I didn't even know they came out with the exam... I think it's a good thing... but you don't need the exam you just need the knowledge... to many people get a cert... yes.. I am looking at you CC... and they thing it's enough when they end up missing the basic foundational knowledge... I love to ask people if a machine has an ip address that starts 169 what does that mean? I always feel how can you try to secure something when you don't really understand it? I know a lot about a lot, and it just helps my understanding of things and it helps me to understand when someone is full of it... it's like a large vocabulary... it's the easiest way to spot stupid people! smart people have a large vocabulary so they can understand people and things... I dumb person tries to use to it... how many articles have you seem lately where you either don't know and need to look words up? it's not a good thing... I think I have a line on me resume about conveying technical information in non technical ways... you know you are doing well when you can explain things to an old person and have them understand it...
I have no idea if this helps... but I am trying... computers have become very hard just because they change so fast now a days... many people would tell you to find what you like.. but no! what we like and what we are good at are often very different things.. and I tell people.. ask other what we are good are because far too often what we are good at comes easily so we thing nothing of it... forget what you thing is a good path.. what are you good at? what can you have a conversation about and like without even thinking about it?
