Dublin Tech Dubs CertMaster a ‘Great and Enjoyable Way to Learn’

CompTIA, the world’s leading vendor-neutral IT certification body, launched a new training tool this summer designed to help students and professionals better prepare for IT certification exams and future IT careers. The comprehensive new training program, CompTIA CertMaster, is a neuroscience-based, adaptive learning tool that features a variety of techniques to help you learn, including adaptive learning, spacing and motivation triggers.

CertMaster was developed by technical authors and reviewed by a team of subject matter experts to ensure technical accuracy. CertMaster covers lessons for CompTIA A+, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+ and Strata IT Fundamentals.

“After using CertMaster, I felt 100 percent ready to sit for my exams and I am glad to say I passed,” said Andrew Murphy, 42, who used CertMaster to prepare for his CompTIA A+ 801 and 802 certification exams. “I would tell any student to have no doubts about using CertMaster as a learning tool as it is a great and enjoyable way to learn, and they will learn and retain the information that they receive.”

Priming, Spacing and Personalized Learning
Rooted in the principles of neurobiology and cognitive psychology, CertMaster starts with priming, which sets up the framework and foundation for the material. Priming creates a mental picture of what will be covered — helpful especially for those feeling overwhelmed by new information. Priming also helps with memory accessibility and recall, an experience Murphy can attest to.

“If I am honest,” Murphy said, “during my exam it helped because I could visualize how the topic may have been presented to me by CertMaster.”

Personalized learning is another important part of the program. Users can fly through the sections they’ve already mastered, like installation, but retread over topics like configuration until they get it right. If someone enters an incorrect answer or uses the “I’m Uncertain” button, CertMaster’s data analytics rev up to customize the experience. The program features an explanation of the question and CertMaster threads in more questions on the difficult topic as the lesson continues.

“It helps you target your problem areas by simply letting you repeat any section you may feel you need more time on, and allows you to clear the answers from all the completed sections,” said Murphy, who is currently looking for work in Dublin.

To increase retention, CertMaster also uses spacing, which introduces information over various amounts of time. Each lesson features just six to eight questions, and CertMaster offers high-level feedback plus answers and explanations. This method of spacing gives the brain time to encode, associate, forget, relearn and store the information. CertMaster’s built-in data analysis also helps determine when users have reached their maximum learning capacity — and when it’s time to take a break.

“CertMaster includes a function that when reviewing your answers allows you to learn more with the use of tables and charts and extra information about the topic you are covering,” Murphy said. “This cuts out the need to read through pages and pages of text.”

Taking cues from the video game industry, CertMaster encourages a sense of progression, risk, achievement and curiosity, which releases dopamine and creates a positive feedback loop. CertMaster also provides immediate, high-level feedback to encourage learning from mistakes and prevent course abandonment. “This way of learning was so much easier and much more enjoyable than reading a textbook for months on end,” Murphy said. “I found it more helpful when trying to retain information and it certainly keeps you interested for much longer.”

Murphy used his desktop computer to complete CertMaster, but it can also be used on laptops, tablets and smartphones. CertMaster apps are available for both iOS and Android. The program’s multiplatform design lets you pause and switch back and forth between devices.

Murphy had just one exception with the training tool. “CertMaster did not include any practice simulations, which as it turned out carry a lot of marks in the CompTIA exam,” he said.

Despite the simulations, he found a bevy of benefits from the training tool. “I liked the way the sections are divided into subsections, which allow you to concentrate on your problem areas,” he said. “I found the charts and tables a great help and very informative, and of course the refresh button is a godsend as it allows you to start again from the very beginning when you have mastered all the questions.”

CertMaster is designed to help people quickly master the information, but retain it for the long-term. It’s important to be able to recall information when it counts: on the job, in school, during the certification exam. Having a solid grasp of the material is an important part of performing with confidence.

“I was surprised how much knowledge it helped you retain,” Murphy said. “After using CertMaster a few times, I had very few problems when faced with a question or problem.”

CertMaster trials are now available to those who are interested in trying it out. Complete this form to register for the trial. Once you have, log in and start learning! For more on CertMaster, visit www.certmaster.com.

Michelle Peterson is a communications specialist for CompTIA.