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How long did you study for the IT and Technology cert exam?

by Tyler B. 1,360 views3 replies
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Tyler B.OP
May 27, 2026

So I've been working in IT support for about three years now and finally decided to pursue a formal certification. The problem is I have no idea how to structure my prep. I've been poking around online and found some decent resources, but I'm honestly not sure if I'm covering the right material or just spinning my wheels.

I started working through an IT and Technology DevOps & Automation practice test last week and got a 61% on my first attempt. Some of the automation concepts tripped me up — I know the basics but the exam-style questions phrase things in a way I wasn't expecting. Is that score typical for someone just starting out, or am I further behind than I thought?

Mostly looking for a realistic study guide structure and any exam tips from people who've actually passed. How many hours per week did you put in, and how long did it take before you felt genuinely ready? Shooting for at least a 75% before I schedule the real thing.

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James R.
May 27, 2026
61% cold on your first practice test is honestly pretty solid, don't stress it. I was hitting 58-63% for the first two weeks and ended up passing with an 81. I'd say plan for 8-10 weeks if you're working full time. The automation and scripting sections are where most people lose points — spend extra time there. Study guide I used broke it into domains and I'd focus on one per week.
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emily_w
May 28, 2026
The exam tips that helped me most: read every question twice before answering, they love to throw in qualifiers like 'MOST likely' or 'BEST practice' that completely change the right answer. Also don't neglect the DevOps pipeline questions, those showed up more than I expected. What's your test date? If you haven't scheduled yet, I'd actually recommend booking it before you feel 100% ready — gives you a real deadline.
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Mike_T
May 28, 2026
Took me about 9 weeks studying roughly 6 hours a week. Once I consistently hit 78-80% on practice tests I booked it and passed first try. The real exam felt slightly harder than the practice material but not wildly different. You're on the right track.

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