Dion PBQ Practice Pack Alternative: Practise PBQs Where the Exam Puts Them
Dion Training now sells PBQ Practice Packs for Security+, A+ Core 1 and A+ Core 2: a bank of PBQ-style questions served in interactive sets of five, for $29.99 each. It is good, cheap volume. What a set of five cannot show you is the thing PBQs actually cost on exam day: minutes taken from the other eighty-odd questions. This page compares the two approaches honestly.
Short answer: yes, Dion's PBQ Practice Pack is worth $29.99 if you want volume: a bank of 100 PBQ-style items for Security+, or 50 each for A+ Core 1 and Core 2, in interactive 5-question sets with guided solutions. It does not put PBQs inside a timed exam. If you want to practise PBQs where the exam puts them, FigigExams places interactive PBQs inside full 90-question timed papers, grades every outcome with partial credit, and maps each PBQ to its exam domain, for $39 once per certification with practice exams included and a free full exam first.
Many candidates use both: Dion's pack to drill formats, then full timed papers to prove the pacing. Together that is $68.99.
In This Guide
What Dion's PBQ packs include
Read off Dion Training's product pages, checked 3 October 2026:
| Pack | Price | PBQ bank | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security+ (SY0-701) PBQ Practice Pack | $29.99 · $49.99 with practice exams | 100 PBQ-style items | Interactive 5-question sets, step-by-step guided solutions |
| A+ Core 1 (220-1201) PBQ Practice Pack | $29.99 · $49.99 with practice exams | 50 PBQ-style items | Interactive 5-question sets |
| A+ Core 2 (220-1202) PBQ Practice Pack | $29.99 · $49.99 with practice exams | 50 PBQ-style items | Interactive 5-question sets |
That is more PBQs than any other pack at the price, and Jason Dion's explanations have a strong reputation. If you have not seen many PBQ formats yet, it is a sensible buy.
Drilled alone vs inside a timed exam
On exam day a PBQ is not a 5-question set. It is a task waiting near the start of a 90-question, 90-minute paper, and every minute it takes comes out of the multiple-choice questions behind it. Candidates who know the material still lose marks there, by spending eight minutes on a firewall table and rushing the last twenty questions.
Drilling PBQs alone
Builds familiarity with formats fast. No clock pressure from the rest of the paper, no trade-off to make.
PBQs inside a full paper
Tests the real skill: when to commit a partial answer, flag it and move on. Your score includes the time the PBQ took from everything else.
FigigExams spreads its PBQs through each 90-question paper rather than bunching them, grades every required outcome separately with partial credit, and counts them toward one weighted score. So your practice score already includes the pacing cost.
Feel the clock: a full Security+ exam with PBQs inside, free
One complete timed SY0-701 paper with interactive PBQs where the exam puts them, then your score by domain. A+ has free exams too: Core 1 on APLUS1-EXAM-FULL, Core 2 on APLUS2-EXAM-FULL.
SECPLUS-EXAM-FULL
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Dion PBQ pack vs FigigExams
| Dion PBQ Practice Pack | FigigExams | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99 per exam ($49.99 with practice exams) | $39 once per certification, lifetime |
| PBQs | 100 (Security+) · 50 per A+ core | 17 (Security+) · 19 (A+ Core 1) · 15 (A+ Core 2) |
| How you meet them | Interactive sets of 5 | Inside full 90-question timed exams |
| Grading | Guided step-by-step solutions | Each outcome graded, partial credit, a reason for each |
| Practice exams included | In the $49.99 bundle | Yes: Security+ 4 exams (357 Q) · A+ Core 1 4 (354 Q) · Core 2 3 (262 Q) |
| Mapped to exam domains | Aligned to the exam | Every PBQ tagged to its domain; Study Path by domain weight (Security+, A+ Core 1 and Core 2) |
| Next exam version | Sold per exam code | Future versions included (e.g. Security+ SY0-801) |
| Free to try | See Dion’s site | A full free exam per certification, 2 PBQs inside |
Where Dion is the better buy: raw PBQ volume and price per PBQ. 100 Security+ PBQs for $29.99 is roughly six times our count for less money. If you only want to see as many formats as possible, buy Dion's pack.
A PBQ you have worked cannot measure you twice
Once you have solved a PBQ and read its guided solution, solving it again measures memory, not skill. That is fine for drilling. It means the bank you trained on cannot tell you whether you are ready. If you finish Dion's 100, the most useful next step is a timed paper with PBQs you have never seen, which is what FigigExams exams are. The same logic is behind our fresh practice exam for Dion Security+ students and the A+ equivalent.
What each certification gets
Which should you buy?
- You have never seen a PBQ: start with the free FigigExams exam to see two of them under the clock, then buy Dion's pack if formats are the gap.
- You know the formats but run out of time: FigigExams. Full timed papers with PBQs inside are the only practice for that.
- You want the most coverage for the least money: both, at $68.99 for one certification. Drill with Dion, then confirm on full papers.
Your free exam, PBQs included
Security+ below; A+ Core 1 on APLUS1-EXAM-FULL and Core 2 on APLUS2-EXAM-FULL. Every exam and PBQ for a certification is $39 once, for life.
SECPLUS-EXAM-FULL
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dion's PBQ Practice Pack worth it?
Yes, if you want PBQ volume for little money: $29.99 buys a bank of 100 PBQ-style items for Security+ (50 for each A+ core) with guided solutions. It drills PBQs in sets of five, outside a timed exam, so pair it with at least one full timed practice exam to test your pacing.
How many PBQs are in Dion's PBQ pack?
Dion Training lists a bank of 100 PBQ-style questions for the Security+ SY0-701 pack and 50 for each of the A+ Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202) packs, served as interactive 5-question sets.
How much is Dion's PBQ pack?
$29.99 per exam for the PBQ practice set, or $49.99 for the PBQ plus practice exam bundle (diontraining.com, checked October 2026).
What is the best alternative to Dion's PBQ pack?
Is there a free alternative to Dion's PBQ pack?
Yes. Each FigigExams certification has a free full-length timed exam with 2 interactive PBQs inside (Security+: SECPLUS-EXAM-FULL, A+ Core 1: APLUS1-EXAM-FULL, A+ Core 2: APLUS2-EXAM-FULL), plus free PBQ walkthroughs on our learn pages.
Do Dion's PBQs appear inside a timed practice exam?
The PBQ Practice Pack serves its PBQs as interactive 5-question sets. If you want PBQs placed inside a full 90-question timed paper, FigigExams does that and counts them toward one weighted score.
Will a Security+ PBQ pack cover SY0-801?
PBQ packs are generally sold per exam code, so check each vendor before the switch. A FigigExams Security+ purchase covers future versions of the certification, including SY0-801 when it is released.
Sources
Every competitor price and count on this page was read from the vendor's own page (checked 3 October 2026). Prices change; check before you buy.