After I have understood the details for a certification test (part 1), including format and the rules for taking it and after I have taken time to learn how the test is structured and what’s covered (part 2), next is studying for the exam.
First, let’s talk about focus. Study for too long a block and after a certain amount of time, it becomes less productive. That’s why I am a fan of the pomodoro technique. It presents a big enough block of time to make a dent in the material while ensuring a bit of rest between those blocks. After a certain number of blocks (usually 4, which corresponds to almost 2 hours of effort) you take a longer rest. There are apps for both iOS and Android, but I just have the pomofocus.io site saved to my phone and use it. No need to do anything else.
Second, I intentionally set aside blocks of time. I am at my best when I go into my calendar and mark off those blocks, set the reminds, etc., just like they were a meeting I need to attend. Which, if you think about it, they are. If I want to get the certification, I need to put in the effort. So I need to meet myself to get the studying done.
Finally, I go manual with my notes. Edwin Sarmiento wrote a post on LinkedIn about what his desk looks like as a high availability expert. He makes a point of talking about why he writes things down. Yes, it does slow you down. That’s the point. If you read, write, and even speak whatever you’re taking notes about, those are multiple ways to reinforce learning. There’s a growing body of research that suggests why taking notes by hand is more effective than typing them out. Here’s an example of one of my pages of notes from when I was preparing for the TOGAF 9 Certified exam.
The other thing I will say about handwritten notes is that you can always transcribe them to the computer or simply take a picture and load the picture into OneNote or Evernote or whatever your note system is. Again, that’s another opportunity to read and retain material.
I have found over the years that these three things have helped my certification preparation tremendously. If you have other techniques that work for you, leave a comment.