Of Messer's three paid products, the Course Notes are the easiest to evaluate because they have a single clear purpose: turn the video curriculum into a searchable text document. The question is whether $25 (or $45 printed) is the right price for a text version of free material.
This review walks through what's actually inside, who genuinely benefits, and the free alternatives that work for everyone else.
Professor Messer's Course Notes are a 94–120 page PDF that mirrors his video curriculum in concise text form. They're worth $25 if you learn better from text, want a single searchable document, or plan to study without internet access. They're not worth it if you're a pure visual learner — the same material is free on YouTube.
What's Actually Inside
The notes are organized by exam domain and follow the exact video order. Each section includes:
- Concise paragraph-form explanations of every key term - Diagrams (network topologies, OSI layers, attack flows) - Acronym summaries at the end of each domain - Cross-references back to the relevant video number
They are not a transcript. They're distilled — typically 1 page per 15-minute video. That density is the main value: you can review an entire domain in 20 minutes that would take 4+ hours of video to rewatch.
Who Should Actually Buy Them
Buy them if: - You learn better from text than video. - You study during commutes or on a phone where video isn't practical. - You want a single document to annotate, highlight, and review the week before the exam. - You've tried watching videos and don't retain well from that format.
Skip them if: - You'll only watch the videos. - You're comfortable taking your own notes (often more effective for recall). - You're on a strict budget — that $25 buys Jason Dion's practice pack instead.
Free Alternatives That Cover the Same Ground
Several free resources overlap heavily with what the Course Notes provide:
- Community Anki decks built from Messer videos (search r/CompTIA for shared decks). - Darril Gibson's free chapter samples for Security+. - CompTIA's official exam objectives PDF (free) — pair it with your own bullet notes as you watch the videos. - PrepForCerts study guides — domain-by-domain free written breakdowns.
The honest truth: taking your own bullet notes while watching Messer videos produces better retention than reading someone else's pre-made notes — even Messer's. But if you simply won't take notes yourself, the $25 PDF is a reasonable shortcut.
Pro Tips
Buy the digital version, not the print — searchability is the notes' #1 advantage.
Highlight as you read in a PDF reader that syncs across devices (Apple Books, Adobe).
Use the notes for final-week review, not primary learning — videos are stronger for first exposure.
If you buy the notes, skip the Success Bundle — you don't need duplicate offline video files.
Pair the notes with a free Anki deck for the strongest active-recall combo.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Buying the print version for $45 when you'll mostly study on a phone or laptop.
Using the notes instead of watching the videos — they're designed as a supplement, not a replacement.
Highlighting everything yellow — defeats the purpose of selective review.
Not pairing notes with practice questions — passive reading alone is the lowest-yield study method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes for text learners, no for pure video learners. The notes don't add new material — they reformat the free video content.
No, those are sold separately as the Practice Exams ($25).
No — they're a paid product. But the same material is free in video form on his YouTube channel.
Only if you genuinely study better on paper. Otherwise the $25 PDF is the better buy.
94–120 pages depending on the certification.
Yes — Messer updates the notes when he updates the corresponding video course.
Related Resources
Professor Messer Honest Review Professor Messer Alternatives Professor Messer Practice Exams Free CompTIA Practice How Long to Study With MesserPractice for 25+ Certifications—Free
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