Jason Dion Study Plan: 6-Week Schedule for Security+
A proven 6-week Jason Dion study plan for Security+ in 2026. Week-by-week schedule covering all lectures, practice exams, and PBQ prep.
Dion sells the complete course and practice-exam pack separately on Udemy; direct bundles can include labs and different support terms. Check the exact listing. Candidates who follow no schedule typically take 3-4 months and report inconsistent results. Candidates who follow a structured 6-week plan consistently report first-attempt passes. Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam.
Quick Answer
The optimal Jason Dion study plan runs 6 weeks at 10 hours per week (60 hours total). Weeks 1-3: watch all lectures once at 1.5x speed, taking notes on each domain. Week 4: take Practice Exam 1 cold, review every missed question, re-watch lectures on weak domains. Weeks 5-6: take Practice Exams 2-6 spaced 2-3 days apart, with targeted lecture re-watches between attempts. Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam.
Total Duration
6 weeks
Hours/Week
10 hrs
Practice Exams
6
Pass Threshold
80%+
Why 6 Weeks Is the Optimal Duration
Six weeks at 10 hours per week (60 hours total) is the sweet spot for Dion's Security+ course. Shorter than 4 weeks and retention collapses—spaced repetition needs actual spacing. Longer than 8 weeks and early-domain material decays before you can take practice exams on it. The 6-week window aligns with cognitive science research on optimal interleaving: enough time to encode new concepts deeply, short enough to recall earlier weeks at exam time. Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam.
Plan Overview at a Glance
Weeks 1-3 focus exclusively on lecture absorption: one domain per week with handwritten notes and start-of-session review of prior weeks. No practice exams during this phase—they're wasted at low knowledge levels. Week 4 introduces the first two practice exams with thorough question review. Weeks 5-6 stack the remaining four practice exams spaced 2-3 days apart, with targeted lecture re-watches between attempts. Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam.
When to Extend Beyond 6 Weeks
Extend to 7-8 weeks if any of these apply: you're scoring below 75% on Practice Exam 4, you have less than Security+ baseline IT knowledge entering the plan, you can only commit 6-8 hours per week instead of 10, or your domain-level breakdown shows one domain consistently below 60%. The extension week should be focused entirely on lecture re-watches and weak-domain targeted practice—not just taking more practice exams. Adding practice exams without addressing knowledge gaps just confirms the gap; it doesn't close it.
Choose a note-taking method that helps you explain concepts and recall them without looking. Use a notebook, not a laptop.
💡 Pro Tip
Never retake the same practice exam. You're memorizing questions, not learning concepts.
💡 Pro Tip
Review every right answer too—those are the questions you got right by luck.
💡 Pro Tip
Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam. Don't wait for a "perfect" score.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
⚠️ Mistake
Trying to compress this into 3 weeks. Spaced repetition needs spacing—you can't shortcut neuroscience.
⚠️ Mistake
Watching at 2x speed to "save time." Comprehension drops 30-40% above 1.75x.
⚠️ Mistake
Skipping handwritten notes. The friction is the feature—it forces deeper processing.
⚠️ Mistake
Dion sells the complete course and practice-exam pack separately on Udemy; direct bundles can include labs and different support terms. Check the exact listing. You need recovery and re-watch time between attempts.
⚠️ Mistake
Waiting until Practice Exam 6 to schedule the real exam. Knowledge decays during the wait.
Practice for 25+ Certifications—Free
Pair Jason Dion's courses with adaptive practice questions, detailed explanations, and progress tracking. Free daily questions across 25+ certifications.
Watch all Domain 1 (General Security Concepts) and Domain 2 (Threats, Vulnerabilities) lectures at 1.5x speed. Choose a note-taking method that helps you explain concepts and recall them without looking. Aim for 10 hours total this week. Don't take any practice exams yet.
Week 2: Domains 3-4 Lectures
Watch Domain 3 (Security Architecture) and Domain 4 (Security Operations) lectures. These are the longest domains—budget 11-12 hours. Review your Domain 1-2 notes for 30 minutes at the start of each session.
Spaced review during new learning consolidates retention dramatically.
Week 3: Domain 5 + Notes Review
Watch Domain 5 (Security Program Management) lectures and the PBQ strategies module. Spend the back half of the week reviewing all your handwritten notes from Domains 1-4. You should now have a complete conceptual picture of the exam.
The PBQ strategies module is short but high-value—watch it twice.
Week 4: Practice Exam 1 + Diagnostic
Take Practice Exam 1 cold (no cramming). Time yourself strictly to 90 minutes. Score yourself, then spend 4-6 hours reviewing every missed question, including reading the explanation and re-watching the relevant lecture clip. Take Practice Exam 2 at the end of the week.
Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam. That's the typical baseline.
Week 5: Practice Exams 3-4
Take Practice Exam 3 at the start of the week, Practice Exam 4 at the end. Between attempts, do targeted lecture re-watches on your weakest domains from each exam review. Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam.
Track your domain-level scores in a spreadsheet to spot patterns.
Week 6: Practice Exams 5-6 + Schedule
Take Practice Exam 5 early in the week, Practice Exam 6 mid-week. Both should be 80%+ if Weeks 1-5 went well. If yes, schedule the real exam for 7-10 days out. If no, extend to Week 7 with re-watches and a 7th practice attempt (rotate to a different source if possible).
Check the resource before you commit
Total Duration
6 weeks
Hours/Week
Check current resource
Practice Exams
Check current resource
Pass Threshold
Not a pass predictor
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Jason Dion study plan take?
6 weeks at 10 hours/week is the optimal pace. Compressing to 3 weeks tanks retention; stretching to 12 weeks causes early-material decay.
Can I do the Jason Dion plan in 3 weeks?
Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam. Spaced repetition requires actual spacing—you can't shortcut neuroscience.
What if I score below 70% on Practice Exam 1?
Normal—that's a typical Week 4 baseline. Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam.
Should I read a book alongside the Dion plan?
Optional. Most candidates pass without a book. Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam.
When should I schedule the real exam?
Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam. Schedule it for 7-10 days out—not longer, or knowledge decays.
Can I use this plan for A+ or Network+?
Yes, with minor adjustments. A+ needs 8 weeks (two cores). Network+ fits the 6-week template almost identically.
Check the current provider information
Choose materials for your exam version. Course contents, access terms, and prices can change. A practice score is a study signal, not an official exam result.