Passed CCSP last week - Just before the content change!

thestefster76

Won't go into details around what to expect, pretty much aligned with what everyone else on here says. I spent some time on here so figured I should give something back.

Finished the exam in around 1.5 hours and spent 30 minutes reviewing and cleaning up the ones I had marked. I think 4 hours is WAY too long for 125 questions. Prometric exam facilities are a little intimidating so if you haven't sat an exam recently be prepared for a prison-admission like experience!

My advice; Study and understand the material, don't memorise it really won't help. Echoing the advice given in the ISC2 CBK and the Sybex book, make sure you understand the question and think about how each of the potential answers would impact the business in the scenario in the BEST way. This is probably the first exam I have sat (other than CCIE many years ago) that I thought was really designed to ensure that you understood the material. I think if you don't have a genuine interest in the topics or actually trying to learn from your studies, then pick another exam.

I used the following over a 3-4 month period, studied around 2-3 hours a day.

• ISC2 CBK Official Guide
• CCSP Sybex Official Study Guide
• ISC2 Office Practice Tests   <-- these are great for understanding what gaps you have in your understanding of essential topics. I sat through all 1000 questions over a week and managed about 85% correct before sitting the exam. Don't get caught up in your score here, just make sure you revise what you got wrong. 
• Watched the F5 Systems YouTube channel for technical explanations on OWASP.  <-- very good if like me, you don't have an AppDev background.
• Watched a number of technical Youtube presentations on Federations and API's.
• Skimmed over the Microsoft SOC2 report (its free)
• Skimmed over the major NIST Documents mentioned in the study material

As a reference, have around 20 years experience across a broad domain of topics and hold many IT certs including CISSP. 

Good luck!

Info_Sec_Wannabe

Congrats on the pass! I have a friend who is rushing his exam preps as well to sit for the exam just before the content change. I haven't looked at it yet, but I suspect the change won't be as significant (I may be wrong though).

thestefster76

I thought the change was 1st August?   I had a look at the new CBK and its looks very similar, just a few additions here and there. Good luck to your friend!

Info_Sec_Wannabe

thestefster76 said:

I thought the change was 1st August?   I had a look at the new CBK and its looks very similar, just a few additions here and there. Good luck to your friend!

Yeah it was August 1. Thought my friend was still chasing the date before the exam change, but apparently, that is no longer the case. 

cyberguypr

I just gave a presentation at my company's cloud practitioners meeting about this. Content "change" is very cosmetic. Source: I'm a CCSP SME.

Grafixx01

I just sat for the CCSP today and failed it. I can say that I read the Official CBK, Official Cert Guide and went through the Official Practice Test book. I was getting like 80%+ on the end of chapter quizzes and the practice tests but when I sat for the exam, more than 70% of it wasn't even mentioned in any of those books. 

Then as you stated, I looked on here (been busy so I haven't had the time to be checking status updates due to family, work and financial issues), and they change the materials. WTH? I check their website and Amazon, the books containing all the new material are still on pre-order! 

How do you go change an exam without making the materials for the change available to candidates? I can say that the test is only 3hrs and still 125 questions, that's about all I can say. 

I have my CISSP, under the old method, but the bootcamp I went through, reading the Shon Harris book and BOTH Eric Conrad books, at least the questions / materials on the test were actually covered in some form or fashion on the exam.

I'm not going to take the CCSP again as this was the second failure. I'm not paying the money out of pocket especially since my employer doesn't require it. They made me take the CCSP bootcamp even though I didn't want to because the other classes I wanted (CCNA, Linux, Project+) the employer said were not needed for my position. But the paid for the PMP and CCSP, go figure....

mrvl13

Congrats, was  Daniel Carter's book of any use?