Passed CISSP on first try. Here's how
wiggidywack
Registered Users Posts: 3 ■□□□□□□□□□
in SSCP
I've been preparing and studying for the exam for about 4 months, typically two hours a day of reading, with more time invested on the weekends taking practice tests, taking notes on the material I had a difficult time retaining, and reviewing the notes I took. I will say that the preparation time for this exam cannot be taken lightly, with continuous studying and reviewing required for success. There is SO much material here to be absorbed and understood that taking time away or breaks will only hinder the absorption process. This exam requires constant studying and review, at least for me.
Study methods/materials
Latest Eric Conrad book:
Read the entire book, but also highlighted and took notes throughout the book.
-Kept a separate notebook that I took notes on for each chapter. This was topics that I either didn't quite remember, or had a difficult time remembering.
Shon Harris 4th edition, along with her book of test questions.
I did not read the entire book, but referenced at least 70% of it from other reading and testing material, or referred to this book if I didn't quite get the concept. Shon did a fantastic job, in my opinion, of explaining topics, and made it easy to understand; albeit a little long winded.
ISC2 CISSP Sybex 7th edition Official Study Guide.
This book to me was golden. It filled in the extra spaces left behind by Eric Conrads book. This book was a good balance of between Shon Harris and Eric Conrad, but contained all the material I needed to pass, including updated exam topics. Believe me when I say, there are topics in this book you won't find in the other two I've read. There are some inaccuracies in this book, and it was apparent the author of the network/telecommunications chapters wasn't a "network" guy. Regardless, top notch book IMO.
CCCcure tests.
I must have completed 4000 questions. I would take exams from only the questions I missed, questions I didn't take previously, and breaking down each domain separately to find out my strengths and weaknesses. This seemed the most relevant to the exam.
Shon Harris test questions.
I found some of these questions to be just as difficult, if not more so than the CCCure. Either way, they were a nice break from online tests and challenged me well.
Cybrary:
I watched a few videos online and was really impressed how Kelly communicates the CBK. Very admirable.
Other than this, I took more notes, wrote down mnemonics, and essentially burned the material into my brain. That's what it takes to pass this exam, and to understand the material.
The exam itself was tiring, long, and thankfully over. Its a difficult exam to gauge, as parts of it was surprisingly simply, while other parts made your head spin and frustrated you. It definitely felt like a marathon, and by question 200 I was ready for it to be over.
Anyways, I hope this helps someone else be successful I the CISSP world.
Cheers!
Study methods/materials
Latest Eric Conrad book:
Read the entire book, but also highlighted and took notes throughout the book.
-Kept a separate notebook that I took notes on for each chapter. This was topics that I either didn't quite remember, or had a difficult time remembering.
Shon Harris 4th edition, along with her book of test questions.
I did not read the entire book, but referenced at least 70% of it from other reading and testing material, or referred to this book if I didn't quite get the concept. Shon did a fantastic job, in my opinion, of explaining topics, and made it easy to understand; albeit a little long winded.
ISC2 CISSP Sybex 7th edition Official Study Guide.
This book to me was golden. It filled in the extra spaces left behind by Eric Conrads book. This book was a good balance of between Shon Harris and Eric Conrad, but contained all the material I needed to pass, including updated exam topics. Believe me when I say, there are topics in this book you won't find in the other two I've read. There are some inaccuracies in this book, and it was apparent the author of the network/telecommunications chapters wasn't a "network" guy. Regardless, top notch book IMO.
CCCcure tests.
I must have completed 4000 questions. I would take exams from only the questions I missed, questions I didn't take previously, and breaking down each domain separately to find out my strengths and weaknesses. This seemed the most relevant to the exam.
Shon Harris test questions.
I found some of these questions to be just as difficult, if not more so than the CCCure. Either way, they were a nice break from online tests and challenged me well.
Cybrary:
I watched a few videos online and was really impressed how Kelly communicates the CBK. Very admirable.
Other than this, I took more notes, wrote down mnemonics, and essentially burned the material into my brain. That's what it takes to pass this exam, and to understand the material.
The exam itself was tiring, long, and thankfully over. Its a difficult exam to gauge, as parts of it was surprisingly simply, while other parts made your head spin and frustrated you. It definitely felt like a marathon, and by question 200 I was ready for it to be over.
Anyways, I hope this helps someone else be successful I the CISSP world.
Cheers!
Comments
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zapk
Registered Users Posts: 4 ■□□□□□□□□□
Thanks for sharing - can you post the link to the "Cybrary".
