
You are just getting started.
Lesson: Certification does not mean the end. A certification test looks at what you know. I didn't get a perfect score. Even if it was a perfect score, not everything on the objectives list was covered nor is all on the exam the entire networking field.
What helps you? If you are preparing for the Network+ exam or any certification exam, please feel free to share your ups, downs, tips, trick - share it all!
Resources that Helped Me Pass
CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) - Jason Dion Udemy Course
Union Test Prep - Free Test Prep for CompTIA Network+
Exam Compass - Free CompTIA Network+ Practice Tests
BurningIceTech YouTube Channel
N is for Networking Podcast - Networking Fundamentals Podcast
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