Jason Dion's CompTIA Security+ Complete Course & Practice Exam is the highest-rated Security+ prep on Udemy with over 200,000 enrollments. Unlike Professor Messer's free YouTube model, Dion bundles structured lectures, PBQ-style exercises, and six full-length practice exams into a single $15–25 Udemy package. That changes the "is it enough?" answer significantly. The honest answer: yes, for most candidates—but only if you use it correctly. This guide breaks down exactly what Dion covers, what he doesn't, and the specific candidate profiles that need to add something extra.
For most candidates, Jason Dion's course alone (lectures plus his practice exams) is enough to pass Security+ on the first try—provided you treat his practice tests as a learning tool, not just a measurement. Candidates who skim the lectures and only take the practice exams once tend to fail. Candidates who watch the full course, take all six practice exams, and review every missed question for the underlying concept consistently report passing on attempt one.
What the Dion Course Actually Covers
Dion's Security+ course runs 20+ hours of lecture, organized by exam objective. Unlike Messer's objective-by-objective rapid-fire style, Dion teaches concepts in narrative chunks with real-world analogies. The course includes downloadable study notes, PBQ-style simulator exercises, six full 90-question practice exams, and a "test-taking strategies" module that explicitly covers performance-based question approaches. The practice exams alone are widely considered the single best Security+ practice product on the market—Dion calibrates difficulty intentionally above the real exam so candidates who consistently score 80%+ on his tests typically pass with room to spare.
Where Dion Alone Is Not Enough
Three candidate profiles need supplements. First, complete beginners with no IT background: Dion assumes baseline networking and OS literacy. If you don't know what a subnet mask or process is, watch Professor Messer's Network+ videos first. Second, candidates who score below 70% on Dion practice exams after two attempts: this signals conceptual gaps the lectures alone won't close—add the official CompTIA study guide or Mike Chapple's Sybex book. Third, candidates who want hands-on lab experience: Dion's PBQ simulator is good but limited; supplement with TryHackMe's free Pre-Security path or a $10/month subscription.
The Formula First-Time Passers Use
Surveys of r/CompTIA "passed!" threads consistently show one pattern among Dion-only passers: watch every lecture once at 1.5x speed, take Practice Exam 1 cold to establish baseline, then iterate. Each subsequent practice exam should be preceded by re-watching lectures on weak domains. By Practice Exam 6, you should consistently hit 85%+. Candidates who skip the lecture re-watch step and just keep taking practice exams in a loop typically plateau at 70-75% and fail the real exam by 30-50 points. Dion's explanations on the practice exam review pages are where 60% of the learning happens.
Pro Tips
Buy Dion's course only when Udemy runs a sale ($15-20), never at the $89 list price.
Take practice exams in the morning to mimic exam-day conditions; you'll be sharper.
Use Dion's downloadable notes as a final-week refresher, not a primary study tool.
If you score 90%+ on Practice Exam 6, schedule your exam within 7 days—knowledge decays fast.
Cross-reference any missed question against Professor Messer's free video on that objective for a second explanation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Treating practice exams as measurement only—the review pages are where the real teaching happens.
Watching lectures at 2x speed without taking notes; comprehension drops sharply above 1.75x.
Skipping the "test-taking strategies" module thinking it's filler—it has the only PBQ approach Dion teaches.
Taking all 6 practice exams in 3 days. Spread them out so you can re-watch lectures between attempts.
Buying additional Dion practice tests from other platforms—the 6 in the main course are sufficient if used right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes for most candidates with some IT background, provided you watch all lectures, take all 6 practice exams, and thoroughly review every missed question. Complete beginners or candidates scoring under 70% on practice exams should add a book.
No. The 6 practice exams included in his main Security+ course are sufficient if you use them as learning tools, not just measurements. Buying his standalone practice test pack mostly duplicates content.
Consistently scoring 85%+ across multiple Dion practice exams predicts a comfortable pass. Dion intentionally calibrates his exams 5-10 points harder than the real exam, so 85% on Dion ≈ 90%+ on Security+.
Messer is free YouTube videos with optional paid practice exams ($25). Dion is a single $15-25 Udemy package with lectures plus 6 practice exams bundled. Dion has better PBQ prep; Messer has better depth on individual objectives.
Most candidates don't. Add a book (Sybex by Chapple or Official Study Guide) only if you're a complete IT beginner or you score below 70% on Dion's practice exams after watching all lectures.
Plan 6-8 weeks at 10 hours per week. That covers 20+ hours of lecture (watched once at 1.5x = 13 hours), 6 practice exams (9 hours), lecture re-watches on weak areas (15 hours), and review time (~13 hours).
Related Resources
Jason Dion Honest Review Jason Dion Practice Exams Jason Dion vs Professor Messer Jason Dion Study Plan Dion Practice Exam Passing Score Free Security+ PracticePractice for 25+ Certifications—Free
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