Network+ Performance-Based Questions
The Network+ certification is one of the leading IT credentials that can help you kick start your IT career as a trained network professional. The Network+ certification exam is an intermediate-level certification that covers core networking concepts including fundamentals of network security along with the troubleshooting, installation and configuration of various kinds of network devices.
CompTIA Performance-Based Questions
CompTIA recently included several performance-based questions for its elementary and mid-level credentials such as the A+, Network+ and Security+ certification exams. Apart from the regular MCQs, students are now required to attempt these performance-based questions in order to successfully clear their CompTIA certification exam.
Preparation for CompTIA Performance-Based Questions
While preparing for the performance-based questions for your Network+ certification exam, try to study about the different types of tools as well as connectors in order to be able to give correct answers to the performance-based questions.
There is no doubt that the addition of performance-based questions is one of the most prominent changes made in the CompTIA certification exams in recent times, which one needs CompTIA Network+ training to easily solve. One of the primary objectives of performance-based questions is to check whether a candidate is able to practically solve a problem or not.
Performance-based questions are ideally performed in a command prompt or Windows simulated environment.
Limitations of MCQs
Earlier, the CompTIA Network+ exam consisted of MCQs only, where candidates were required to select the correct answers from multiple options. Although MCQs were extremely useful to check a candidate's knowledge about different types of networks and their management, they could not test or validate a candidate's skill or ability to practically perform different types of network maintenance and administrative operations and the effectiveness of the CompTIA Network+ training provided.
1. Strategies for Attempting the Performance-Based Questions
As there can be numerous ways to solve a specific problem or a task, try to solve a single problem with multiple methods and techniques, as a simulation may accept only a particular command.
Also, keep in mind that performance-based questions require more time to complete than multiple-choice questions. A programmer needs to prepare an exclusive simulated environment where such a performance-based question can be solved by a candidate, and creating a simulated environment involves a lot of time and resources. Therefore, performance-based questions are likely to be less in number than MCQs in the Network+ exam.
2. The Grading System for Performance-Based Questions
People are often skeptical about the grading system for performance-based questions for the Network+ exam. Many people expect to receive partial credit on solving some part of a question correctly if they fail to get the entire problem right.
However, CompTIA itself has stated several times that only a few selected performance-based questions are given partial credit.
Although CompTIA is not very vocal about the grading state for the performance-based question, they are likely to be worth more points than the regular multiple-choice questions, as performance-based questions demand more time and expertise to be accurately solved.
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3. Marks Weightage of Performance-Based Questions
Although you might perform a few performance-based questions incorrectly, if you end up getting more than one or two of these questions wrong, it might be quite difficult to clear your Network+ exam because the value for each performance-based question is expected to be slightly more than 4%.
If your Network+ exam has a total of 90 questions with three performance-based questions, then the total value of the performance-based questions will be around 13%.
4. Preparing for the Performance-Based Questions
Since the command prompt is simpler to simulate for such performance-based questions and is also quite similar to an operating system, developing vendor-neutral questions becomes simpler and quicker. Therefore, it is advisable to practice more questions in a command prompt rather than a Windows-based environment for your Network+ certification exam.
In order to prepare for Network+ performance-based questions, it is not necessary to organize a lab. Since the performance-based questions in the Network+ certification exam are phrased in plain English, you can comprehend them easily if you are familiar with all the course topics.
5. Using a Wi-Fi network
If you have a good Wi-Fi network, simply use the commands on your computer for practice.
The computer will prompt you to type the correct answer to the question. You may even be asked to create a Wi-Fi network using the most suitable antenna or a conventional network where multiple computers are connected to one another by a network of cables, switches, routers and hubs.
While preparing for your Network+ certification exam, you need to have both theoretical as well as practical knowledge of networking fundamentals and their implementation in the real world.
6. Prioritizing the questions in the Network+ Exam
At all times, performance-based questions will appear before the multiple-choice questions in the Network+ certification exam. However, since the majority of the questions in Network+ certification exam are MCQ based, people prefer to attempt the multiple-choice questions first and solve the performance-based questions afterwards.
In most cases, MCQs require less time to solve as compared to performance-based questions. Therefore, it is advisable to solve the multiple-choice questions first and then use the remaining time to attempt the performance-based questions. Also, performance-based questions require extra attention and concentration to understand the detail mentioned in the question completely.
7. Work on Time-Management for Exams
Time management is also another major factor to consider when preparing for performance-based questions for your Network+ certification.
Many people who attempt the performance-based questions first tend to spend more time on solving these complex questions and fail to save enough time for solving simpler multiple-choice questions.
8. Attempt Easier Questions First
Therefore, the best way to attempt performance-based questions for the Network+ certification exam is to read every question thoroughly and only attempt those questions first that you have completely understood and can solve within the required amount of time.
In case there is a certain performance-based question that you are not too confident about, it is better to mark and highlight the question to attempt later. Once you have attempted all the multiple-choice questions and other performance-based questions, you can try to attempt the previously marked question again.
Also, there is nothing wrong in marking a particular performance-based question and attempt it later. If you have managed to give the correct answer to the question, you will surely get the marks for answering the question right. The most beneficial way to prepare for Network+ performance-based questions is to enroll yourself in an online course.