Week 11 brief · All zones · Exam readiness
Final Prep Week: Repair and Get Exam-Ready
Mon, Jan 4 – Tue, Jan 5 · 2:30–4:00 PM · Room 105 or live on Zoom
This week
Two timed practice exams, targeted repair on your weakest objectives, and the exam-ready checklist so you can book your Tech+ exam.
Heads up
- Exam-ready in the app means all six badges plus two Exam Sim runs at 75 percent or better.
- Students 17 and under need a parent or guardian to give consent in CompTIA's system before the exam can be booked. Ask your family now.
- Tech+ exams start the week of Jan 11.
Read-aheads
- Open your Practice Exam 1 or Exam Sim review. Write down your two lowest zones.
- Re-read those two zones' briefs on this page (Notes and Vocabulary sections).
- Do 20 study cards from your weakest zone.
- Read the Exam-day plan below.
- Run one Exam Sim at home if you have 60 quiet minutes. Overtime runs don't count toward exam-ready.
- Confirm your parent or guardian has completed exam consent if you are 17 or under.
The missions
Monday, Jan 4 · Day 21
12A · Exam prepPractice Exam 2 and Weak-Zone Repair
Practice Exam 1 showed every crew member a weakest zone. Tonight you take Practice Exam 2 under time, then spend the rest of the session in targeted repair: the crew teaches each other the exact objectives that cost points. Teaching it is the fastest way to lock it in.
- Take timed Practice Exam 2 and record your score by zone.
- Identify your two weakest objectives and review their items with the whyWrong explanations.
- Pair with a crewmate who is strong in your weak zone and teach each other one concept.
Turn in: Practice Exam 2 zone scores and a repair log naming the two objectives reviewed.
Tuesday, Jan 5 · Day 22
12B · Exam prepPractice Exam 3 and Exam-Ready Check
This is your final rehearsal. Take Practice Exam 3 under full timed conditions, then run the exam-ready checklist with your crew: scores, ID, testing-center logistics, and a plan for exam day. Crews that cross the readiness line schedule their real Tech+ exam.
- Take timed Practice Exam 3 and compare it with Practice Exams 1 and 2.
- Complete the exam-ready checklist: three practice scores at or above 75 percent, ID ready, test date chosen.
- Celebrate your crew's six badges and write one piece of advice for the next session's crews.
Turn in: Practice Exam 3 score, completed exam-ready checklist, and the crew's advice note.
Notes
How to repair a weak zone
- Go back to the exact questions you missed and read the explanation for each wrong answer.
- Teach one concept to a crewmate. If you can explain it, you know it.
- Re-test with study cards, then with a short Exam Sim, and watch the zone score climb.
The six zones in one line each
- Decoder: binary, hex, units, data types, troubleshooting order.
- Builder: computer parts, ports, networks, Wi-Fi security, cloud models.
- Operator: OS, file systems, permissions, licenses, browsers, AI.
- Coder: language types, variables, flowcharts, tracing code.
- Keeper: tables, keys, SQL, backups.
- Guardian: CIA, AAA, MFA, encryption, phishing, malware.
Exam-day plan
- Sleep and eat before the exam. Arrive early.
- Bring what the testing site requires. Mr. James will confirm ID rules with each student.
- Pace: about 50 seconds a question. Flag, answer, move on, and come back.
- Read every word of the question. Words like NOT, BEST and FIRST change the answer.
Vocabulary
| Objective | One specific skill the exam tests |
| Flag | Mark a question to review later |
| Exam Sim | The app's full-length timed practice exam |
| Exam-ready | Six badges plus two Exam Sim runs at 75%+ |
Check yourself
- What makes you exam-ready in First Badge?
- A question asks what you should do FIRST. Which troubleshooting step usually wins?
- You have 70 questions and 60 minutes. About how long per question?
Show answers
- Six badges, and two Exam Sim runs at 75 percent or better.
- Identify the problem.
- A little under one minute (about 50 seconds).
Bring
- A charged device
- Your student ID card
- Your list of two weakest zones