CyberSec Certs 6-9M Roadmap
Timeline & Testing Goals:
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Fall 2025: A+ & Net+
Winter 2025: Sec+ & land tech job
Spring 2026: CySA+, PenTest+, and finally CASP+.
Summer 2026: Linux+, Data+, Cloud+, and Server+
For the Trifecta (A+, Network+, Security+)
1. Video Playlists: I watched Professor Messer’s entire series for each cert, sometimes at 2x
speed to save time.
a. https://www.professormesser.com/
2. Practice Exams: I used Jason Dion’s practice tests on Udemy. I’d do each exam once, never
repeating them to avoid memorizing answers.
a. https://www.udemy.com/user/jason-dion/
3. Review & Retest: I aimed for 75–80% on the final (6th) practice test. After every test, I’d zero
in on incorrect answers and make sure I truly understood them.
4. Exam Objectives Deep-Dive: Before the real exam, I went through CompTIA’s official
objectives and explained each concept out loud. If I got stuck/couldn’t explain, I would
reinforce it with more examples/questions—often using ChatGPT.
How I Landed a Tech Job in a Month
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Automated Applications: I found a GitHub script that auto-applied to LinkedIn jobs (only the
“Quick Apply” ones, though).
Manual Applications: Over a few days, I also manually applied to ~75 positions on Indeed.
The Result: Got three interviews and an offer from my top choice. The total comp is around
$70k, similar level to help desk role.
Interview Tips: Research the company, dress well, research the company you are
interviewing for, then ask them questions during the interview about what you researched. If
they ask you a question you dont know the answer to, dont just say "I dont know", let them
know you can find out, or that you are willing to learn. e.g "I dont know but i'd love to learn" "I
don’t have the answer right now, but I’m confident I can figure it out quickly." etc etc.
For CySA+, PenTest+, and CASP+
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Courses & Practice: I watched Jason Dion’s video courses but found them a bit fluffy. I
recommend the Sybex books for deeper coverage.
Practice Exams: Again, Dion’s tests plus any I could find (there are quite a few free ones out
there, which I link on my website). Same strategy—review wrong answers, aim for 80%.
ChatGPT for Reinforcement: I’d pick any concept I struggled with (e.g., advanced forensics,
complex exploit tactics) and have ChatGPT generate scenarios, analogies, or extra questions
to drill down.
Outcome: Passed all on 6 certs first try.
About My Website: CertGames.com
1. GRC Page
a. AI-driven wizard to generate Governance, Risk, and Compliance questions. Helps you
learn frameworks like ISO 27001, NIST, etc.
2. Log Analysis
a. Generate any type of log, (security, event, error, and more) and get AI analyzed
breakdowns. Currently, The logs sometimes spits out random words (still refining!), but
it’s pretty fun to see potential threat indicators.
3. Daily CyberBrief
a. A Daily Newsletetr you can sign up for that sends you Study tips, Certifcation objective
info, Cyber news, Tips and tricks for pentesting tools, and more. Sent every morning to
your email.
4. Resources Page (the one I’m most excited about)
a. A massive, curated library of all the resources I used and also the best YouTube
playlists, course recommendations, exam outlines, community links, pentesting tools,
Linkiden pages, and more.
b. Search and filter: If you only want info on, say, “PenTest resources” or “GRC
frameworks,” just filter by that tag.
c. I’m adding more content weekly, so if you know any good materials, feel free to suggest
them.
5. Scenario Sphere
a. Over 2,000 potential threat combinations (ransomware, phishing, etc.). You can tweak
difficulty level, triggers, and even which type of organization you’re defending.
b. Automatically generates exam-style questions based on the scenario you choose.
6. Xploitcraft
a. 400+ attack scenarios (SQL injection, DoS, XSS, advanced evasion). Perfect if you
want hands-on practice in a sandbox-like environment.
7. Analogy Hub
a. Type in a complex cybersecurity concept or comparisons, and get a simple analogy in
return. This is super handy for explaining topics to friends or coworkers who aren’t
technical or just learning like I did.
8. Admin Interface & Planned Enhancements
a. I manage newsletters, logs, user subscriptions, etc., on the backend.
b. Upcoming Upgrades:
i. Adding more tabs/features for advanced labs and specialized cert roadmaps
(Linux+, Data+, Cloud+, Server+, etc.).
ii. Improving the Log Analysis page so it doesn’t generate odd placeholders—it’ll
become more realistic with real-world log formats overtime.
iii. Fixing any bugs that pop up and continuously updating the Resources Page with
new study materials.
Links
 Website: CertGames.com (jedimindtwix pw N0v@1987 08/20/25)
 GitHub Repo: Github Repo – check out the code, recommend suggestions if you’d like, or just
see how it’s built.