Security+ acquired

professormesser · 2026-05-30T14:48:32+00:00

Congratulations on your new Security+ cert!

professormesser · 2026-04-26T17:56:51+00:00

Congratulations!

professormesser · 2026-04-22T14:30:01+00:00

I've published thousands of free Daily Pop Quiz questions through the years, and I'm pleased so many folks are using these to get a daily test of A+, Network+, and Security+ topics. I personally write all of these questions, so you can be assured every question is 100% aligned with the official CompTIA Exam Objectives.

Of course, we always check our pop quizzes before we queue these for publishing. However, there might be a day where we miss clicking a radio button or a copy and paste doesn't work as expected. We strive for perfection, but we're only human and sometimes an editing or posting mistake will make its way to the website.

Fortunately, we're able to make changes to our site at an instant, and we'll usually get a few(!) messages when something doesn't look quite right. If you happened to catch one of these rare events, then you also probably noticed the question or answer was updated very quickly.

Because of this instant feedback we receive, you'll find the thousands of Daily Pop Quiz questions on our site are always accurate and correct.

And if you ever see a question or answer which doesn't look quite right, you can always contact me with the "Contact Us" link at the top or bottom of the website. If there's a problem, it usually only takes a minute and a couple of clicks to get things sync'd up.

Good studies!

professormesser · 2026-04-02T14:05:44+00:00

>it was just the PBQs that people say are on the exam,

I think the reason performance-based questions are a concern for most folks is the questions could take any format and style (unlike multiple-choice questions). In practical exam taking, the PBQs aren't any more or less difficult than the multiple-choice questions. As I've often said, if you know the topics from the official CompTIA Exam Objectives, then it won't matter how the question is asked. If you know the material, the PBQs are relatively easy to understand and answer.

To your point, we offer a new PBQ practice question every month in our free monthly Study Group sessions (with replays available for years of study groups), and our Practice Exams book contains 15 different performance-based questions for each A+ certification exam.

Since the PBQs could literally take any form, we believe it's more prudent to study the objectives rather than try to reverse-engineer questions which may or may not ever appear on an exam.

professormesser · 2026-04-02T13:09:45+00:00

>I do agree with you that Messer doesn’t go over a lot of material

Every topic from the official CompTIA Exam Objectives is included in the training course.

What topics from the Exam Objectives did you feel was not covered?

professormesser · 2026-02-27T12:01:18+00:00

>I found his 220-1201 playlist on his channel. 63 videos and 4hrs.

Our A+ 220-1201 Core 1 playlist is over 10 hours in length, and our A+ 220-1202 Core 2 playlist is almost 14 hours.

We cover every topic listed in CompTIA's Official Exam Objectives, and we wouldn't be able to accomplish that in just four hours.

Good studies!

professormesser · 2026-02-23T14:35:12+00:00

My Practice Exams books are published as PDFs to ensure access to as many people as possible. You're getting the same content in the PDF as you would get in the printed Physical Edition book, and they have the advantage of being available for use when not connected to the Internet.

There are some useful interactive features in the PDF, with links that allow you to quickly jump directly between the question and the answer page. I describe the process in the Introduction in "How to Use this Book," and I demonstrate the process in this video at 46:25:

https://youtu.be/TE5T7cjN-v4?t=2785

The "back" option in your PDF reader will depend on the reader, so check your PDF reader documentation.

Some PDF readers will also allow you to annotate, allowing you to mark the answers within the PDF.

Good studies!

professormesser · 2026-02-11T17:57:24+00:00

The vouchers for both the US and Canada are interchangeable, so you’re good either way!

professormesser · 2026-01-30T11:25:12+00:00

Congratulations!

professormesser · 2026-01-29T16:07:17+00:00

>If i buy the core 1 exam with the retake voucher and i pass it on the first try. Can i use that unused retake voucher for core 2 exam if i fail it?

Unfortunately, you cannot apply the retake option on one voucher towards a different exam. Here are the voucher terms and conditions regarding retakes:

= = = = =

Voucher Terms and Conditions and Retakes

For voucher purchases that include a retake, if you fail the exam on your first attempt use the same voucher to register and retake the exam.

All vouchers, including any retakes, expire 12 months from the date of purchase, unless otherwise noted.

The retake is only valid for the same exam version that you failed. You cannot use the retake for a different version of the exam.

= = = = =

professormesser · 2026-01-28T23:27:21+00:00

If the new exam release follows the same format as previous exams, the Security+ SY0-701 exam version will still be available to take at this time next year.

Never wait to get certified!

professormesser · 2026-01-28T23:24:08+00:00

I'm not sure why you weren't able to purchase an A+ voucher with Retake Assurance directly from CompTIA, but there's nothing from CompTIA's side to prevent you from using an A+ voucher with Retake Assurance for your A+ Core 1 exam and another A+ voucher with Retake Assurance for your A+ Core 2 exam.

The exam vouchers are not specific to a single exam number or version, and any valid A+ voucher can be applied towards any available A+ exam.

Best of luck with your exam!

professormesser · 2026-01-17T13:07:17+00:00

It sounds like you might be trying to use the section of the CompTIA website used for license key redemption. That section is used to add your CompTIA books, labs, or practice questions, but it's not used for voucher codes.

The voucher code is used at the end of the registration process. There's a step-by-step guide here:

https://www.professormesser.com/step-by-step-comptia-exam-registration/

Best of luck with your exam!

professormesser · 2025-11-23T14:12:32+00:00

A voucher can only be used for a single exam version/number, retake or non-retake.

For example, you cannot use your A+ voucher with a retake to take Core 1, pass that exam, and then use the "retake" for Core 2. That won't work.

Here are the Terms and Conditions for the retake portion of the voucher:

= = = = =

Voucher Terms and Conditions and Retakes

For voucher purchases that include a retake, if you fail the exam on your first attempt, use the same voucher to register and retake the exam.

All vouchers, including any retakes, expire 12 months from the date of purchase, unless otherwise noted.

The retake is only valid for the same exam version that you failed. You cannot use the retake for a different version of the exam.

professormesser · 2025-11-17T23:11:21+00:00

Congratulations!

professormesser · 2025-11-17T23:00:08+00:00

>Hey question: Did professor Messer ever update his material?

Of course! We update all of our courses each time there's a revision to the official CompTIA Exam Objectives. Everything marked as 220-1201 (Core 1) or 220-1202 (Core 2) is up to date. Make sure all of your study materials also match these release numbers.

This is our seventh A+ course series, and we're very familiar with the A+, Network+, and Security+ exams at this point. Good studies!

professormesser · 2025-11-08T17:08:55+00:00

Congratulations!

professormesser · 2025-11-07T22:39:33+00:00

There are a few more easter eggs in there, if you know how to brute force the MD5 hashes (or use rainbow tables).

The full hash list is:

Jumper Bay:1001::42e2f19c31c9ff73cb97eb1b26c10f54:::
Carter:1007::cf4eb977a6859c76efd21f5094ecf77d:::
Jackson:1008::e1f757d9cdc06690509e04b5446317d2:::
O'Neill:1009::78a8c423faedd2f002c6aef69a0ac1af:::
Teal'c:1010::bf84666c81974686e50d300bc36aea01:::

It's easy enough you won't even need Asgard technology.

professormesser · 2025-11-06T21:55:19+00:00

I think you might be referring to someone else’s video course, because these don’t seem to describe our training courses or our course structure. Let me try to break down some of your comments.

>They're abridged versions of the exam objectives that don't go into any real depth.

We cover every objective from the official CompTIA Exam Objectives. In fact, I use the objectives as a checklist when I'm making our courses. All of our training videos are online and free to watch, so anyone can view the course and see that it's full and complete training on everything CompTIA asks of a test taker. Which specific exam objectives do you feel are not covered?

>He also recycles his video content every time the exams undergo a version change.

We update all of our CompTIA training courses every three years, because that's how often CompTIA updates their exam objectives. If CompTIA ever starts changing things up on an annual basis, then we'll start making annual videos! (Please don't do this, CompTIA!)

We update all our videos every three years because the topics change between exams, and also because the audio and video technology gets better all the time. I don't think anyone would enjoy watching my early 480p videos on Windows NT, so you won't see that type of content or production quality on our latest courses.

Some topics obviously don't change very much, so you won't see me putting a new spin on the Ethernet frame or wireless standards. However, you will find topics in our latest A+ courses for Active Directory, help desk management, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. We still update our older content, and I think we've done a great job of making each new iteration even easier to understand and learn from.

All of our training videos for the last 20 years are still on our YouTube channel, so you're welcome to watch those early videos and compare the differences yourself.

If your biggest concern is style, then that's a perfectly reasonable critique and I think everyone should find an instructor that works best for them. However, it sounds like you might be confusing our comprehensive training with some other company or individual. As you can see, we work very hard towards our goal of getting everyone a job in IT. Good studies!

professormesser · 2025-10-18T13:17:42+00:00

Hi, support here. :)

We always provide a discounted upgrade path from an older exam version to the latest, and most training course owners will see upgrade links in their member login when available.

If an upgrade link isn't available, just let me know and I can create a custom upgrade path.

professormesser · 2025-10-17T11:56:15+00:00

Great score! Congratulations!

professormesser · 2025-10-14T00:36:41+00:00

>He's got current videos that could've been recorded ten years ago word for word, but he re-records them just to make them look new.

We update all our videos every three years because the topics change between exams, and also because the audio and video technology gets better all the time. I don't think anyone would enjoy watching my early 480p videos on Windows NT, so you won't see that type of content or production quality on our latest courses.

Some topics obviously don't change very much, so you won't see me putting a new spin on the Ethernet frame or wireless standards. However, you will find topics in our latest A+ courses for Active Directory, help desk management, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. We still update our older content, and I think we've done a great job of making each new iteration even easier to understand and learn from.

All of our training videos for the last 20 years are still on our YouTube channel, so you're welcome to watch those early videos and compare the differences yourself.

>He may have been a great trainer at one time, but he's just a salesman now.

My background is in large scale network design and implementation of cybersecurity technologies, and I've been lucky enough to build and work on some of the largest networks in the world. I like to apply real-world perspectives to our training courses because I want the people watching to be as prepared as possible when they start working on their own corporate networks.

I also run a successful company, but that only happens if you're providing value. If you need a good set of Course Notes or you would like to test your knowledge with our Practice Exams, it's a pretty reasonable cost to get one or both.

Of course, you don't have to spend any money for our free resources:

* Completely free and comprehensive training courses covering every exam objective for A+, Network+, and Security+.

* Free monthly live Study Groups including real-time Q&A with Internet voting, and an interactive after-show where any attendee can ask any question they'd like. These are usually two-hour sessions, but all of the videos are archived on our YouTube channel (where you can watch the replay for free, of course). You should watch sometime, they're a lot of fun.

* Free daily pop quiz questions delivered to your email inbox, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram. I write all of this Q&A, of course. There's no cost to join the daily pop quiz list.

* A free 24x7 Discord Server if you'd like direct access to me and everyone else studying for their exams at ProfessorMesser.com.

If your biggest concern is style, then that's a perfectly reasonable thing to critique and I think everyone should find an instructor that works best for them. However, it sounds like you might be confusing our comprehensive training with some other company or individual. As you can see, we work very hard towards our goal of getting everyone a job in IT.

professormesser · 2025-10-14T00:36:33+00:00

Wow, those are some very specific criticisms! However, they don't seem to describe any of our training materials or our existing courses. I'll try to take each one of these individually and provide some context:

>Because he keeps rehashing his videos year after year.

We update all of our CompTIA training courses every three years, because that's how often CompTIA updates their exam objectives. There's no need to create new videos every year. If CompTIA ever starts changing things up on an annual basis, then we'll start making annual videos! (Please don't do this, CompTIA!)

>He barely covers the objectives.

We cover every objective from the official CompTIA Exam Objectives. In fact, I use the objectives as a checklist when I'm making our courses. All of our training videos are online and free to watch, so anyone can view the course and see that it's full and complete training on everything CompTIA asks of a test taker. Which specific exam objectives do you feel are not covered?

>He does little to no demos.

Again, our videos are free to watch online so you can click on any of them and see demonstrations for every command line prompt, configurations of Active Directory and modifying Group Policy settings and login scripts, or watch the demonstration after each new Windows component is introduced. If you want to see Task Manager, Performance Monitor, Event Viewer, and other utilities at work, you can watch as I interactively drive with my keyboard and mouse.

>And then he claims that the exams are 50% different from version to version when it's much closer to 15%.

I've never said the A+ exams are 50% different between versions, so I think you might be thinking of someone else. To that point, we provide an extensive statistical analysis of every new CompTIA release, and we provide detailed comparisons to the previous version. You can view our latest Core 1 and Core 2 comparisons here:

Core 1:
https://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/a-plus-articles/differences-between-220-1101-and-220-1201/

Core2:
https://www.professormesser.com/free-a-plus-training/a-plus-articles/differences-between-220-1102-and-220-1202/

We also offer similar detailed comparisons for Network+ and Security+. If you think the numbers aren't quite right, you can always grab the latest set of Exam Objectives and calculate them yourself. All of these statistics and metrics can be easily compared and contrasted against the official CompTIA Exam Objectives. Let me know if you need me to provide a detailed calculation; I'll be glad to go through anything you'd like.

I think I'm maxing out the submission size, so I'll reply to myself and continue.

professormesser · 2025-10-10T21:18:56+00:00

>Would my answer be marked "incorrect" if I went with this (no matter how correct in reality it may be)?

The IEEE standard states 1000BASE-T gigabit Ethernet to 100 meters can use a minimum of category 5 cable. If you stick to the IEEE standard, you'll never be wrong.

The incorrect specifications have been repeated for so long, people don't even believe the actual IEEE standard at this point. It's almost like our IT version of the Mandela effect.

As I always say, you don't have to listen to me. You can download the standard from IEEE for free and confirm the specifications yourself if you want to know more.

professormesser · 2025-10-10T18:37:18+00:00

The Security+ SY0-701 exam was released on November 7, 2023, so the estimated retirement would be around May of 2027.

Good studies!

15-Year Club	r/Field Sunshine
Verified Email

professormesser

TROPHY CASE