Certified: The GIAC GSTRT Audio Course

In this episode, we focus on execution, because exam day is less about what you know in theory and more about how reliably you can apply what you know under time pressure. You want calm precision, meaning you move steadily, you avoid emotional detours, and you make decisions that match the question in front of you. A good gameplan is not complicated. It is a small set of behaviors that protect your time, protect your attention, and prevent unforced errors. When people underperform, it is often because they get pulled into rumination, they lose pace early, or they let a few uncertain questions convince them the whole exam is going badly. The goal here is to execute to full effect, which means you follow your process even when the moment feels noisy. Calm is not an emotion you wait for; calm is something you produce by following a plan you trust.

Before we continue, a quick note: this audio course is a companion to our course companion books. The first book is about the exam and provides detailed information on how to pass it best. The second book is a Kindle-only eBook that contains 1,000 flashcards that can be used on your mobile device or Kindle. Check them both out at Cyber Author dot me, in the Bare Metal Study Guides Series.

Start by arriving early and completing check-in without rush, because early stress can take a surprisingly long time to dissipate. Rushing at the start creates a physiological urgency that can linger into the first questions, and that urgency encourages misreading. Arriving early gives you buffer for parking, traffic, building navigation, and any unexpected administrative steps. It also lets you settle into the environment, notice where distractions might occur, and get comfortable with the rules and the routine. If you are taking a remote proctored exam, the same principle applies, because setup issues can increase pressure if you are on a tight clock. The goal is to be in your seat with enough time to breathe, adjust, and start deliberately. This is not about being anxious; it is about avoiding preventable stress. When the start is calm, the rest of the exam is easier to manage.

Before you engage deeply with questions, set your pace by converting the total time into a workable rhythm and choosing checkpoint times you can use to self-correct. Pace is not about rushing; it is about ensuring you do not accidentally spend too long on early items and then sprint at the end. A practical approach is to think in minutes per section or per block of questions, then choose a few checkpoint moments where you will verify you are on track. The checkpoints should be spaced enough that you can focus, but frequent enough that you can correct course early if you fall behind. The purpose of checkpointing is to keep you from being surprised late, when there is no room to recover. When you are on pace, you can give each question the attention it deserves without feeling squeezed. When you are behind pace, you can choose deliberate tactics, like moving on from hard items faster, rather than panicking. Pace management is a performance skill, and it pays off immediately.

At the beginning, capture key cues during the initial minute, because you want to prime your brain before the first tough question tries to pull you off balance. Key cues are the compact mental handles you developed in final review, the short phrases that launch your answer framework and keep you oriented. The goal is not to write a long set of notes or to create a second study guide in your head. The goal is to activate the system you trained, so recall becomes faster and more reliable. This moment is also useful for checking your mental state, such as noticing tension in shoulders or jaw and relaxing it deliberately. A calm body supports a calm mind, and small physical adjustments can reduce anxiety signals before they grow. The initial minute is also when you commit to your plan, meaning you decide you will flag and move on when needed, and you decide you will protect your time. Priming is not wasted time; it is setup for steady performance.

When you read each question, note the verb and answer exactly that, because many exam errors come from answering a related question instead of the asked question. Verbs often signal what the exam wants, such as identify, select, determine, prioritize, or choose the best next step. Those verbs imply different thinking, and using the wrong approach can lead you to overcomplicate. If the question asks what is most likely, you want a probabilistic judgment, not an absolute rule. If it asks what should be done first, you want sequencing and safety, not a complete solution. If it asks for the best explanation, you want clarity over technical flourish. Train yourself to pause for a moment and confirm what action the question is asking you to take. This pause is fast, but it prevents costly mistakes. When you answer the verb, you stop fighting the exam and start working with it.

When you hit a hard item, flag it and move forward without rumination, because rumination is where time and confidence leak away. A hard item is one where you cannot quickly narrow the options, where the scenario feels ambiguous, or where you sense you are missing a key detail. The discipline is to do a quick pass for obvious eliminations and then make a decision about whether to commit now or mark it for later. Moving on is not avoidance; it is a strategic choice to protect your pace and keep your mind fresh. Many hard items become easier later because other questions activate related recall or because your stress level decreases as you gain momentum. The biggest trap is spending a long time on a hard item early, then being forced to rush later questions that you could have answered correctly with calm attention. By flagging and moving, you keep the overall test under control. Control is what produces calm.

As you answer, apply your answer framework and test it against requirements, because a framework gives you a consistent process that works even when you feel uncertain. The framework should start by identifying what the question is truly about, then identifying constraints and requirements that must be satisfied. Next, compare options against those requirements, looking for the choice that satisfies the most critical requirement while avoiding unnecessary risk. If the question is about prioritization, choose the option that reduces high-impact risk first or that establishes a prerequisite for safe execution. If the question is about correctness, choose the option that matches the stated scenario rather than what you wish the scenario included. Testing against requirements prevents you from choosing an option that sounds impressive but fails the core constraint. It also reduces second-guessing because your decision is based on a repeatable logic rather than on intuition alone. A framework is a stability tool on exam day.

Use elimination deliberately, because removing wrong options is often faster and safer than trying to prove the right option immediately. Many distractors fail on a single critical point, such as being too broad, too risky, not feasible in the stated context, or misaligned with the order of operations. When you identify that failure, you can eliminate the option with confidence and reduce the decision space. After elimination, compare the remaining options directly against the question verb and the scenario constraints, because the last two are often close. Direct comparison helps you avoid the trap of liking an option in isolation while missing that another option fits the scenario better. This is also where you watch for absolute language that does not match the question, or for options that skip necessary prerequisites. Elimination is not guessing; it is structured reasoning that protects time. When elimination is used well, many questions become straightforward.

When evidence converges but certainty is incomplete, use an educated guess and move on, because perfectionism is not rewarded under time constraints. An educated guess means you have narrowed to the best option based on requirements, elimination, and scenario fit, even if you cannot fully prove it. You should not punish yourself for uncertainty, because uncertainty is normal on a well-designed exam. The key is that your guess is disciplined rather than random, and it is made in a way that preserves time for later questions. Many candidates lose points by spending too long chasing certainty, and then they rush the end, where the cost of rushing is much higher. If you are truly stuck between two options, choose the one that is safer, more aligned to standard sequencing, and more consistent with the scope of the question. Then move forward and trust your process. The exam rewards consistent decision-making under constraint.

Manage breaks as performance resets, meaning you use them to reset breath and posture rather than to relive questions or worry about scoring. A brief reset can reduce physiological stress, which improves attention and recall in the next block. Use the break to relax your shoulders, loosen your hands, and take a few slow breaths that lower tension. If your mind starts replaying a hard question, gently redirect to the next block, because rumination steals energy without changing the past. Hydration and basic comfort matter, because discomfort amplifies distraction and reduces patience. If you are testing remotely, you can still use micro-breaks between questions to reset posture and breathing without losing pace. The point is to protect your cognitive resources. You want to finish with steady attention, not with depleted focus.

When you return to flagged items, recheck them with a fresh perspective and a clearer sense of remaining time, because the second pass should be more decisive than the first. On review, reread the question carefully as if you have never seen it, because familiarity can cause you to skip key words. Then apply the same framework again, but faster, because you are now working with a limited review window. If you find a clear reason your original choice was wrong, change it confidently. If you do not find a clear reason, be cautious about switching, because unnecessary switching often turns correct answers into incorrect ones. The goal is to correct genuine mistakes, not to chase a feeling. Flagged review is also where you can benefit from knowledge activated by later questions, which often reveals the right interpretation. A disciplined second pass can recover points without sacrificing the rest of the exam.

Protect time near the end and submit with deliberate confidence, because last-minute panic creates errors and undermines the work you already did well. Protecting time means you stop overinvesting in a small number of stubborn questions and instead ensure you have answered everything you can. As you approach the finish, verify that no questions were accidentally left unanswered, because missing easy points is painful and avoidable. If you have remaining time after review, use it to recheck only the items where you can articulate a concrete reason to doubt your choice, not the entire exam. Deliberate confidence means you submit because you have executed your plan, not because you feel perfect certainty. You want to leave the exam knowing you used your time wisely and followed a consistent decision process. That feeling is earned through discipline, not through luck. Finishing strong is part of the score.

If unexpected issues arise, request proctor assistance promptly, because minor issues become major distractions when you try to solve them silently. Unexpected issues could include technical problems, environmental disruptions, confusing administrative instructions, or anything that threatens your ability to focus or continue smoothly. Asking for help is not a weakness; it is part of protecting your exam conditions. The key is to do it early, before frustration grows and before time loss becomes significant. Keep your request calm and factual, describing the issue and what you need, because clarity speeds resolution. Then return to your plan as quickly as possible, because the goal is to restore your testing rhythm. Problems happen, and the test is designed to measure knowledge, not your ability to tolerate chaos. Using assistance appropriately protects fairness and protects your performance.

To conclude, when the exam ends, take a moment to celebrate completion, because finishing is an achievement and a meaningful milestone. Then log lessons immediately while they are fresh, focusing on process insights such as pacing, what types of questions triggered hesitation, and what strategies worked best for staying calm. The log should be short and practical, because its purpose is to capture learning you can apply in future exams or professional situations, not to relive stress. If you felt moments of doubt, note how you recovered, because recovery is a skill you will reuse. The bigger win is that you executed under pressure with a plan, and that plan protected your time and your clarity. Over time, this approach builds confidence that is grounded in process, not in mood. When you walk away having followed your gameplan calmly and decisively, you have done the work to full effect.