CompTIA Performance-Based Questions: How to Approach Them

What is this page about?

A guide to CompTIA performance-based questions (PBQs), the interactive simulations on A+, Network+, Security+, CySA+, and Linux+ that require performing a task rather than picking an answer. It explains what PBQs actually are, the common exam-strategy mistake (getting stuck on them early), how to prepare for the hands-on gap, and how to solve common types (subnetting, log analysis, firewall rules), plus PBQ types by certification, partial-credit scoring mechanics, time-allocation strategy, and practising with GNS3.

What has been corrected on this page?

Every accepted correction to this page is recorded with the exact change, so readers can see how the page improved over time.

1. 11 July 2026 · corrected by Melik Can Sariyer

   2 flagged issues verified: quotes attributed to Professor Messer and Mike Chapple (both real named instructors/authors) had no locatable source and were de-attributed to plain prose.

   What the page claimed

   "I see candidates who can answer every multiple choice question about SSH correctly, then fail a PBQ that asks them to actually configure it. The knowledge is there. The procedural fluency isn't. For PBQ preparation, there is no substitute for actually running the commands yourself." - Professor Messer, CompTIA exam instructor [...] "The PBQ question format is actually a gift - it tests real skill rather than test-taking ability. Candidates who do hands-on labs as they study find PBQs to be the easiest part of the exam. The ones who only read study guides find PBQs to be the hardest. That gap is entirely preparation, not aptitude." - Mike Chapple, CISSP, co-author of the CompTIA Security+ Study Guide (Sybex)

   What was corrected

   It is a common pattern: candidates who can answer every multiple choice question about SSH correctly still fail a PBQ that asks them to actually configure it. The knowledge is there, but the procedural fluency isn't. For PBQ preparation, there is no substitute for actually running the commands yourself. [...] The PBQ question format is actually a gift: it tests real skill rather than test-taking ability. Candidates who do hands-on labs as they study tend to find PBQs the easiest part of the exam, while those who only read study guides tend to find them the hardest. That gap is largely preparation, not aptitude.

   Why: De-attributed two unverified quotes falsely credited to named real instructors/authors (Professor Messer and Mike Chapple) with no verifiable source, converting them to plain prose while preserving the substantive point being made.

   View the full record →

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