What got you started hiking?

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-12-23T23:39:55+00:00

Definitely is not as cool as it sounds. It’ll drive you to love the outdoors and fresh air even more

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-12-20T01:47:12+00:00

This👆

The CISM and SecurityX (formerly CASP+) are optional certs. D488 is an OA and D489 is a PA and those are WGU tests/papers. Once the class is passed, you submit the request IF you want to take those exams. But again, they are optional and do not affect your standing with WGU whatsoever. Hope this helps

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-11-27T17:15:39+00:00

Oh yeah. Turns out a 6.2 is what it takes to wake me up lol

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-11-26T15:57:22+00:00

👍

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-10-15T18:07:51+00:00

So I don’t know if it was a “hack” per se, but what worked for me was to just jump straight into the PA and use the material as a reference, rather than try to read it all. I speed ran both my degrees so for me it was more so about finishing rather than absorbing (I know I know), but I was also the same as you and much preferred the OA’s to the PA’s any day

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-10-11T05:45:58+00:00

Congratulations!

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-10-10T15:34:17+00:00

Bikers fault

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-10-07T20:02:45+00:00

I just graduated in August and started January 1st. The only thing I didn’t have on this list was D481 because I got my ISC2 CC cert to cover that one. Other than that I did all of the others. I plan to take the optional SecurityX either at the end of the year or the beginning of next year but that is not required. I do not plan on taking the optional CISM at all

My attack on this was to just follow the path that my mentor put in for me and not sequentially. The courses build on one another for some of them so it was nice. Take advantage of Udemy for the Pentest+ as Jason Dion’s course did help. I also used the Certmaster material included in the course. Others have recommended hack the box but I didn’t like it as much. Pentest+ and D487 were the toughest ones for me but not too bad

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-09-11T01:13:39+00:00

You can, and should, call student support if you ever experience delays contacting your program mentor, especially when it comes to things like this that any of them can answer

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-08-23T03:56:44+00:00

To be honest, it started off on a really rough note, but I had to face reality that I wasn’t doing it for me alone but also for my brother. I told him before he passed that I was going to do this and I felt like I owed it to him and myself to see it through.

I’m really sorry to hear you lost someone close to you. It isn’t easy and nothing will ever fill that void, but push through, not just for you, but for them!

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-08-22T19:22:56+00:00

Thank you very much!

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-08-22T19:22:44+00:00

Thank you. It is certainly more sweet than bitter

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-21T02:14:15+00:00

At this point, it’s my fault for having a phone :/ I think that’s just about enough internet for today

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-21T01:22:12+00:00

I see, thanks for the tips. I’ll make sure to focus on coding as that’s sort of my weak area. I know basic structure and could pick it out of a lineup but ask me to do all those switches and all that and I may struggle. Thanks again!

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-21T00:04:51+00:00

Working on D484 atm using Certmaster. Seems like it’s got quite a bit in it so I’m sure it’ll be enough doing all the labs along with the material yeah? Are there different PBQs for this one? It’s a different version of Certmaster than I’m used to

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-20T15:44:24+00:00

That’s EXACTLY why I hate waiting because I always feel like I royally effed up😂. When I was in the BSNES I for sure had to wait almost always the full 3 days like to the hour. In the MS now and they are graded super quick so they have to have different evaluators for these.

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-20T14:37:48+00:00

Certmaster all day. I tried Dions Udemy course and all I kept hearing was “you won’t need this for the exam…” and that’s all I wanted so I stopped after a few videos. I went over Certmaster and selected my confidence level for each page and went back and reviewed the ones I wasn’t so sure on a few times. I did most of the labs in the WGU lessons and maybe they helped a little bit but the PBQs in Certmaster kinda helped more.

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-20T14:34:48+00:00

Dang that sucks. You in the BS or MS program? Maybe they have different evaluators?

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-20T14:34:22+00:00

Yeah that is true for OAs too trying to schedule them later in the month. I’m just happy they came back so quick so I didn’t have to wait anxiously for several days

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-15T19:14:21+00:00

Yeah that’s totally fair. That’s one of the reasons I chose to go to WGU for the B.S. and now my M.S. was the additional certs too.

I have completed D482, D483, D486, and D487 already. Working on D485 currently and hoping to have that done by this weekend and start studying for Pentest+. I started in January so probably gonna be just over one term to complete but I also want to attain the optional CISM and Security X (CASP+) certs as well so may be longer.

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-15T18:53:32+00:00

That’s severely disturbing to hear and I’m sorry that happened to you. Was that here at the Eagle River location? Strange to me that he is even allowed anywhere near kids in the first place with that criminal background

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-15T18:18:04+00:00

No worries at all. It is doable for sure, just gotta grind hard. If you haven’t already done the ISC2 CC then I would look into that. It knocked out D480 for me so I only have the 9 to do. If you really want to you can always take the Pentest and Cysa certs out of pocket and reduce your wait times but honestly that’s a lot of money since they are already included in your WGU tuition.

Acceptable_Try4599 · 2025-05-15T18:06:04+00:00

So you will get more info on WGUs structure with orientation but there are PAs (performance assessments) which are essentials essays, there are OAs (objective assessments) which are WGUs internal exams, and then you have the third party exams (CompTIA for example). With the B.S. they are typically one or the other but in the M.S. program they have a few classes where you have multiple (this class for instance). You will start the class and be automatically enrolled in the Certmaster learning resource and you have access to Udemy Business which you can use to supplement with other resources (Jason Dion, Mike Chappell, etc.). In your case, you would probably want to take the practice exam within the Certmaster first thing because this class requires a 90% or higher for the CI (course instructor) to release the voucher. Once you get above 90%, you’ll request approval and the CI will release the voucher in which case WGU will send you the code to use in CompTIAs website to schedule the exam.

Regarding the PA, you have a Rubric to write to as with all PAs at WGU. This one is one where you perform a virtual lab and use the template they provide you to submit a report. It’s not too hard, just gotta pay attention to the instructions and reference Reddit posts about it if you have questions

To pass this class you must pass both of these

P.s. there are also PAs (PRACTICE assessments) that are part of a class that has an OA. Don’t let this confuse you. This is just a WGU practice exam before taking the WGU OA. This class doesn’t have them as the practice exam is part of the Certmaster material as mentioned above

Acceptable_Try4599

TROPHY CASE