I didn't expect to pass on my first attempt. Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist Certification is not like other Cisco exams. You are not just memorizing networking concepts. APIs, Python scripting, automation, and software development practices are all part of it, and the exam tests you on actual application, not just theory.
In my first few weeks, I was only going through documentation and YouTube tutorials. Felt productive, but when I started attempting practice questions, I was scoring around 58 percent. That was the moment I realized passive study was not going to work here.
Switched to CertBoosters and the difference showed up immediately. Their practice questions were much closer to the real exam pattern than anything else I had tried. Every wrong answer came with a proper explanation that helped me fix my thinking process, not just memorize correct answers. That shift alone moved my practice scores from 58 percent to consistent 80s within three weeks.
Spent my last four weeks doing nothing but exam-like scenarios on CertBoosters. Their question bank covers the exact topics that carry the most weight in the actual exam. Total prep time was around 11 weeks, and the last month of that was purely practice-based. Do not wait until you feel ready to start practicing. Get into it from week two and let the gaps show themselves early.