Pass Post- Shoutout!

GoGetter

I first want to give a shoutout to everyone who contributes to this forum. Your help and guidance has proven to be a great resource for anyone pursuing the CISSP. I utilized each tip and trick provided to assist in my studying. In this field, collaboration and assisting others is extremely beneficial to all. This forum has proven to be full of professionals who proudly assist their counterparts in bettering themselves and creating a stronger IS field. So thank you.

My approach to studying was not to gain the certification, but to really expand my knowledge base. Once I committed to learning the material and understanding it, studying became much easier. You can’t look at it as only a cert, look at it as an opportunity to grow in your field.

Overall Study Time: 3 months. My study tactics were off and on at the beginning. I would answer questions on cccure and then switch to cybrary videos. Pairing those two resources together really helped me narrow down my weak domains. Within 2 months, once I identified my weaknesses, I would read the AIO and Sybex to help understand the topics I struggled with.

I knew I was ready to take the test because I felt like I was strong in each domain. I could go through any study material and explain it.

Time on Test: 2hrs, 45 mins. 30 mins of review. I agree with past posts, your first answer is your best answer. I marked roughly 50 questions for review and changed 4.
Whenever I started to feel tired, I took a break. If you have studied and prepared properly, there is no reason you should have to rush. 6 hours is a long time. That being said, you should have ample time to take breaks and regroup.

Study material:

1. Cybrary.it- By far the best resource for me. Kelly is an exceptional teacher and explained each Domain extremely well. Her tips helped me immensely.

CCCure.—Excellent for identifying weaknesses. Do the questions, go learn about the things you struggled with. Easy stuff.

2. Shon Harris-My favorite book. The AIO worked best for me because of its in depth approach. Again, I set out to learn, so the lengthiness was great. Some individuals do not like the AIO, but if your committed to learning and not memorizing it is a great source.

3. For Dummies, CISSP- This actually was a very valuable resource. I would rank it ahead of Conrad’s 11th hour as a last week refresher. It hits all of the main concepts/topics, but does not over do it.

4. Sybex- It is a great resource, each topic is well written and understandable. I read and re-read the “big” domains. I used the Sybex material to get a different perspective from the AIO.

5. 11th hour: Pretty good. I read at the beginning of my studies, to get a feel for the material.

6. If you have a long commute, I suggest turning on the Shon Harris MP3s. They are not the most exciting thing, but very helpful if you need some extra time on a certain subject.

*** Bottom line. Just put in the work. It’s that simple. If you do the studying LEARN the material. You will pass. Again thanks to all those on this forum for your support.

NotHackingYou

Congratulations!