CISM official study materials

Are the official Isaca CISM preparation materials worth the prices they charge?

I am planning on taking the CISM exam in December and wondered if anyone had bought the prep tools and what their impression was when it came to game day.

Also, how close are the questions in the self-assessment in terms of difficulty and format to what you will face on exam day?

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Comments

corpsec

Get the official DB questions/answers and you should be fine. I believe most people uses that as the primary study guide. You can also get the official manual but you may fall asleep.

Tongy wrote: »

Are the official Isaca CISM preparation materials worth the prices they charge?

I am planning on taking the CISM exam in December and wondered if anyone had bought the prep tools and what their impression was when it came to game day.

Also, how close are the questions in the self-assessment in terms of difficulty and format to what you will face on exam day?

jonwinterburn

I've bought the CISM Review Manual, the supplemental questions and the DB questions. I'm sitting the exam in September. Personally, I found the book to be extremely well written - better than the ISC2 official books for CISSP, that's for sure. Putting aside the prep for the exam, I think it's a book every InfoSec manager should read. Unlike CISSP books which throw lots of information at you, I find it sums up what real life is like in the corporate world for InfoSec.

I've read it cover to cover twice and am consistently achieving 80-90% in taking test questions. I have to admit I'm not keen on the questions, so I'm not looking forward to the exam. A lot of them are just plain stupid. Some are so easy and others provide correct answers I would never choose in real life. But, just like CISSP, you have to think the ISACA way. They definitely take a different viewpoint to CISSP questions, but taking CISSP and work experience definitely helps prepare you. Personally, the technical stuff (what little there is) is an absolute breeze compared to CISSP. The process stuff is a bit more tricky, in my opinion.

Tongy

Sorry, I missed this reply.

I'm all signed up for the December exam, and will probably be getting the online content questions 12 month subscription (won't need it hopefully!). If you need to find a good home for your study materials once you've passed let me know

I am aiming at CISSP next year. Many people I work with have their CISSP and are really helpful at sharing their knowledge.

razorbackz

the megamind two day online training helped me. not about what a cism is, but about 500 questions with explanations live online to pass the exam. you can review the training for about 60 days afterwards as well.