You’ve spent weeks studying, reading study guides and white papers. You’ve gone through lab simulations several times and worked with the software. You’ve read many different Web sites to find exam tips and gone through different practice tests. Is it finally time to take the exam?

One of the questions exam candidates often ask is whether or not they are ready to take an exam. How do you know if you are ready to go and challenge a certification exam? Unfortunately, there is no easy way of answering this question.

If you are preparing to take your first certification exam, you will probably never get the feeling that you are fully prepared. Eventually you will just have to go ahead and take it. As you become more experienced in taking certification exams, you will learn when the time is right for you. I used to have an entire exam preparation ritual that I would follow and, once I completed it, I knew I was ready.

Since there is no black and white answer to this question, it is up to you to find out for yourself if you are ready. One of the best ways you can do this is by using some form of assessment. Most study guides include practice tests. However, I would not recommend using those for your final assessment. They tend to cover material specific to a book, and may not cover all the material you can expect to be tested on.

If possible, I would use testing software that closely resembles the actual exam. MeasureUp provides great practice tests because it closely maps to the exam objectives and the question format closely mimics that of the actual exams. Using an assessment tool such as this will help you to identify any gaps in your learning. If you pass the assessment with flying colors, it is a great indication that you are indeed ready to take the plunge.