How to Effectively Study for your Next IT Cert

Studying for IT certifications can seem daunting. Some exams, like the CCNA, appear overwhelming at first glance. There are just so many topics to learn!

How can we best prepare for our certification journey? How should we approach our studies to get the most out of them, and to do so as efficiently as possible?

The essential part of studying effectively for certifications is not necessarily studying harder, but studying smarter. Here are some tips to make the most out of your study time that will lead you on the road to exam success.

Make a Study Plan—and Stick to it

Before delving into your exam study head-on, it is helpful to get a clear overview of what the exam is really about. Once the details are clear, it is easier to begin piecing together a roadmap or plan of attack.

• Visit the Vendor Page for Your Exam: Learn more about the cert before you dive in. For example, how many questions are there? What type of questions will appear on the exam? What is the time limit?

• Find a List of Exam Topics: Either print them out or copy them down by hand. Getting intimately familiar with these topics is important. What is on this list is what you can expect to be quizzed on when sitting the exam.

• Create a Custom Study Guide: This might be as simple as taking the vendor-supplied study guide and adding resources for each section. But you might also want to highlight areas you know you need extra time. 

With a road map in place, you can now set up a study schedule. Get out that calendar, estimate your spare time available for study, and make a weekly schedule. It is important to be realistic here and not overdo it. If you have two hours available on Monday, for example, maybe two Nuggets and one chapter of the book is reasonable. 

With a study guide and a schedule in place, the workload has been divided into manageable chunks. Now, just make sure you're consistent! 

Not sure which IT certification is right for you? Check out the CBT Nuggets IT Certification Matrix to find which certification fits your goals. 

Take an Active Approach to Studying

When studying, you want to take an active approach rather than merely be a passive recipient of information. Do not lie back and watch the videos in the same manner you watch a show on TV. 

Rather, approach the videos in a similar way to reading a textbook:

• Stop and reflect after the instructor has explained a topic. Try to explain, in your own words, what the topic is about.

• Do the quizzes that pop up in the videos.

• Take notes.

• If a particular topic is difficult to understand, jot down some questions to be researched and answered later.

• At the end of a video, try to summarize the key points before moving on.

When reading—whether it is a cert textbook or a vendor whitepaper, a good strategy is to first scan the pages you are going to read. Take note of the headings and text in bold in particular. This will give you some clues about the content and what you need to pay attention to. 

Then focus, and do one section at a time. Take notes along the way. After completing a section, stop and reflect. Summarize in your own words – what is this subject about? What do I know about it? How would I explain this to a friend? These steps help you actively engage with the material, rather than just reading it. 

Build a Study Toolbox

What are some specific tools that can aid you in your studies?

• Mindmapping: A mindmap is a diagram of the relationship between different subjects. It follows a tree-like structure where the main subject is the root. Then all items related to the root form multiple branches, each with leaves. Mindmaps are a great way of showing the bigger picture and the interrelationship between items. You can create mind maps with pen and paper, or there are digital alternatives for free or on a budget.

• Notetaking: When taking notes, it is important to find a balance between extracting the most crucial pieces of information and writing down everything the instructor says, or rewriting the entire book! You do not need to write down everything, but you do want to write down enough so that upon finishing a video or book chapter, you need not revisit that video or chapter again. Instead, you can rely solely on your notes and mind maps to review the material. Software like Microsoft's OneNote and Evernote offer a neat way of organizing your material. Your notes can be synced across all your devices, so you can review them anywhere.

• Keep a list of questions to be answered: Sometimes you will come across a subject that is too challenging to understand right away. Writing down a question to come back to later is a good idea. For example, "A designated port is the port on a segment that has the best path to the root bridge". Is it talking about the bridge's overall cost, i.e., the root port, or the root cost of the actual port in question that is being determined to become the designated port? Sometimes you will find that a question gets answered along the way in your studies. Other times, you will be researching this question further by searching the internet or working it out yourself.

• Mnemonics: A mnemonic is a memory device that helps you remember several items in sequence more easily. This is particularly useful for longer lists, models, and technology states. Here are some examples:

  • The layers of the OSI model: Physical, Datalink, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, Application: Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away.

  • The DHCP process: Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge: D.O.R.A.

Test Yourself

A good way to measure your progress is to test yourself with notecards and practice exams.

Using notecards is a classic, time-tested way to memorize items and test your knowledge. What makes notecards such an efficient way to study relates to what was mentioned above about active learning. Since there are no multiple-choice answers right in front of you to pick from, the brain goes on a deliberate search to find the answer, thus really engaging you in the process.

Through CBT Nuggets, you get access to our trainer-created flashcards, which are excellent.

Many vendors also offer practice tests that simulate the real exam. You can use these to gauge your progress. Doing practice exams exposes the topics you need to focus more on, and they can give you a rough estimate as to when you are ready to sit the exam.

Use Labs for Active Studying 

Once your understanding of a topic is sufficient, you want to apply that knowledge to real-world technology. Whether it is on hardware or on your simulator of choice, labbing reinforces your theoretical knowledge and often results in those "Aha!" moments where everything just clicks. Labbing is another form of active learning in which you physically engage with the process.

Doing labs is not just about configuring by-the-book best practice scenarios, however. Use it as a laboratory for experimentation and testing. Break your configuration. See what happens to y if you break x. Some of the strongest learning occurs when troubleshooting problems.  

Repetition, Reinforcement, and Reiteration

When we learn something new, we transfer information from short-term memory to long-term memory. It often takes time and repeated exposure to retain complex information for exam day. 

Our brains literally change as we learn new information. Forming new memories involves our neurons forming bonds, and by repetition, these bonds grow stronger. Just think about it: learning any new skill requires repetition, whether it’s shooting a basketball or swapping between chords on a guitar. This also equally applies to understanding technology topics like the OSI model or how DNS works.

In your certification studies, you should use repetition to your advantage. Learning complex technologies requires you to «live it for a while». Your understanding expands as you revisit subjects again and again. Also, for IT certifications, some things just need to be rote memorized, such as common TCP and UDP port numbers or private IPv4 class ranges.

Repeatedly going over your flashcards, notes, mind maps, and doing labs will reinforce the information and sink it deep into your brain. With time, you could not forget it even if you tried.

Collaborate

Joining a study group or teaming up with a friend who is studying for the same certification as you is a good strategy. You can bounce ideas off each other, ask questions if you get stuck on a topic, and share resources. The certification path is easier if you have someone to collaborate with.

Frequently Asked Questions About Studying for an IT Certification With CBT Nuggets

How Long Does it Take to Study For an IT Certification? 

It depends on which test you're taking and how much experience you have. Entry-level exams like CompTIA A+ might take a month or two of consistent studying for a beginner. Something like the CCNA might take three to six months. The key is to be consistent. 

What's the Best Way to Use CBT Nuggets to Study? 

Don't just press play and zone out. Find a way to stay actively engaged with the content. That might mean taking notes, pausing after key concepts to write down what you remember, and doing the quizzes that pop up. If something doesn't make sense, re-watch the video until it clicks. 

How do I Know When I'm Ready to Take My IT Certification Test? 

Practice exams are the best way to know when you're ready. When you can take a practice test and consistently get a passing score, you're likely ready for the real deal. 

How do I Stay Motivated When Trying to Study for an IT Certification Exam?

Give yourself plenty of time to study, build a plan to stay consistent, and don't forget to take breaks. Trying to cram months’ worth of information into your brain at 4 a.m. the day before the test is a recipe for failure. Be patient, give yourself time, rest when you need to, and remember that new knowledge takes time to absorb. 

Final Thoughts 

There you have it. These are some study tips to help you in your certification studies. Use these tips to your advantage. Become an active participant in your learning, and you should be on the road to exam success.

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