The Fastest Way to Get from Studying Up to Certification
Posted by TestOut Staff on
The shortest distance from point A to point B is a straight line. When talking about the fastest way to get from point A to point B, things aren’t so cut and dried. For instance, if you wanted to go from Paris, France to New York City, USA in a straight line, you would have to drill a tunnel through the surface of the earth beneath the ocean. That would, of course, take longer than hopping on an airplane and flying a curved route over the Atlantic Ocean.
Just like it is difficult to find the fastest route from point A to point B, It can also be difficult to navigate the fastest route through your next certification training course. An article from the recent Winter Edition of Certification Magazine claims to offer a means of mastering your next certification by devoting just 15 minutes a day to study. To some, this may seem as impossible as drilling a tunnel beneath the Atlantic Ocean, but the ideas behind this method of study are compelling.
The author of the article, April Miller Cripliver, who holds more than 25 IT certifications herself, lists her ideas on how you can pass a certification in a short amount of time.
- Plot your strategy: Decide what certifications you need for your desired career. Have a goal of earning two certifications per calendar year. This will take lots of planning, so start today.
- Make a study strategy: Don’t allow yourself to study more than 15 minutes a day. Your brain will continue to pick through and process the material as you go throughout the rest of your day. Be consistent.
- Use study materials: Take practice exams, like those from Transcender or GoCertify. Think outside the box when taking these practice exams. Use them to learn, not just to get the answer to possible questions.
- Read questions backward: If you read the answers first, you will not be distracted by unimportant information when you read the question.
These are great suggestions, but ultimately, you have to find what works for you when it comes to studying. It is important to make a plan and be consistent in your study habits. If you study short amounts of time every day, you will be able to pass your exam quicker than if you just picked a day to cram. There are no shortcuts in certification — the fastest way is to first plan out the fastest route.
About the Author — Jake Slater is the social media manager for GoCertify and a graduate of Brigham Young University. Jake once dug a tunnel from Tokyo to San Francisco, but his trans-Atlantic ambitions have not yet been realized.