CISSP obtainable in like 6 months?

2016 is upon us and I know for next year I want the VCP6-DCV and by all means the CCNA.

But my dreams are big, and while I do want the CCNP, and MCSA, the CISSP seems like more and more of a essential certification to obtain in a ever-changing IT ecosystem which is under constant siege by constant threats.

But my question is, how hard is the CISSP?

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E Double U

How hard the exam is for each individual depends on that person's knowledge of the material. It was tough for me (failed twice), but there are others that crammed for a few weeks and passed on the 1st try. Some people can skim only one book while others thoroughly read several.

dustervoice

I really cant comment on difficulty as that is subjective however, 6 months is a lot of time to prepare. There are going to be some days when you cant be bothered. I remember when i was studying there times where a week had passed and i didn't read a single line of the Shon Harris (RIP) bible or did any practice questions. I will repeat what has been said a million times here this test is one of concepts not facts that you can try to remember. also dont waste time trying to find questions similar to the test there is none!! any question bank we be helpful. Eric conrad book is more than enough to pass if you have some experience.

Danielm7

This is sort of like when people ask how quickly they can finish a class @ WGU. Totally depends on your experience, preparation, test taking skills, etc. Might be better at this point to focus on a specific area instead of trying to get higher level MS, Cisco, VMWare AND ISC2 certs?

TechGuru80

The CISSP isn't just a memorization exam...it requires the knowledge and the professional experience to know how to react. In the management realm things aren't necessarily black and white and that makes it difficult.

You should check the experience requirements to see where you would fall...5 years in at least two domains, 4 years and a specific degree or certain certifications. If you don't have the experience, you can become an Associate of (ISC)2 while you get the experience. Realize there is a reason why the experience level is there...the exam is not a cakewalk.

Deathmage

TechGuru80 wrote: »

The CISSP isn't just a memorization exam...it requires the knowledge and the professional experience to know how to react. In the management realm things aren't necessarily black and white and that makes it difficult.

You should check the experience requirements to see where you would fall...5 years in at least two domains, 4 years and a specific degree or certain certifications. If you don't have the experience, you can become an Associate of (ISC)2 while you get the experience. Realize there is a reason why the experience level is there...the exam is not a cakewalk.

I have 7 years of experience in 3 domains. Only the last 5 years managing them directly.

And by all means all 3 of them are entirely different.

[Deleted User]

That is my goal for 2016 is to get the CISSP along with CCNA Security. I would only be able to get the associate of isc2 if I were to get it as I just graduated college this past year with very little experience however, I think with my knowledge I have I should be ok. It is a hard test from what I have heard. They want you to apply concepts not just memorizing facts and info and spitting it out. I am purchasing study materials for this exam during my time off from work to be prepared for next year. Also have a few books on pre-order for the new exam. I have heard great things about the CISSP including a huge salary raises with companies along with more job opportunities later on down the road. It is a gold standard for a reason for InfoSec. It is $600 for the test and most people fail it their first time because it is really hard. If you were to make it a goal, I would recommend making it your only goal because of how difficult it is and how high stakes the test is as well. Best of luck in your decision.

Mike7

It depends on your knowledge and work experience. Grab the official CISSP study guide, browse through the TOC, read each chapter summary, do some of the questions and decide what percentage of the book is new material to you. Read some of the new topics.

That should allow you to estimate time required.

mistabrumley89

I did a 2 week CISSP review back in 2012. Never touched the material afterwards. Got a voucher in April of this year and had 2 weeks to take the exam before it changed. I read the AIO for 12 hours a day. First time pass.

Every question I asked myself, "What would my boss do?"
I'm more of a technical guy, so I believe this helped me quite a bit.
Protecting the information is very important, but so are budget constraints and cost saving resolutions. Keep this in mind.

Expect

Depends how much time you have, I got it in less than 2 months of dedicated study, around 6 hours a day.

philz1982

If I remember right I studied for about 3-4 days and passed. This was about 2 years ago now. It wasn't a very hard exam, answers were pretty much common sense from a business perspective.

gespenstern

I haven't studied for it with the exception of buying cccure to gauge my knowledge and passed. Moreover, I haven't studied for ISSAP besides, again, CISSP practice questions (this time transcender which sucks) and passed. Have tons of XP though

fullcrowmoon

My experience helped me a lot (many years as a UNIX systems administrator, etc.), but the key was remembering to use their jargon and their approach. You might know from real world experience that the answer they want you to give is kinda horked, but do it anyway. Changing my mind set from technical fix-it-all mode to managerial mode was difficult.

LollyBaggins

I got it in one month with dedicated studying. When I mean dedicated, I mean dedicated. Nothing but CISSP studying on the weekends and after-work. Prepare to say good-bye to your social life. Just remember, it all depends on how bad you want it.

Deathmage

LollyBaggins wrote: »

I got it in one month with dedicated studying. When I mean dedicated, I mean dedicated. Nothing but CISSP studying on the weekends and after-work. Prepare to say good-bye to your social life. Just remember, it all depends on how bad you want it.

That's how I've been with Cisco so what the heck; when I mean dedicated I mean reading from the Cisco website on everything CCNA.....when I fail exams I take my next take on studying to the extreme...being learning disabled sucks! ... perseverance is my strength though..

Z0sickx

Yes but expect to study hard everyday and more so on the weekend, if you have a few year so of security experience it could be shorter period for you

Skynet9

depends...if you can get good sources to study from...why not. Otherwise i have seen people studying for years from sources that don't relate to exams topics.

So just research first a book or two at most and some training videos.