Going for CISA on 20th
I am going to sit for CISA on 20th, I don't feel much prepared to be honest. I will rely on my technical IT background and experience with auditors. Read the all-in-one book watched videos but didn't have access to Q&A so let's see how I do. I just hope that the questions won't be like the one in the assessment test in ISACA's website. Fingers crossed.
Comments
I would recommend keeping a mindset of not being too technical when interpreting or understanding the questions so you won't get thrown off. Also, in my opinion, the assessment test questions in the ISACA website are easier (or more straightforward) than the actual questions.
Report back-I'm taking it 12/22!!
Sorry to hear that. You’ll nail it next time.
CISM
My advice would be to really focus on the explanations in the Q&A Database. Getting a certain percentage is not indicative of whether you know the material. I averaged about 77%, however, I probably didn't go through the database at the rate I have seen people talk about on here. I think the database is a great tool, but in some ways is fool's gold. My strategy was to proceed through the database and understand more of WHY the incorrect answers were in fact incorrect rather than why the correct answer was correct. In that way I felt like I was absorbing more and not relying on subconsciously memorizing what the answer was. Also, helps with getting into the "ISACA" frame of mind.
That being said the MOST important study material for me was the Review Manual. It is such a valuable resource for the test. Obviously because the test is straight from there. You will learn from this and as another poster said nail it the next time around.
Don't worry, you'll pass it the next time around.
Don't be discouraged. I didn't buy/have access to QAE nor the official review manual. I finished it 3 hours including review. I was in a loud room with other people perhaps your exam conditions were even more uncomfortable so you couldn't concentrate enough.
I agree that questions are weird and if you really think deep you can level yourself and go into what/if they really mean this or that mode. What I do in such situations is remembering from other exams that you should not look for a deeper meaning in the questions but literally take it for what it is. I would recommend you to read the manual if you have it. Without taking notes just read it and then hit the QAE again. You will do good next time
If I may ask, despite scoring above 80% in the QAE DB, did you spend time to go back and review those items that you got wrong? When I did the QAE DB, I made sure to note down such items so I can review it and understand the rationale behind the correct answer. Further, I did the same for those items that even though I got correctly, was only due to the fact that I know the other answers as being totally wrong.
Also, when doing the QAE DB, did you check your scores on each domain? It would be helpful to know so you could focus your attention / efforts on those domains which you need to improve on.
The exam is definitely challenging depending on your experience and knowledge, but the database has a lot of good information to help.
Congratulations.
I received the results exactly 10 days after the test.
Congrats!
You took it the day after I did and I got mine yesterday, so I would expect you might see the results today!
Btw, I did much better than I thought although I don’t know exactly where my score would put me among those who take it. I got a 610. All that matters is that it’s official now! Even though you get that preliminary pass it is still a slight uneasiness until you get that official email. Congrats on passing it Boring!
This email is being sent to notify you of your 20 December 2017 exam results. A scaled score of 450 or higher is required to pass, which represents the minimum consistent standard of knowledge as established by ISACA's CISA Certification Working Group.
We are pleased to inform you that you successfully PASSED the exam with a total scaled score of 633. For your information, your exam results by area are provided below.
SCALED SCORES BY CONTENT AREA:
The Process of Auditing Information Systems 617
Governance and Management of IT 655
Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation 549
Information Systems Operations, Maintenance and Service Management 648
Protection of Information Assets 678
Well I don't want to brag but I worked for one of the big Anti-virus companies for 2 years where I learned a lot about malware analysis (viruses, trojans, rootkits, spyware, spam etc.) then I worked at HP as a network security engineer acquired a lot of skills while working to be honest. Fortune 500 companies would outsource their operations to HP so I am more or less familiar with outsourcing strategies, what are the benefits and pitfalls. You would also experience the benefits of security awareness trainings and various phases of projects. All these things I think helped me grasp the concepts. Knowing networking technologies, standards as well as some pentesting experience was again really helpful. I am not sure how the other people managed to pass it by only studying QAE, I guess everyone has his/her own way.
I am not affiliated to Safari Online Books but I think it's worth the money to have access to variety of books and video tutorials. I watched 2 video tutorials, one from iCollege and another from Sari Greene Pearson IT Certification. I really liked where Sari Greene goes into a meeting room and would explain why/what/how the audit would be conducted to various stakeholders in a company.
When I wrote that I hope the questions would not be like pre-assessment test, I had not read the AIO book and watched the videos yet. I did the pre-assessment test solely based on my real life experience and managed to score 56%. So my recommendation for you is to focus on areas which you are lacking experience/knowledge. That's what I did while studying. It's really important to be brutally honest with yourself.
Don't worry you will pass it next time. Don't be discouraged by our comments as you can see I had underestimated the level of my knowledge. Everyone on techexams.net who passed the exam is saying QAE is a must to pass the exam. Well I think it's nice to understand the way ISACA think but if you really concentrate on the question and try to reduce the things to why an audit, information systems are important to business then you would most probably find the correct answer. Happy new year!
Good write up! Congrats to you and mudcat3434 for passing with such impressive scores!
@Gbl123,
Based on reading the comments in this forum, and having passed the CISA exam recently (12/20/17), I believe the key to passing the CISA exam is to achieve a balance of learning the concepts well from reading the CRM/AIO/CISA Study Guide, and doing the QAE DB. As others have mentioned, when doing the QAE DB, don't simply memorize the answer but find out why an answer is correct, and why the other 3 are incorrect. The QAE DB is a tool designed to help learn the concepts, not to recognize the questions on the real exam. The questions on the real exam will always be different anyway! The level of studying the CRM/AIO/CISA Study Guide & QAE DB could be offset by an individual's work experience in IT Audit/IT Security. Those with more experience may not require as much studying, while those with less experience may require more studying. As boringIT mentioned, be brutally honest with yourself, and identify where your weakness is. The exam score breakdown should give you a good clue as to which domain you need improvement on. Study hard using the CRM/AIO/CISA Study Guide & QAE DB in the domain needing improvement on, in addition to doing an overall review prior to your retake, and you should be fine.
e are sorry to inform you that you were not successul in passing the CISA exam. You received a total scaled score of 395. For your information, your exam results by area are provided below.
SCALED SCORES BY CONTENT AREA:
The Process of Auditing Information Systems
378
Governance and Management of IT
308
Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
349
Information Systems Operations, Maintenance and Service Management458Protection of Information Assets 465
I had not access to ISACA database, read only Cisa Maunal book 26th edition.
So , the questions on the exam just shocked me and last quesion I answered in lat 5 minut.
If any one would like to help me and share some material , please please, please contact me on marina dot mokotow at gmail com