SANS GIAC exams

Archon

Are all of these exams open book?

Open Book Policy
GIAC certification exams are open book format, but not open internet or open computer. Candidates are allowed to bring an armful of hardcopy books and notes into the testing room

Thanks.

cyberguypr

Yes, everything GIAC is open book. You can also bring additional printed material as a reference. I think the limit is whatever fits in an average book bag.

SShooter

Yes All exams are open book. Better to go with index which is made by you along with your GIAC certification study tour.

Archon

Is it possible to sit the exam without having a bag full of books?

cyberguypr

Well, technically all you need to gain admission to the testing center is any acceptable form of ID and nothing else. Up to you if you want to forego using reference material.

Archon

It would obviously be stupid to not take advantage of using the additional reference material. I know each candidate is different but how much do people rely on using the extra material?

NovaHax

Archon wrote: »

It would obviously be stupid to not take advantage of using the additional reference material. I know each candidate is different but how much do people rely on using the extra material?

Agreed. For most of my tests, I make minimal use of my reference materials...but I always have a large stack of them just in case.

BlackBeret

I've seen people bring too much in, and rely on the open book policy too much, and run out of time half way through the test. The one I took I went in with some books, but I only opened them a max of three times because I couldn't remember a switch or detail, but I knew exactly where it was located. The people that are really dedicated apparently build an index of key terms, phrases, useful information, etc. and mostly rely on that.

twodogs62

Even though open book, you do need to know a good deal without book look up or you won't have time.
then use book for verifying some of questions. need to know what book or section the question may be in.
i have taken sans books, notes and a few reference books just in case.

SephStorm

I always bring my course books that's it. But I do need them. I also don't use much of an index though, but I suspect that will change as I move towards the advanced level certs.

docrice

I've always taken my books and index into the exam room. I tend to reference the books a lot during the exam, but only to double-check my answers just to be extra sure. It so feels like cheating. Most of the time my answers were correct so flipping through pages just creates noise and slows me down (and probably makes other test takers in the room (non-GIAC) think that I'm a nuisance).

The books help if you reeeeaaally want that 95%+ score though (which I haven't achieved in some time).

sheiky

Man..., I admire you guys cert list...

LionelTeo

I actually strongly recommends the flipping of book regularly, but time your space well to answer even amount of questions per hour. Having at least 70% hands on of the material prior to the exam would help a lot and increase the pace. I reference regularly and it has help me a lot.

josh.armentrout1

As all these talented people have said before, yes it is open book. Do you need to bring the books? I'll have to say yes, but noted above, you don't need to. Index is key. One thing to realize before you take the exam is how much room you have at your disposal at the testing facility. I know the place I use, I can get one large stack of books to the side and my index in front of me. That's about it. It might be something overlooked when taking the practice exams.

justjen

Yes, GIAC exams are open book, but that really doesn't mean you have to open any book. I take mine because it somehow feels like I should, just like Linus and his security blanket, but I never open them. Once I get started, I am off and running. I may look at the index I built to validate a tool's command syntax perhaps once or twice, but that's about it for me.

Like the CISSP exam, I generally finish the exam in far less than the time allotted. If you really know the material, you're good to go.