DDLS Philippines Senior Technical Instructor Peter Jungfer gives some practical advice on taking exams and what a realistic road to certification looks like.
Many of my instructed students ask the same question:
“What do I need to do to pass my exams?”
Well, I have put together a few of my tips to prepare for any exam:
- Book the exam. Whether or not you feel like you are ready for the exam, book it anyway. If you say to yourself that you will book once you feel that you are ready, there will always be an excuse for delaying it and rescheduling. Book a couple of weeks in advance and spend your study hours reviewing the courseware and testing yourself on real-world scenarios that apply to your normal daily activities.
- Be prepared. Make sure you have done as much prework as you can. Do as many of the labs as you have time to do and explore the options that are in each of the modules. Always look at the extra items in each of the blades in the Portal. Review the command line options even if you know that you may not be asked to write the commands.
- Stay calm. Do whatever you can to make sure that you are relaxed and calm before the exam. Being nervous and worried about the outcome is not beneficial to how you complete the exam. Get to the venue early and give yourself enough time to settle down. Don’t rush as this will only make you more concerned about the exam.
- Read the question! Take the time to read the question. Understand what is being asked. Remove extraneous information and concentrate on the intent of the question.
- Use your time effectively. Understand that you have a time limit and review how much is left to answer at the end of each hour. Make sure that you are fully engaged in the exam and don’t let your mind wander. Thinking about other factors that are happening around you will not help in your quest to pass your exam.
- Lastly, don’t second guess yourself. Read the question, understand what is being asked, remove the obviously wrong options, and then make the informed decision on the correct answer. After that, move to the next question.
Failure is nothing to be concerned about. It is all a learning experience and if you don’t pass on the first try, then review where your weaknesses are and rebook! Don’t accept defeat. It will be easier when you attempt a second time.
Good luck with your exams!
