Failed the Second time in two months

mjsinhsv

This is getting bit Ridiculous. Took the test again this morning and failed with a 689. I took the test a month ago and failed with a 678. I've been studying non stop day and night . I would have bet money I had passed the test when I finished , but no Cigar. It was not even that technical this time. I don't get it.
I was getting 80-90% on the CCURE (which really doesnt have much to do with the test. ) I've read and memorized the Eric Conrad 11th hour book from from cover to cover. I memorized the Sunflower PDF (which wasn't that much help) .
I really don't get it. I would have bet money I passed the test this morning before completed. I mean I KNEW the answers , but I came up short. I went through once...marked ALL of my answers and went back and reviewed EVERY answer.
I'm at a losss. I've been working in IT and Security for 20 years in a DOD environment .
I used the Eric Conrad Books, Shon Harris, CCURE, The CISSP EXAM CRAM, The CISSP for Dummies, The Syngress tests online.
What Am i doing wrong?

One odd note, while I taking the CISSP test the last time. I was contacted by COMPTIA that i could just pay them my overdue fees and retain my security + Cert for my 8570 requirements at work.
Makes me wonder if NSA is involved with ISC2 and the CISSP exam.

I'm at a loss here.

broli720

Maybe that's the problem. You're memorizing the answers instead of understanding it? I'm not saying that's the case but it sounds like it. Take a breather and really focus on learning the material instead of memorization.

impelse

I have CCCure and Transcender, I read in many place Transcender is very exam oriented, also do not see the answers because in the second pass you already know the answer

CyberfiSecurity

Sorry to hear about negative result. When I finished my last attempt with passing result, I did not feel confident to pass because CISSP exam is quite tricky that not all questions are weight equal point. The problem of CCURE paid practice exams that mainly direct technical question. The CISSP exam itself it not technical, but require technical knowledge to determine the answer. Memorizing the material only helps you to eliminate two wrong answers, but not all three wrong answers. If you take CCURE exam for multiple times that you get in the 80% to 90% correct is ineffective for the actual exam because of memorization. When taking the exam you need to think likes a management or stakeholder position, but an engineering one. When doing practice you need to look at why you got the answer right and wrong. I would recommend you to take Transcender for 6 months membership with money back guarantee. I have used the following practice exams, and I see only Transceder is closest to the actual one.

- CCURE (Paid)
- Transceder (Paid)
- GIAC GISP (Paid)
- Total Tester
- Eric Conrad
- Shron Harris
- Skillport
- FEDVTE

Don't feel bad bout failing, you should continue to work on it and do not quit. Do you feel discourage to quit and decide to go back after 6 months, which you have to start from square one. This what I had done, and it took me the fourth time to pass in 2 1/2 years.

If you are an military honorable discharge, you can apply to IVMF by the Syracuse University. They will pay one exam for FREE, regardless you pass or fail. URL: Career Transition | IVMF

Spin Lock

Oh man, this really sucks. Sorry you had to go through this.

You should definitely take this exam again. No shame in re-taking it multiple times. In fact, it shows resolve and perseverance. I know there are folks on this board who ace this exam, first try in under 3 hours. Don't let that discourage you or make you question your ability. I got more respect for folks who pick themselves up and keep trying.

One suggestion I have is - as you prepare for your next go-around, perhaps consider studying with a group. It sounds like you feel you have a good grasp of the material, but perhaps you have made some assumptions that are incorrect. It wouldn't surprise me if the ISC2 knows about the common wrong assumptions people make and write questions that test this. If you study with a group and go over questions, perhaps hearing other people's answers and reasoning may make you reconsider your assumptions. This has happened to me on other exams. Check out the ISSA - they hold CISSP study groups regularly and if you have a chapter near you, it might be a good idea to check it out.

Best of luck going forward.

dustervoice

3 times seems to be the charm after they've taken all your money