Passed CISSP Last Week

First of all,

This forum has been the greatest resource in all of this preparation. I NEVER would have been able to do this without all of the threads with helpful information that have been circulating over the last few years so thank you. I will say that I only have 3 years of direct IT Security experience (or experience at all, for that matter) so I am waiting for one more year (Security+) before I can pursue endorsement. That being said, I will share with you what helped me arrive at this destination:

-Sybex CISSP book - this book seemed like an inbetween read as compared to Eric Conrad's book and Shon Harris. I read this twice and wrote down all key terms in the book.

-Eric Conrad CISSP Study Guide- I read this second. It really reinforced the concepts I learned in the Sybex book and was an enjoyable read. Conrad has a great Glossary in the book that I recommend going through to get down all the key terms.

-Transcenders Practice Tests- Best $100 I have ever spent on study material. This may help some people more than others but I particularly benefitted from these. It gives you interactive Flash questions as well as regular multiple choice, and "choose 2" questions. Transcender allows you figure out WHAT the right answer is, WHY it is the right answer, and WHY the rest of the questions are wrong. I recommend asking yourself these questions anytime you go through practice tests. In conclusion, I recommend Transcenders if you have the money to drop on it.

-McGraw Hill Practice Tests- These were great, TOUGH questions for me. I never managed to make more than a 75 on any section. Then again, they are based off the All-in-One and I didnt even touch that book. I recommend these practice tests and they are FREE!

-Sunflower .pdf- A simple, yet effective review material I recommend reading everyday a week before you test. It kept key concepts fresh in my head and also gives a few effective study tips like fire extinguisher pneumonics (CLEM- Combustion Liquid Electrical Metals).

-Combined Notes- This was submitted by a user on the site (Trottet2009). A 60-ish page review of all ten domains. Another great review resource.

I studied for about 5 months for two hours a day. Also consider that I am still a "newb" in the IT world and dont have much experience so I needed the extra study time. Another reason why I decided to obtain this certification sooner than later is because I am a DOD contractor and, for some reason, the DOD considers the Associate title 8570.1 compliant in IAT/IAM Level 3.

I have learned SO MUCH studying for this test and have been able to apply that knowledge to my job. I recommend studying and taking this test as it has been a great experience.

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Comments

pramin

Congrats on your accomplishment !!!

E Double U

bpenn wrote: »

I have learned SO MUCH studying for this test and have been able to apply that knowledge to my job.

I didn't pass the exam, but I feel the same way.

Spin Lock

Congrats on passing! Well done.

How was the actual exam? Harder than you expected? Easier? Did you feel well prepared?

bpenn

Spin Lock wrote: »

Congrats on passing! Well done.

How was the actual exam? Harder than you expected? Easier? Did you feel well prepared?

Much harder than I expected. Practice questions dont do it justice. I could narrow every question down to two possible answers. Usually, both remaining answers are correct, its just which one is the MOST correct. I thought the questions were well thought out and reasonable. It definitely stretches your critical thinking skills to the limit as scenario based questions are the norm.

I took my time, took a deep breath, and if I struggled with a question I moved on. I was so nervous on questions 1-10 that I couldnt even answer them. Flagged them, came back after I finished and I was able to figure them out (I think!).

PS: My lack of experience played a large role in the difficulty. Dont underestimate actual, practiced experience.

ccnpninja

That's awesome!