Taking practice exams for a big certification is a great way to test your knowledge base, but it can also be expensive. It’s not only about the cost of the exam itself, but also about the time spent studying. If you’re looking for ways to save time and money on practice exams, here are some strategies that will help.
Take a practice exam from your lower-level certifications.
If you’re preparing for a certification exam that has a prerequisite, then you can save money by taking your lower-level certifications’ practice exams. Why spend the money on the full certification exam when you can just take it from your lower-level certifications? If you want to prepare for an MCSA exam, you could take the MCSD and MCDST exams before doing the MCSA. By taking these exams first, you’ll be able to gauge what type of questions they ask and will also be able to recognize any areas where you may need more studying. Plus, it was less expensive.
Find a study partner.
Practice exams can be a great way to gauge your knowledge. But they can also be expensive. If you don’t have the money for an exam, find a study partner to take it with you. This will allow you to share the cost and split the time studying. It will also help improve your chances of passing a certification exam since you’ll have someone invested in your success.
Take breaks to avoid burnout.
Taking practice exams can be mentally draining if you’re taking an exam every day. One strategy to avoid this is simply taking breaks. You don’t have to take a full break from studying every day, but you should allow yourself time to relax and focus on other things. These breaks will give your brain time for some much-needed rest so it won’t feel burned out when you start up again the next day.
Build your knowledge base gradually
The best way to save time and money on practice exams is to build your knowledge base gradually. If you’re taking a two-day exam, knowing all of the material in advance is not necessary. Focus on learning the most common topics first, then learn the least common topics last.
Use free resources.
One of the most cost-effective ways to study for a certification exam is to use free resources. There are tons of free study guides, practice exams, and videos to help you pass your certification exam. For instance, if you’re preparing for an ITIL Foundation exam, tons of free resources are available from the official site.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s up to you to decide what works best for you. You should keep in mind that if you want to be successful on your exams, you have to commit to a study plan and stick with it.