Did not pass on my first attempt

Hi guys,

I took the exam about a month ago and scored 670.

My study material was as follows:

SANS CISSP prep course
Eric Conrads CISSP Study Guide, 2nd edition
Sybex CISSP Study guide, 7th edition
Complied 500 question domain specific practice exam in classmarker
Used the Sybex 1000 question bank practice exams

After the SANS course I took about a month to keep studying (4hr/day) and practicing.

I'm planning to pick up my studies again and take the exam again sometime in the fall.

What are some good study material and/or practice exams that people are using?

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Comments

cyberguypr

What is your background and experience like? It's very unusual to go through the SANS course and not pass.

chrisone

Unless you have other personal reasons or work related reasons, waiting until the fall is the most dangerous and inadvisable thing you can do. There is so much information the little concepts that tie topics together you will forget and have to spend another 3 months getting it all down again. Keep at it man! Do not let frustration kick in.

emekaokammor

MS in MIS and 5 years as a security analyst.

I thought it was unusual as well but I know of a few other students who took the SANS CISSP prep course and did not pass on their first attempt as well. Actually, I don't know anyone from the SANS course that passed the first time.

emekaokammor

It's a financial decision. My wife is a teacher and does not get pay over the summer so my family has to operate on a tight budget until the fall.

chrisone

oh that is understandable. Hopefully you can continue to study during that time and not push it off until fall. Stay sharp and keep the concepts fresh! Good luck!

emekaokammor

Thanks Chris! If you don't mind, can you share some study tips?

ITSpectre

emekaokammor wrote: »

It's a financial decision. My wife is a teacher and does not get pay over the summer so my family has to operate on a tight budget until the fall.

Hmmm I always thought teachers got paid during the summer?? It may not be the same in all states but here in VA teachers can opt to get paid a little less so they can still have pay during summer... but each state is different.

emekaokammor

I'm in FL and my wife teaches Pre-K for the county. The months of June and July are unpaid, their pay starts again when they start training in August. I worked for the school system as well and the IT department had that option of taking a little less so that they could have summer pay.

chrisone

First attempt = failed score 669 (read sybex 7th, Sybex test questions, CCCure) **Admittedly went to the test with half the understanding of the concepts, tried to get by with memorizing practice test questions, was only scoring 75-83% passing on CCCure**

Second attempt = Failed 695! Failed by 5 points (Watched Cybrary Kelly Videos, Study more concepts and actually understand them!, Memorized much of the Sunflower notes "HUGE help here", free practice test from McGraw "very hard questions." **After failing the first exam, the results show you from greatest to least the topics you failed. So I focused on those areas during my methods listed above.**

I should have passed, but during the test you get a batch of questions here and there with one line sentences that I may have rushed by being over confident. Each question is NOT worth a certain amount of points, this is a graded scale, so failing by 5 points is literally half a question or 1 question, who knows but 5 points man! ahhhhh!

So now I am taking another month to study using the same technique (CCCure questions, McGraw questions, Sunflower notes, Cybrary Videos.) I will take my time and I WILL pass!!!!

Mcgraw practice tests - https://www.mhprofessional.com/sites/CISSPExams/exam.php?id=AccessControl
Sunflower notes - https://www.studynotesandtheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Sunflower_CISSP-1.pdf
Cybrary free videos - https://www.cybrary.it/course/cissp/

Good luck!

protacticus

Hi, please just keep pushing, you're so close now. Make sure you look free CISSP Cybrary course, free Shon Harris video course and consider to use cccure questions (50$ monthly). Perhaps it would be helpful to identify you weak domains (information after the exam) and increase knowledge with a referent book. For example: CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition or Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Fourth Edition.Good luck buddy

emekaokammor

chrisone wrote: »

First attempt = failed score 669 (read sybex 7th, Sybex test questions, CCCure) **Admittedly went to the test with half the understanding of the concepts, tried to get by with memorizing practice test questions, was only scoring 75-83% passing on CCCure**

Second attempt = Failed 695! Failed by 5 points (Watched Cybrary Kelly Videos, Study more concepts and actually understand them!, Memorized much of the Sunflower notes "HUGE help here", free practice test from McGraw "very hard questions." **After failing the first exam, the results show you from greatest to least the topics you failed. So I focused on those areas during my methods listed above.**

I should have passed, but during the test you get a batch of questions here and there with one line sentences that I may have rushed by being over confident. Each question is NOT worth a certain amount of points, this is a graded scale, so failing by 5 points is literally half a question or 1 question, who knows but 5 points man! ahhhhh!

So now I am taking another month to study using the same technique (CCCure questions, McGraw questions, Sunflower notes, Cybrary Videos.) I will take my time and I WILL pass!!!!

Mcgraw practice tests - https://www.mhprofessional.com/sites/CISSPExams/exam.php?id=AccessControl
Sunflower notes - https://www.studynotesandtheory.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Sunflower_CISSP-1.pdf
Cybrary free videos - https://www.cybrary.it/course/cissp/

Good luck!

I wish you the best and thank you for the materials.

emekaokammor

protacticus wrote: »

Hi, please just keep pushing, you're so close now. Make sure you look free CISSP Cybrary course, free Shon Harris video course and consider to use cccure questions (50$ monthly). Perhaps it would be helpful to identify you weak domains (information after the exam) and increase knowledge with a referent book. For example: CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition or Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Fourth Edition.Good luck buddy

Appreciate it Protacticus!

CISSP_ka

Cybrary!!! Great free course!! The best one.
https://www.cybrary.it/course/cissp/

CISSP_ka

Also free trial safaribooksonline.com accounts via temporary mail as much as you want and read and watch!

stephens316

who was the SANS instructor ?