Passed Aug 2015. 5 weeks prep. My CISSP experience
I sat the exam on Aug 19th and passed it. I studied for 5 weeks.
My background
Did my 3-year bachelor degree in Network & Security. Started working straight out of uni for another 3 years. My current work primarily involves info sec governance, risk, bcp/dr, audit, and ISO 27k.
Study resources
- Cybrary Kelly H - https://www.cybrary.it/course/cissp/
- Eric Conrad Study Guide & 11th Hour
- Shon Harris AIO 6th
- CBT Nuggets Keith Barker
- Sunflower - http://www.kilala.nl/Sysadmin/Images/CISSP_Summary_V1.1.pdf
- Combined notes - http://www.techexams.net/forums/isc-sscp-cissp/102723-passed-cissp-yesterday.html
Practice questions
- Total Tester from AIO (~50-100 for each domains and two full 250-question tests)
- Eric Conrad questions - Elsevier: conrad: CISSP Study Guide Practice Exams
- CCCure - freepracticetests.org (~1900 questions, unique, Pro, 83% average)
- McGraw-Hill questions - McGraw-Hill Education | CISSP Practice Exams
- Skillset.com - (~2600 questions)
My CISSP story
For the record this post from shoaibfaruqi makes a good read. It resonates with me. Except my attention span is even shorter.
When I decided to sit down for CISSP I searched around to see how other people planned their studying. It wasn't happy. Most posts mentioned months. Some even reached a year mark. The cert is huge - I get it. But I have other commitment too. Family, work, life. We all do. Compromise is inevitable but dragging it for months will take a toll on me and, more importantly, everyone around me. I browsed and read numerous passed posts. They are hands down helpful but they just wouldn't work for me. I can’t afford 12+, 6+, or 4+ months. I have exactly 5 weeks to get this done before my work shoots up in September. So I booked my exam, talked to my partner, and got down to work. In retrospect, I would not recommend it - 5 weeks prep was just exhausting. However for those of you who lead a busy life, are in a relationship, and have a full-time job to top it off - it is doable.
Study plan
- Took a full length test (250 questions) from CCCure to gauge where I was. Noted down the weakest domains. Used this to build a study plan in Excel with studying order (weakest domains first), number of allocated days (again, more days for the weaker domains), and actual days spent.
- As I went I would adjust the allocation based on how well I did on each domain. The ultimate goal at this stage was to improve on those weak domains as quickly as possible.
- For each domain I would watch Cybrary videos, then CBT Nuggets, then read Eric Conrad chapter for that domain (did the questions at the end), and finally glanced through the highlighted areas and summary section in Shon Harris AIO (again did questions at the end). If there's something I don't understand I would drill it with AIO.
- In the morning on my way to/from work I would pop open CCCure on my phone and took the practice test for that domain.
- In the evening I would start my session with Mc-Graw Hill questions followed by CCCure then onto the materials. Once I have covered all the materials for that domain I moved on to the next one. Rinse and repeat.
- The first pass through all domains took about 3 weeks. Here I did another full length test from CCCure and took the Eric Conrad 250 question sets. Again noted down weakest domains for more focused study.
- In the 4th week I drilled the lowest scoring domains with Shon Harris AIO. Also started doing Total Tester in addition to CCCure. I ramped up the test frequency and took practice questions everywhere I went. On public transport, on a car to a friend's house, while waiting for KFC take-away etc. Occasionally I would select the 'Previously wrong answers' in CCCure and reviewed them. Also squeezed in some Skillset quizzes here and there. They varied a lot in terms of quality so manage your time and do it wisely.
- In the final week I would have Eric Conrad book and Shon AIO on one screen and Sunflower on the other. As I was going through the Sunflower I made sure I understood all the materials listed in there. Used the 2 books as reference if I wasn't 100% sure on something. Also read some of the links on CCCure's What was added article when I felt things were getting dry.
- The weekend before the test I did 2 full length tests from Total Tester. Again drilled my wrong answers with the books.
- 2 days before the test I started going through Eric Conrad 11th hour. Also went through the combined notes and a partially-completed CISSP mind maps I ran into on Google.
- I stopped early on the night before the test and relaxed.
My advice
Other posts have tremendous amount of good tips and strategy. Go read them. Below I listed only things that I think were the most significant factors to my study plan.
- Sit down with your partner. Explain your plan and get their support. If you're going to drop all the night outs and cut the weekend movies let them know up front. Tell them how you plan to do the shopping/cooking/chores for the next several weeks. It may sound odd but the study will drain you. It's those who's closet to you that will make or break your plan.
- Book your exam in advance.
- Use multiple sources where possible. It helps when tough concepts are explained in different ways.
- Know your learning style. I can't read for too long and would lose focus quickly. Mixing in videos and quizzes helped.
- Focus on weakest domains first.
- Take full length test. Multiple times.
- Practice test was a great way to help with reinforcing the materials. I used them extensively.
- Cybrary videos by Kelly H were fantastic. She's knowledgeable and good at explaining concepts. The speed is just right and her wrap-ups/intros were helpful. A must have.
Goodluck!
WANTED
To my unknown fellow test taker on my test day who wished me luck. You finished before I did (and passed). You left when I was having a break drinking water. I asked around and they said your name was Derrick (Derik?). If you are reading this - thanks
My background
Did my 3-year bachelor degree in Network & Security. Started working straight out of uni for another 3 years. My current work primarily involves info sec governance, risk, bcp/dr, audit, and ISO 27k.
Study resources
- Cybrary Kelly H - https://www.cybrary.it/course/cissp/
- Eric Conrad Study Guide & 11th Hour
- Shon Harris AIO 6th
- CBT Nuggets Keith Barker
- Sunflower - http://www.kilala.nl/Sysadmin/Images/CISSP_Summary_V1.1.pdf
- Combined notes - http://www.techexams.net/forums/isc-sscp-cissp/102723-passed-cissp-yesterday.html
Practice questions
- Total Tester from AIO (~50-100 for each domains and two full 250-question tests)
- Eric Conrad questions - Elsevier: conrad: CISSP Study Guide Practice Exams
- CCCure - freepracticetests.org (~1900 questions, unique, Pro, 83% average)
- McGraw-Hill questions - McGraw-Hill Education | CISSP Practice Exams
- Skillset.com - (~2600 questions)
My CISSP story
For the record this post from shoaibfaruqi makes a good read. It resonates with me. Except my attention span is even shorter.
When I decided to sit down for CISSP I searched around to see how other people planned their studying. It wasn't happy. Most posts mentioned months. Some even reached a year mark. The cert is huge - I get it. But I have other commitment too. Family, work, life. We all do. Compromise is inevitable but dragging it for months will take a toll on me and, more importantly, everyone around me. I browsed and read numerous passed posts. They are hands down helpful but they just wouldn't work for me. I can’t afford 12+, 6+, or 4+ months. I have exactly 5 weeks to get this done before my work shoots up in September. So I booked my exam, talked to my partner, and got down to work. In retrospect, I would not recommend it - 5 weeks prep was just exhausting. However for those of you who lead a busy life, are in a relationship, and have a full-time job to top it off - it is doable.
Study plan
- Took a full length test (250 questions) from CCCure to gauge where I was. Noted down the weakest domains. Used this to build a study plan in Excel with studying order (weakest domains first), number of allocated days (again, more days for the weaker domains), and actual days spent.
- As I went I would adjust the allocation based on how well I did on each domain. The ultimate goal at this stage was to improve on those weak domains as quickly as possible.
- For each domain I would watch Cybrary videos, then CBT Nuggets, then read Eric Conrad chapter for that domain (did the questions at the end), and finally glanced through the highlighted areas and summary section in Shon Harris AIO (again did questions at the end). If there's something I don't understand I would drill it with AIO.
- In the morning on my way to/from work I would pop open CCCure on my phone and took the practice test for that domain.
- In the evening I would start my session with Mc-Graw Hill questions followed by CCCure then onto the materials. Once I have covered all the materials for that domain I moved on to the next one. Rinse and repeat.
- The first pass through all domains took about 3 weeks. Here I did another full length test from CCCure and took the Eric Conrad 250 question sets. Again noted down weakest domains for more focused study.
- In the 4th week I drilled the lowest scoring domains with Shon Harris AIO. Also started doing Total Tester in addition to CCCure. I ramped up the test frequency and took practice questions everywhere I went. On public transport, on a car to a friend's house, while waiting for KFC take-away etc. Occasionally I would select the 'Previously wrong answers' in CCCure and reviewed them. Also squeezed in some Skillset quizzes here and there. They varied a lot in terms of quality so manage your time and do it wisely.
- In the final week I would have Eric Conrad book and Shon AIO on one screen and Sunflower on the other. As I was going through the Sunflower I made sure I understood all the materials listed in there. Used the 2 books as reference if I wasn't 100% sure on something. Also read some of the links on CCCure's What was added article when I felt things were getting dry.
- The weekend before the test I did 2 full length tests from Total Tester. Again drilled my wrong answers with the books.
- 2 days before the test I started going through Eric Conrad 11th hour. Also went through the combined notes and a partially-completed CISSP mind maps I ran into on Google.
- I stopped early on the night before the test and relaxed.
My advice
Other posts have tremendous amount of good tips and strategy. Go read them. Below I listed only things that I think were the most significant factors to my study plan.
- Sit down with your partner. Explain your plan and get their support. If you're going to drop all the night outs and cut the weekend movies let them know up front. Tell them how you plan to do the shopping/cooking/chores for the next several weeks. It may sound odd but the study will drain you. It's those who's closet to you that will make or break your plan.
- Book your exam in advance.
- Use multiple sources where possible. It helps when tough concepts are explained in different ways.
- Know your learning style. I can't read for too long and would lose focus quickly. Mixing in videos and quizzes helped.
- Focus on weakest domains first.
- Take full length test. Multiple times.
- Practice test was a great way to help with reinforcing the materials. I used them extensively.
- Cybrary videos by Kelly H were fantastic. She's knowledgeable and good at explaining concepts. The speed is just right and her wrap-ups/intros were helpful. A must have.
Goodluck!
WANTED
To my unknown fellow test taker on my test day who wished me luck. You finished before I did (and passed). You left when I was having a break drinking water. I asked around and they said your name was Derrick (Derik?). If you are reading this - thanks
Comments
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jt2929
Member Posts: 244 ■■■□□□□□□□
Congrats on the pass. Kinda stinks that you have to wait another year before getting the endorsement though. -
CyberSecurity
Member Posts: 85 ■■■□□□□□□□
Congrats!Ph.D. IT [UC] - 50% complete
M.S.C.I.A. [WGU] - Completed 6/2018
B.S.I.T.M. [WGU] - Completed 4/2017 -
Robicus
Member Posts: 144 ■■■□□□□□□□
Wow-- congratulations for going beast mode on the exam.
I think the biggest takeaway here is: devising a plan, booking the exam early, and sticking to the plan. It sounds like your focus and determination got you passed the finish line.
Awesome job!What's Next? eLearnSecurity's eCIR
MSISE, CISSP, GSE (#202), GSEC, GCIA, GCIH, GPEN, GMON, GCFE, GCCC, GCPM, eJPT, AWS CCP -
splash24
Member Posts: 30 ■■□□□□□□□□
Great job , Congrats.It requires tremendous amount and energy and focus for 5 weeks and then pass the exam.I am sure your previous experience came in handy.I am in the months club and would have gone mad with this type of study plan.Kudos to your determination
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freedom777
Member Posts: 32 ■■■□□□□□□□
Big Congrats on passing your CISSP! Great detailed write up and plan.
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justjen
Member Posts: 77 ■■□□□□□□□□
Great write-up, and congrats! I would not have survived your plan, as I do have a busy life, family commitments and a demanding, full-time job, but I'm glad your plan worked for you, and maybe it will work for others too.
