CISM June 2016 Exam Experience and Results.

awaiting

Lets start this thread for those who took June 2016 CISM exam. Share your thoughts while waiting for results

blossom781

Interesting exam... I spent almost 4 hours in answering those 200 questions. Some questions were really vague...assuming that those were research questions. Lets see what happens next... awaiting results now. 15th Jul is the result date, right?

alsec

I found the exam relatively not that so hard to solve, since many questions were quite similar. For example, senior management commitment is an important factor in sec governance, risk mgmt and security program design.

blossom781

how many of them would be right? Just if you want to guess...

rwmidl

I posted this in another thread so I will copy and paste here.

I didn't think it was that hard, easier than the CISSP (which I took years ago). I finished in about 3 hours.

My strategy was similar to when I did the CISSP:

- did the questions in 20 block increments
- marked out the incorrect answer and circled the correct on in the book.
- if I couldn't deduct the correct answer, placed a star next to it and moved on.
- after 20 questions I would fill in the answer sheet, placing a line through the question number in the book when I filled it in on the sheet.
- rinse repeat until finished.
- after I was done answering I went back and reviewed the ones I placed a star next to. If i still had issues I circled the question number..
- when I had answered all questions I went line by line through the scantron form to make sure I had filled in a bubble for each line (caught 2 that I missed).

I "think" I passed the test. I remember when I took the CISSP there were a few questions I was still going over in my head after the test. Not so in this case. I could be completely wrong and have failed the test. I'll know in 5 weeks.

Oh yeah, so we got moved all around the city twice before the exam. We all arrived at 8am and they moved us a few blocks away (downhill to another building). We sat in the lobby there for about 10-15 minutes and then they moved us again to another building a few blocks away (uphill). When we got to the final test location we had to sit and wait about 20 minutes so they could set up, which was good because most of us were pretty winded from all the walking. Come to find out apparently there was a bomb scare or something and that is why our actual test room kept being moved.

havoc64

THanks for the write up...sorry you guys all got moved so much..wow

rwmidl wrote: »

I posted this in another thread so I will copy and paste here.

I didn't think it was that hard, easier than the CISSP (which I took years ago). I finished in about 3 hours.

My strategy was similar to when I did the CISSP:

- did the questions in 20 block increments
- marked out the incorrect answer and circled the correct on in the book.
- if I couldn't deduct the correct answer, placed a star next to it and moved on.
- after 20 questions I would fill in the answer sheet, placing a line through the question number in the book when I filled it in on the sheet.
- rinse repeat until finished.
- after I was done answering I went back and reviewed the ones I placed a star next to. If i still had issues I circled the question number..
- when I had answered all questions I went line by line through the scantron form to make sure I had filled in a bubble for each line (caught 2 that I missed).

I "think" I passed the test. I remember when I took the CISSP there were a few questions I was still going over in my head after the test. Not so in this case. I could be completely wrong and have failed the test. I'll know in 5 weeks.

Oh yeah, so we got moved all around the city twice before the exam. We all arrived at 8am and they moved us a few blocks away (downhill to another building). We sat in the lobby there for about 10-15 minutes and then they moved us again to another building a few blocks away (uphill). When we got to the final test location we had to sit and wait about 20 minutes so they could set up, which was good because most of us were pretty winded from all the walking. Come to find out apparently there was a bomb scare or something and that is why our actual test room kept being moved.

piranetus

A bomb scare? That's pretty crazy.

Raystafarian

I really don't remember the exam very well, I know I went in, put in ear plugs and left two hours later. Not that I would share, but not one of the questions was memorable enough to recall.

DaRkFiRe

I found the exam to be much harder then expected. Took me 4 hours to the minute to answer all questions and I left the building feeling nothing but tired.. Few days later I still believe it's 50/50 either I took it or i didn't.

awaiting

Seems that its a general sentiment to all those who took the CISM exam, regardless of country and background. Would it suffice to say that the exam we took last June 11, is a difficult exam and being difficult is a character unique compared with previous CISM exams?

awaiting

Finished taking the CISM exam for 2 hours? seems you did well

dayglo

I was surprised at just how different the exam was than the official practice questions and the three day boot camp I attended the week before the exam.

A bunch of people left at exactly two hours (no idea if that means they aced it or if they just answered the first answer which popped into their head) and the rest of us stayed until the very end. My worst fear is that I changed about 10 answers and that I changed them from right to wrong.

I have absolutely no idea if I passed or not.

TheFORCE

Raystafarian wrote: »

I really don't remember the exam very well, I know I went in, put in ear plugs and left two hours later. Not that I would share, but not one of the questions was memorable enough to recall.

You are allowed to use earplugs?

fullcrowmoon

I finished the CISM exam on June 11th in about 2.5 hours. The CISSP took me 3.5 hours, so I think that feels about right. I had some trouble concentrating on the questions due to extreme lack of sleep, so I'm uncertain about whether or not I passed. It didn't seem overly hard so I'm hopeful. This is a certification that work would like me to have and so I'd rather get it over with and be done.

Raystafarian

TheFORCE wrote: »

You are allowed to use earplugs?

Yeah, it's on the webpage with glasses - Taking the CISM Exam

awaiting

TheFORCE wrote: »

You are allowed to use earplugs?

ISACA testing centers provide complimentary earplugs during the exam

topper24501

Due to unforeseen circumstances and laziness, I only studied for 3 days and I am confident that I passed the exam. I feel by previously taking the CISA helped a lot because I knew the format of the exam and how to read, interpret, and answer the questions. I do feel that the CISA was a little harder (Just my opinion) due to the fact that I wasn't as comfortable with the Auditing domain. But the CISM was right down my alley and if you took the CISSP, then many of those domain topics appeared on the CISM exam. I also think that real world experience from my current Risk Management job and understanding of IS Management, IS Governance, strategy, policies, procedures, etc helped as well.

It took me all 4 hours but that was because I took my time and read the questions twice (look for keywords), look at answers and read the question again (Overkill but it works for me). Also took a bathroom and water break.

Good luck to everyone else that took the exam.

awaiting

Four weeks to go before CISM exam results

blossom781

It's on 15th July, right?

awaiting

blossom781 wrote: »

It's on 15th July, right?

Yes, results will hopefully be out by 11-15 July 2016

fullcrowmoon

I wish to report that I am obsessively checking the ISACA website on a daily basis even though I KNOW the results won't be in prior to July 15th and perhaps even later than that. I'm convinced I failed and I want to get the disappointment part over with.

awaiting

fullcrowmoon wrote: »

I wish to report that I am obsessively checking the ISACA website on a daily basis even though I KNOW the results won't be in prior to July 15th and perhaps even later than that. I'm convinced I failed and I want to get the disappointment part over with.

So do I the waiting is killing me but high hope is all that we need for now

maktoum

I'm in between, pass or fail, but there is always hope

Tongy

Keep the faith, you'll probably do better than you thought in spite of the uncertainty you're feeling now.

It's excruciating having to wait like this, however, just try to put it out of you're mind and wait for the results on July 15th!

emc2

Similar to some of the guys above. I spend about 3.5 hours in the exam came out and can't remember a single question that was asked.I felt there was a bit of repetition in some of the questions. I did the CISA in December (and passed) so that was a help because I knew the format and what was being looked for.

kook1979

So I bought the books from ISACA and read the first book cover to cover by the end of March. In April, my goal was 50 questions a day. In May, my goal was 100 questions a day, and in June, I did a few 200 question days. All in all I probably did over 5,000 questions for this exam. When I went in to take it, I felt comfortable and confident, especially after answering the first question. After that, I was a bit nervous and my first pass, I left about 80 questions unanswered. I went back and slowly answered the rest of them, sometimes repeating the question 10 - 15 times in my head before I finally got what it was they were asking. I don't feel as if I bombed the exam which is good, but I also don't feel as if I aced the exam. I'd say, I'm somewhere in between. I cannot wait to get the results as CISM is my out to CISSP. If I pass CISM comfortably, then I am going to seriously consider CISSP. I already have CEH, CNDA, and CASP.

n.s.shriram

CISM to me was an average exam with the right mix of easy & tricky questions.The toughest part was to complete 50 questions per hour on an average . I literally had 2 minutes before the examiner said it's time .
On the waiting period , ya it kills . All my thoughts revolve around it & I am able to sense many in this thread share my words. Let's all hope for the best & wait for the day .All the best to the people awaiting their Isaca exam results .

awaiting

Two weeks to go everyone

hopefully by next week we can know the results.....just like last year when I waited for my CISA exam results, ISACA was able to release it on the 4th week while formal email/letter were delivered on the 5th week.

Is there still a backdoor for the results?

blossom781

This is the 4th week. So shall we expect results in this week on ISACA site?

dustervoice

blossom781 wrote: »

This is the 4th week. So shall we expect results in this week on ISACA site?

An email will be sent out with result. exactly on the friday around 6:30 PM GMT before the 5 weeks SLA. dont even bother wasting your time checking the website, etc,, they wont post it before the above time and date.

blossom781

Thanks Dustervoice...I assume that you are talking about friday of 5th week which is 15th Jul.