Passed CISSP - The real truth on preparation

bubble2005

Before I go on my little rant, I want to say IMHO.

Soooo first thing first:

1. 27 yrs old, BBA in CIS, MS in InfoSec, MBA: Management 2. 6 total years of wrk xp, 3+ as Security and Compliance Analyst.

2. Study Mats: 3.5 months prep CBT Nuggets, Darril Gibson, Eric Conrad (Study guide, NOT the 11 hour), Transcender

3. CISA next

Rant 1: I do not know if it was a blessing or a curse for me to be an intermediate InfoSec professional but I found the exam mildly challenging but not overly hard. My perspective from young was that a vague exam isn't exactly tricky or difficult, it's just how you interpret the question. Only a trained logic for that specific exam will allow you to understand the questions. What I mean by that is this. I passed the CISSP exam but if I took CISM, SSCP, or Sec+, or ANY other info sec exam, I may very well fail. I simply know the ISC2 understanding, not CompTIA, not ISACA, not SANS. I came in with a partially blank slate so the questions to me and their connection from my study materials clicked. Maybe my inexperience actually assisted me because my glass was half empty and half full and also the water was clear.

Rant 2: A lot of folks use so many different resources, my gosh, it's overwhelming to me. I read posts with individuals having 6 books then 5 video courses! I don't know about you but I'll be hell of confused because each one has a slightly different angle and that small difference can be your pass or fail. From my understanding, I basically adopt a triad approach to learning to stimulate my learning senses. What I mean by this is, I conduct the concept of "Tight Studying." I purchased a video course, a study guide with awesome reviews, and finally a legitimate and reputable testing platform. To me and from other mentors, too many resources can be distracting and counterproductive to your exam results.

Rant 3: I read so many reviews of persons, only taking a month to prepare. Well I can gladly say that I'm much slower and I just don't consume info that fast. I've always been the slowest in my class but hey, look at my accomplishments now.

Rant 4: It is obvious that CISA and CISSP are two different exams but there is an indirect connection between the two. I actually worked for a Big 4 Company for three years, now in hospitality, and will be returning to the Big 4.

Rant 5: I have CCNA, Sec+, ITILv3F, Associate ISC2 (CISSP). I see so many over achievers with 10's or even 20's of certifications and I applaud them. But for me, I ain't about that AMF life (Annual Maintenance Fee) or recertification life.
I truly cannot see myself still recertifying when I'm about 45 years old for all those certs. Hey, like I said IMHO. I'm currently an InfoSec professional but who knows, I may drop that completely and seek executive mgmt in a totally different field. I'll probably only focus on retaining CISSP and probably ISACA certs but I ain't doing all that reading Lol I like reading but I like my life and also MY WIFE and children.

Ultimately, the real truth of preparing for this exam is 1. experience but it doesn't have to be decades of experience 2. a limited set of "diverse" resources (3-5, 6 max) 3. Test questions that encourage or even pressure you to utilize logic rather than memory. That's all there is to the CISSP. Keep in mind, that most of the times, test takers defeat themselves because of their own limiting beliefs. They approach exams like some insurmountable beast. The way I looked at it was this way, it's just an exam, only one of two things can happen, I either pass or fail. No, failing doesn't mean that you wasted $600 (a lot of intangible value comes from the exam despite your results). Several years ago when I was like 20, everyone was telling me that the CCNA was a BEAST too but I passed that at that age with the same combination (limited amount of videos, books, practice questions = tight studying). Lastly, keep in mind, Quality over Quantity. Picture you having 3 math tutors in a single grade and you have to take one exam outside of that school that is vendor neutral....good luck

freedom777

Thanks for sharing your insights and perspective. It's like a light bulb went off in my head. Perhaps I have too many resources and study material and that's why sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Thanks for that advice.

Congrats!