Number of questions and passing scores 1

[kmcferrin]

My employer (after nearly 10 years) has finally mandated that I get a number of certifications (A+/Net+/Server+/MCSE) that never seemed to matter before. Seeing as I've been in the business so long, most of the material should be familiar to me. They want me to start with the CompTIA exams (makes sense to me).

My company did provide me with some training materials along with practice tests, and I've only done the practice tests and have been passing them with 90-95% of the questions correct. This has highlighted a couple of areas where I need some more review (primarily Netware and old-school non PnP tech like IRQ lines and DMA channels), and also gotten me familiar with the somewhat tricky way in which test questions are sometimes asked (i.e., I give you four choices and say pick the 'best answer for the situation', but three of the choices are things that you'd never do and the fourth is something that you would do but is unrelated to the question).

At any rate, the only things that I have been completely unable to find are:

1. How many questions are on each exam?
2. What score is considered passing? If it's 95% then I want to review a little more. If it's 85% I'm just going to knock them out and be done with it.

Obviously, I'm assuming that this isn't an adaptive test.

 

[CiscoGuy33]

kmcferrin,

CompTIA has ALL you could want to know about these exams -

http://www.comptia.org/

A+ -

Number of Exam Parts Two - CompTIA A+ Essentials (220-601) and one of the following: 220-602 or 220-603 or 220-604
Number of Questions CompTIA A+ Essentials 100
220-602 (IT Technician) 90

220-603 (Remote Support Technician) 90

220-604 (Depot Technician) 90


Exam Format Linear format; computer-based test (CBT)
Exam Duration 90 minutes to complete each exam
Recommended
Experience Entry-level
Minimum Passing Score (scale of 100-900) CompTIA A+ Essentials 675

220-602 (IT Technician) 700

220-603 (Remote Support Technician) 700

220-604 (Depot Technician) 700


Languages Available English, German


Net + -

CompTIA Network+® Certification Overview

Number of Exam Parts One
Number of Questions 85
Exam Format Conventional; situational and identification multiple-choice questions
Exam Duration 90 minutes
Recommended
Experience CompTIA A+ and nine months networking experience recommended, but not required
Minimum Passing Score The exam is graded on a scale of 100 - 900 and 554 is the minimum passing score

Languages Available English, German, Japanese and Korean
Current English Exam Codes CompTIA Network+ Exam: N10-003 (2007 Edition)

CompTIA Network+ E2C Exam: JK0-012

Hope this helps!!



E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[kmcferrin]

Apparently my searching skills aren't up to snuff because I never was able to find the info above.

Looking at what you've provided I should be pretty much good to go if I can consistently score 90-95% on practice tests (assuming the practice tests are representative of the actual test).

 

[kmcferrin]

I took and passed 220-601 and 220-602 at lunch today. I felt like they were actually easier than the practice tests that I had, except for the following:

1. On 220-601 I got some questions that were definitely bad. On two separate questions they had the exact same answer listed twice (on a select 1 answer type of question). Fortunately it was the wrong answer, so that made it easier.

But there was another question (I won't repeat it here) that didn't make sense. It was a "select one answer" type of question, but three of the options listed were actually correct. It was not a situation where one of the options were "better" than the others either. Had you asked the question 5 years ago then only one of the options would have been correct, but technology had changed enough that it didn't make sense in the current world. So I just marked the "old-school" answer.

2. In general, the questions were really vague. On practice tests I was used to seeing three or four sentences describing a situation and asking for an answer, but most of the questions on the real test were very short sentences. There was a great deal of room for interpretation, and if you read anything into the question other than what was in front of you it was easy to see multiple answers that fit. Because the questions were so imprecise I decided to interpret each of them in the most literal way possible, which helped me get down to a single "best" answer (even if I felt like that wasn't the answer that they were looking for).

The 220-601 exam was much worse than the 220-602 in this respect, which is probably why I had less problems with the 602. Now I'm off to cram for the Server+ at lunch tomorrow.

 

[glister]

You'll find many more scenario-based troubleshooting questions on the Server+.

Just remember that there is a right answer, a wrong answer, and the CompTIA answer.

A+,N+,S+,L+,I+,HTI+,DHTI+,e-Biz+,Security+,RFID+,CETma,CSS,CFOS/T,CCNT,CCTT,ACSP,ISA CCST3

 

[kmcferrin]

Well, I passed Server+ today. You're right, there were a lot more scenario-based questions there. I liked that about it. Unfortunately, there were also a lot more of the very vague "Which is the BEST" or "Which should you do FIRST" types of questions, which I absolutely hate. Those are the ones where you want the "CompTIA answer" opposed to the right or wrong answer. There were also a lot more of the "Pick TWO" or "Pick THREE" sorts of questions, which always make me wonder...

Does anyone know exactly how these tests are scored? The results page says that scores can be between 100 and 900, but beyond that I have no idea. On the Server+ there are 80 questions, and using that 800 point spread you'd think that each question was worth 10 points, but I'm pretty sure that's not right since my score ended in an 8 instead of a 0.

Do the multiple-selection questions count for more than the single-selection questions? Is it a straight multiple, i.e., is a "Pick TWO" worth twice amount of the usual question, and the "Pick THREE" worth three times the amount? Or are they rated by difficulty some other way with more difficult questions counting more? Just from a fairness standpoint it seems that the multi-selects should be worth more.

 

[glister]

CompTIA keeps the scoring methods a well kept secret. Last time I was up in Oakbrook Terrace, I specifically asked and I was politely told that they don't reveal the scoring methods for exam security reasons. In reality, it helps facilitate their "unscored questions." CompTIA figured out that the complete revision of any exam was a hugely expensive undertakeing. The now add certain "unscored questions" to all exams as a way to beta test and continually revise the exams.

CompTIA pulled all exam developement in-house about three years ago. they now have a psychometrician on staff and there is a method to their madness. The biggest imperative with all CompTIA exams is to be "legally defensible."

A+,N+,S+,L+,I+,HTI+,DHTI+,e-Biz+,Security+,RFID+,CETma,CSS,CFOS/T,CCNT,CCTT,ACSP,ISA CCST3

 

[kmcferrin]

So I guess we just have to trust the magic box and hope that their answer key is correct.

 

[kmcferrin]

Passed Network+ today. I think this was the easiest of the bunch so far.

 

[kmcferrin]

Passed Security+ today. I was a little worried when I saw that the score required to pass was 764 (highest of the CompTIA exams I've seen so far). I assumed that this meant it would be a harder test. But it wasn't until after I finished it that I realized that logically speaking, you raise the minimum passing score when the test is easy, and lower it when it's hard. I still think that the Network+ was the easiest of the bunch though.

As far as learning the material goes, I think that the Security+ was by far the most useful exam that I've taken so far. A lot of it was old news to me but there was a lot that I learned too. I highly recommend taking it.

 

[glister]

...I realized that logically speaking, you raise the minimum passing score when the test is easy, and lower it when it's hard.

This axiom is not necessarily true in all cases. Determining a cut score is more of that psychometric voodoo whereby the SMEs determine weighting for the objectives, beta testing provides metrics for review and then the SMEs review the beta results and set the cut score.

In this particular case, I think you'll find that the target audience for the exam (2 years security experience)will elevate the expectations of the candidate scores.

A+,N+,S+,L+,I+,HTI+,DHTI+,e-Biz+,Security+,RFID+,CETma,CSS,CFOS/T,CCNT,CCTT,ACSP,ISA CCST3

 

[kmcferrin]

In this particular case, I think you'll find that the target audience for the exam (2 years security experience)will elevate the expectations of the candidate scores.

Two years of security experience? After working two years on a security team you should be able to get a 900 with minimal review. All I did was run some practice tests over the weekend and I got an 880.

 

[glister]

Two years of security experience? After working two years on a security team you should be able to get a 900 with minimal review. All I did was run some practice tests over the weekend and I got an 880.

hey, I'm just quoting the CompTIA rhetoric. Your instance merely reflects the fact that you are smarter than the average bear. 8o)>

A+,N+,S+,L+,I+,HTI+,DHTI+,e-Biz+,Security+,RFID+,CETma,CSS,CFOS/T,CCNT,CCTT,ACSP,ISA CCST3

 

[twjua]

I've got a quick question for you guys, how many questions do you have to answer to pass the Net+. I know, 100-900 and you need to score 554. But how does that translate into the 80 questions? Is that like 57 plus questions correct to pass?

 

[kmcferrin]

As discussed above, nobody really knows for sure. I would assume that it is a straight percentage, but they may count the 'multiple selection' questions as being worth more than the others, or give partial credit for partially correct answers. I wish I had something more concrete to go on, but since they don't tell you what questions you missed or even how many questions you missed, it's all a mystery.

I can't recall if CompTIA does this or not, but I know that Microsoft includes questions that aren't scored too. They're usually questions that they're getting a baseline on for future tests, but that confuses the count.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCP, MCSA:Security 2003

 

[glister]

You are looking at this whole thing the wrong way. You shouldn't worry about how many you can get wrong. It's the old half empty/ half full.

Concentrate on overstudying so that you have a larger margin for error. You just might retain the knowledge a little better, as well.

A+,N+,S+,L+,I+,HTI+,DHTI+,e-Biz+,Security+,RFID+,CETma,CSS,CFOS/T,CCNT,CCTT,ACSP,ISA CCST3

 

[J666GAK]

I am revising for my Network+ now and aim to take the exam in 4 weeks, as then I have plenty of time to make sure that I will pass.... well as much as I can anyway.

But I must admit that I am really interested in the security, so I think that I might do the Security+ afterwards.

One thing that does get me is that all the Comptia exams seam to be about £160, even the Microsoft exams are cheaper at £100. Its alot of cash when you are paying for it yourself : /

 

[CiscoGuy33]

J666GAK,

You said - " One thing that does get me is that all the Comptia exams seam to be about £160, even the Microsoft exams are cheaper at £100. Its alot of cash when you are paying for it yourself : /"

You got to look at the fact that (at least right now) CompTIA certs are for life! Microsoft, Cisco etc. have to be retaken EVERY 2-3 years!

They get it from you in the long run


E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +

 

[kmcferrin]

Actually, Microsoft certs are for life as well...or at least until Microsoft retires the product. They just changed the 2008 certs so that they wouldn't expire either.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCP, MCSA:Security 2003

 

[J666GAK]

I still think £100 is alot when you are paying for the training etc yourself : (

Actually am I right in think that if you pass your A+ and Network+ that they count towards your MCSA?