Focus: Mindset Monday – Studying for Certifications Like a Professional

Learning Intention

We are learning how to adopt professional study habits that make certification success more achievable.

Success Criteria

• I can describe one professional study method I will use to prepare for certification exams.

Why Are We Learning This?

Earning IT certifications requires more than “studying hard” — it takes consistent, professional-level preparation. Learning how to study like IT pros will make passing exams (CompTIA, Cisco, Python, etc.) far less stressful.

Warm-Up (Cert Question of the Day)

• Sample CompTIA-style Question:

  Which of the following is the BEST study strategy for long-term retention of certification content?

  • a) Memorizing definitions the night before the test
  • b) Studying 20 minutes a day and reviewing old material weekly
  • c) Reading the entire study guide once and moving on
  • d) Waiting until class review days to practice
  • Answer: b)

Seminar Lecture & Discussion (10 minutes)

• Discuss what makes certification prep different from school tests.
• Introduce 3 pro-level study habits:
  1. Spaced Repetition → review material at increasing intervals.
  2. Active Recall → self-testing instead of just re-reading notes.
  3. Mixed Practice → study multiple cert domains in rotation.
• Example: How to blend CompTIA A+ review with CCNA labs without overload.

Study Guide Notes (Cornell Style)

Cue Column: