CISM Exam Passed!

I just got back from the testing center and provisionally passed the CISM exam. Of course got the standard "official results will be emailed within 10 business days" disclaimer. Cleared the exam in 1.5 hours.

My prep consisted of ditching the review manual halfway through the first chapter and buying the QAE DB. I started with 30 question adaptive learning exams each day for about the first week or so. I spent the past week pounding away at the questions, trying to do 100-150 a day. I ended up with my overall score in the QAE DB in the mid-70s, with the 1st domain my weakest at just under 70%.

I'm definitely glad that ISACA moved to the CBT format. I'm moving on to the CISA which I'm targeting for May 31st. I'm going to get the review manual and QAE DB as my manager lets me use my corp card for them, but I'll probably just use the QAE DB and use the RM for reviewing weak areas.

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jamesleecoleman

Congratulations!

Sonu7007

Congrats:)

tphan3

Congratulations! I am doing the opposite. I will be taking CISA first on June 3rd and CISM on June 23rd. Did you use any other books or just the RM for the preparation of CISM? How long did it take you to prepare for the exam? Thank you

JoJoCal19

tphan3 wrote: »

Congratulations! I am doing the opposite. I will be taking CISA first on June 3rd and CISM on June 23rd. Did you use any other books or just the RM for the preparation of CISM? How long did it take you to prepare for the exam? Thank you

I started to use the RM first, but quit after getting through like 20 pages of the first chapter. It's too tough of a read, and that's coming from someone who can usually power through dry material. So I switched to only using the online QAE database. I used that for a little over two weeks.

YuckTheFankees

Congrats on the pass.

Kyrak

Congrats!

EJMADELINE

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

I just got back from the testing center and provisionally passed the CISM exam. Of course got the standard "official results will be emailed within 10 business days" disclaimer. Cleared the exam in 1.5 hours.

My prep consisted of ditching the review manual halfway through the first chapter and buying the QAE DB. I started with 30 question adaptive learning exams each day for about the first week or so. I spent the past week pounding away at the questions, trying to do 100-150 a day. I ended up with my overall score in the QAE DB in the mid-70s, with the 1st domain my weakest at just under 70%.

I'm definitely glad that ISACA moved to the CBT format. I'm moving on to the CISA which I'm targeting for May 31st. I'm going to get the review manual and QAE DB as my manager lets me use my corp card for them, but I'll probably just use the QAE DB and use the RM for reviewing weak areas.

Congrats!

I'm scoring between 75-85 on the practice questions now after starting stronger. I'm glad to see that was enough to get you through. Would you say the QAE DB questions are similar? Did you feel prepared? +Is there anything about being in the top 5, 10, 20% anymore?

SecurityGuru23

Congrats Jojocal19! If you can pass the CISSP, the rest is well... the rest...

coffeeisgood

congrads on the pass

for the CISM & CISA,
use the official online Q&A database!
there really is no substitute

the "official" manuals really really dry
maybe helpful if you wanted to look something up but your time is better spent on the online Q&A database.
pound that out until you have gone thru all the questions & you will do fine.

pinksj

Congratulations on the pass and all the best for the next cert.

E Double U

Congratulations! I hope to join the CISM club this year as well. Hopefully I have enough brain cells that can handle the task after just completing GCIA.

asiru77

Congratulations and goodluck for CISA

TeKniques

Congratulations! I had the same experience with the CISA RM - I ended up just getting the AIO off of Amazon and the Q&A DB from ISACA.

Good luck!

rwmidl

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

I just got back from the testing center and provisionally passed the CISM exam. Of course got the standard "official results will be emailed within 10 business days" disclaimer. Cleared the exam in 1.5 hours.

My prep consisted of ditching the review manual halfway through the first chapter and buying the QAE DB. I started with 30 question adaptive learning exams each day for about the first week or so. I spent the past week pounding away at the questions, trying to do 100-150 a day. I ended up with my overall score in the QAE DB in the mid-70s, with the 1st domain my weakest at just under 70%.

I'm definitely glad that ISACA moved to the CBT format. I'm moving on to the CISA which I'm targeting for May 31st. I'm going to get the review manual and QAE DB as my manager lets me use my corp card for them, but I'll probably just use the QAE DB and use the RM for reviewing weak areas.

Curious to see your results for the CISA using the d/b. I used the d/b for my CISM last year (same thing as you, started the book, fell asleep went to the d/b and passed). I'm planning to do the CISA next year when I head back to the US and will probably use the d/b again.

cfirsten

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

I just got back from the testing center and provisionally passed the CISM exam. Of course got the standard "official results will be emailed within 10 business days" disclaimer. Cleared the exam in 1.5 hours.

........

Do they give you a score or just pass/fail until the final result is in?

Clm

JOJo how prepared did you feel? I have the database questions but im struggling to get through the manual is my problem

JoJoCal19

cfirsten wrote: »

Do they give you a score or just pass/fail until the final result is in?

Nope, no score. It just says PASSED. Official report will be emailed within 10 days.

Clm wrote: »

JOJo how prepared did you feel? I have the database questions but im struggling to get through the manual is my problem

I felt decently prepared. Not as prepared as I wanted to be though, but I felt good going in that I was going to pass. I ditched the manual like 20 or so pages in. I averaged in the mid 70s in the QAE DB.

cisco4life

Congrats!

JoJoCal19

EJMADELINE wrote: »

Congrats!

I'm scoring between 75-85 on the practice questions now after starting stronger. I'm glad to see that was enough to get you through. Would you say the QAE DB questions are similar? Did you feel prepared? +Is there anything about being in the top 5, 10, 20% anymore?

I felt pretty well prepared, could have been more, but I felt I could pass. There was nothing in the immediate result as far as percentile, or a score. Yes, the actual questions are just like the ones in the QAE DB, meaning they are set up the same and of the same difficulty. At least for me they were.

JoJoCal19

Forgot to post, got my official email on Wednesday and passed with a scaled score of 606. Not too bad at all!

cazza

Hello, JoJoCal19

Do they show the PASSED/NOT PASSED or PASSED/ FAILED on the screen when you finished the exam?

scasc

Nice score - well done.

They only say if you have passed or not based on the answers provided. Actual results are emailed to you 10 working days later.

Hope this helps everyone concerned.

asiru77

cazza wrote: »

Hello, JoJoCal19

Do they show the PASSED/NOT PASSED or PASSED/ FAILED on the screen when you finished the exam?

yes it shows pass/fail with 10 days for official results

jax7

JoJoCal19 wrote: »

Nope, no score. It just says PASSED. Official report will be emailed within 10 days.

I felt decently prepared. Not as prepared as I wanted to be though, but I felt good going in that I was going to pass. I ditched the manual like 20 or so pages in. I averaged in the mid 70s in the QAE DB.

JoJo - so in retrospect you would save the money and not buy the manual? or did you use it ad-hoc when you got answers wrong from the DB? Thanks

JoJoCal19

Jax, correct I would not get the review manual. Get the QAE DB and pound that.

MitM

I'm a little late but congrats JoJoCal

jax7

Thanks and congrats on passing. I may try to get this done before the June window opens. I did not realize the testing was only done in "windows".

shiva773

Hi All,

I gave my exam on 1st June, and after completing it said Preliminary passed , I assume I passed, but still I have doubt because ISACA scale at 200 to 800 , so will it be like if I get minimum 200 that screen will show Preliminary passed, or if I get minimum passing marks 450 only then it show pass?

did anyone check this thing with ISACA?

1Sep1969

shiva773 wrote: »

Hi All,

I gave my exam on 1st June, and after completing it said Preliminary passed , I assume I passed, but still I have doubt because ISACA scale at 200 to 800 , so will it be like if I get minimum 200 that screen will show Preliminary passed, or if I get minimum passing marks 450 only then it show pass?

did anyone check this thing with ISACA?

I recently sent an email to ISACA regarding the "Pass" result. They said if you get a "Pass" result, it means you passed the exam. So you officially passed the exam and will get the same result in detail 10 days later. Not sure about the "Preliminary passed," but the answer I got from them was that "preliminary results are valid."

scasc

I used the DB of questions only - no manual. Scored 606 (result came in last Sat via email). I guess it depends on your background. However I think focus on the DB questions.

What I did was go through all of them once - made notes on concepts I got wrong and revised them - attempted the DB questions and practice paper again and was good as gold