Also passed CISSP on 11/23/2015

Guyotron

I started studying for the CISSP in 2007. I knew I wanted this cert, and my company understood the value of it. They brought in a CISSP who was supposed to teach a group of three of us what we needed to know. The supporting material of this week-long boot camp was a thin, spiral binder of print-outs of a Powerpoint presentation. It was baffling and worthless. The three of us left it frustrated and confused. I then purchased the CISSP AiO 4th Ed. and read it cover to cover. Then life and work intervened for 8 years. I work in IT with a security focus, so continuous learning has been the norm. This summer my company sent me to a SANS SEC504 class, which was a lot of fun and that refreshed my desire to finally get that CISSP cert as it's a step up from the GCIH, which is based on the SEC504. I paid for a SANS MGT414 vLive class that started this last fall. I enjoyed that immensely. While studying for the CISSP, the exam time frame came up for the GCIH. In hind sight, being open book, the GCIH was much easier and less stressful than the CISSP, plus the GCIH exam kept you abreast of your progress every 15 questions. With the CISSP, you don't know until you submit. I passed the GCIH on 11/02/2015, and passed the CISSP this last Monday. I don't recommend this route of testing, although the GCIH heavily covers information in more than one CISSP domain.

My method for passing the CISSP:
SLOWLY studying for eight...freaking...years.
Very recent SANS MGT414 vLive course
Re-do SANS MGT414 via MP3 downloads and take practice exams
Watched some Cybrary CISSP videos on Cryptography
Read CISSP 11th Hour two days before.
Played Fallout 4 the day before the exam (had to decompress, and had originally avoided this game since it came out because I was studying)

I finished the exam 2 hours and 45 minutes early (yes, I know it's a marathon and not a sprint. I couldn't take any more time reviewing or I'd keep second guessing myself and changing answers).

Thanks to all who have posted and helped some of us gain some confidence and direction on how best to tackle this beast.

G

g33k3r

Congrats on your accomplishment!!

cyberguypr

Congrats!

IaHawk

Congrats on the pass! I just started studying via Cybrary and will start SANS OnDemand access for MGT414 on Dec 1st. Plan on taking the test in early Feb/Mar.

gncsmith

Congrats!

kingholmes

I have to agree with your statement on the time. I don't know how I could have made it take any longer. Either I knew it or I didn't. Not like with math problems where you can calculate for a while. There were many I knew immediately and others that I could have started at for days and the would have made no more sense to me. Two and half to three and a half hours is plenty. But good to have the extra time if you needed more breaks. I definitely needed the break I took and I think it really helped me.

Guyotron

I really should have taken a break, but I was so nervous and stressed out that I just wanted it done. A break between the first go 'round and the second review might have allowed some of the questions to make a little more sense. I didn't bring any snacks or drinks, nor were they allowed in the testing center.

Like I've been warned in the past, I left the exam room not believing I passed. I was unwilling to change any more answers.

G

DAVIS NGUYEN

Congrats!

thua

Congratulations.
Hope i could pass it someday.
A dream cert to me till now.

clarkincnet

Congrats!

twodogs62

Congrats!!!! Kudos for hanging in there.
quantity is not important as having quality.

rajpoot296

ansel1261

Congrats

ruzaj36

Congrats mate