How technical is the CISSP
Hey folks,
Newb here, Been in the industry for a while though(10years, dev,architecture,sec) I figured it was time to do my CISSP now that the exam is changing to CAT
Here is my plan of study
~200pages/day read, take notes, lab, exam, compare
Official study app/practice test, flash cards for every domain and take the exam
11th hour book - have not started yet
Sunflower cheetsheet - reviewed after each domain
Mindmaps - reviewed after each domain
Bunch of Youtube to put me to sleep
Any advice on other good resources?
for those that took the updated (8domain) test, what was the percentage of technical questions vs GRC(administrative)?
My big hurdle is trying to figure out what content to focus on, it seems the practice exams vary quite a bit.
Taking the exam on 14th, Any help would be great
Thanks
T
Newb here, Been in the industry for a while though(10years, dev,architecture,sec) I figured it was time to do my CISSP now that the exam is changing to CAT

Here is my plan of study
~200pages/day read, take notes, lab, exam, compare
Official study app/practice test, flash cards for every domain and take the exam
11th hour book - have not started yet
Sunflower cheetsheet - reviewed after each domain
Mindmaps - reviewed after each domain
Bunch of Youtube to put me to sleep
Any advice on other good resources?
for those that took the updated (8domain) test, what was the percentage of technical questions vs GRC(administrative)?
My big hurdle is trying to figure out what content to focus on, it seems the practice exams vary quite a bit.
Taking the exam on 14th, Any help would be great
Thanks
T
Comments
I understand CISSP is not a technical exam, I am just trying to get some clarity on how much technical "dust" is required.
I have been doing the sybex practice tests (90% avg) tried a few other online with similar results.
Quick question: Is the CISSP multiple choice? it seems most of the practice ones are single choice only
You wont be able to absorb enough information if you stress your brain with 200 pages of information a day. You have to sit on it and just ponder what the info means. That's why people spend months on it.
On a book that's 1000 pages if you give yourself 2 months, you could do 15-20 pages a day. Thats more acceptable I rhink.
Good luck.
Same sentiments here. I'm thinking of sitting for the exam before Dec 17/18 because of the change to CAT. Not that I can say that I'm ready, but rather I feel that the new format will work against me. Although I've read in some posts that it would not matter so long as you know the content, but again, the feeling that you can go back to review your answers allows you to blaze through the items during the first pass.
In terms of technicality - it's not a technical exam. Have a scan through some practice questions to get a rough idea of what's expected. Good luck!
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Wannabe: if you have not done so yet, I would book your exam ASAP. In my area all the spots are filled.
I agree 200/pages a day isnt ideal and your retention suffers to some extent, however I'm familiar with most of the stuff in the book hence those sections/domains can be gone through faster and others need more time. At this point I'm spending 8-10hours a day going through the material.
I did notice the new outline does have a few domains weighed heavier then others, 16% as opposite to 10/13... but this is for the new April test... Does anybody still have the outline for the current test?
T
Adaptive testing is never the same, people have strengths and weaknesses based on their predisposition and type of work they do, CAT focuses on your weaknesses where in the course of Standard testing your strengths would balance our your weaknesses. In addition the ability to flag and review is a bonus, it gives you the ability to do your own time management.
lauriell, My experience is that the Sybex prep test are all over the place. One question asks about fairly detailed technical questions where others are general policy. What I am wondering is if the exam is the same. i.e. size of registers on a x64 platform as opposite to GRC questions regarding DRP planning.
Any thoughts on the 11th hour book? it seems its fairly compact.
Lets see what happens.
If you are asked a difficult question and you answer it correctly then the next question will be of higher difficulty.
If you answer the question incorrectly then the next question will be of lesser difficulty.
How does this approach focuses on your weaknesses?
Here is my take on it, if there is only half the questions then if you miss one of the harder ones then the exam has to focus on the weaker ones that automatically decreases your score and the value of the follow up questions. Since there is only a limited amount of questions(150) then each one of those matters more, in addition that combined with the lack of ability to review seems like a disadvantage.
The standard test seems to give me the strength of the number of questions, the ability to review and get familiar with the type of like of questioning, Especially given the fact that it seems most folks get surprised by how they are worded.
T
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Thanks for your comments
http://www.techexams.net/forums/isc-sscp-cissp/102074-passed-cissp.html#post863590
I was just coming in to wright the same thing 200 pages is overkill i'd get bored and skim read
For now, I guess I'll just continue preparing for the exam and wait for feedback / opinion from the TE Community on how ISC2 implements the CAT.
Do people really want to sit for a 6 hour exam?! I feel like I've waste my day when I'm golfing for four hours; let alone answering 250 CISSP exam questions!
@zlykot if your study plan fits your personal style of studying; go for it. It looks pretty solid. The only tweaks I'd suggest would be to:
1) Take one of the practice exams right off he bat (to determine your weak areas). Then you can focus your studying based on your weak domains.
2) Plan for the day before the exam to be a rest day.
Best of luck!!
Good luck!
thanks everybody for the tips, it was easier then I thought and easier then the sybex practice tests.
T
As little as 100 items and half of the previous test time?!?! If I were you guys I would just wait until the new version came out.
Does this mean you passed? If so, that's great news!