Good News, SANS Indexes now available on Ebay!

TechGromit

For all you lazy, unmotivated people out there that want to pass a GAIC exam, you don't need to bother wasting your time studying, you can now buy your very own index for your exam from Ebay. Why put in the work creating your own index when you can pay someone else to work hard for you. You still will need the SANS books, preferably a book set version that matches the index version your buying, but we will not trouble you with boring details. After all there more interesting things to do with your time like playing video games.

Note: buying an index does not guarantee a pass on the GIAC exam, in fact your will probably fail. No warranty expressed or implied.   

   

MrsWilliams

TechGromit said:

For all you lazy, unmotivated people out there that want to pass a GAIC exam, you don't need to bother wasting your time studying, you can now buy your very own index for your exam from Ebay. Why put in the work creating your own index when you can pay someone else to work hard for you. You still will need the SANS books, preferably a book set version that matches the index version your buying, but we will not trouble you with boring details. After all there more interesting things to do with your time like playing video games.

Note: buying an index does not guarantee a pass on the GIAC exam, in fact your will probably fail. No warranty expressed or implied.   

   

No, nobody is going to look on Ebay now that you mentioned it LOL

For those who didn't know they were on Ebay, now they know. Good Job excellent tactic! You should be a car salesman 

JoJoCal19

NetworkNewb said:

Interesting point I noticed in my SANS class I just took.  The books I received actually had an index of all the topics in the very last book. (showed what book and page that everything was in)   I asked the instructor about this and he said they are starting put indexes in each of the course materials.   Not sure if all the other courses have these but thought it was interesting.   

He definitely recommended making your own index still though.

100% recommend doing your own index. My indexes were so well put together I didn't have to touch the books much. Aside from the keyword, book, page columns, the last column I had was 'info' and I had enough info there (still short and succinct) to be able to not have to open the books at all.

cyberguypr

I really don't understand the "gotta get me someone else's index" approach (even if provided by SANS), but whatever. If people want to develop a false sense of security walking into the mot expensive exams out there, I not even going to complain.

chrisone

Trying NOT to start a bias argument here but, due to my little experience with SANS, most of their exams are purely multiple choice right? 

SANS has good workbooks and labs but I never really dug their over priced multi-choice exams. In fact I find their material VERY good that I am shocked their exams are only multiple choice? (at least this is what my current SANS experience is leading me to believe and accepting to be corrected here)

I find a performance based exam as a better measure of one's skill set and if this is NOT the case with SANS, I am disappointed. I mean really? after all that money?

Randy_Randerson

chrisone said:

Trying NOT to start a bias argument here but, due to my little experience with SANS, most of their exams are purely multiple choice right? 

SANS has good workbooks and labs but I never really dug their over priced multi-choice exams. In fact I find their material VERY good that I am shocked their exams are only multiple choice? (at least this is what my current SANS experience is leading me to believe and accepting to be corrected here)

I find a performance based exam as a better measure of one's skill set and if this is NOT the case with SANS, I am disappointed. I mean really? after all that money?

It is slowly moving towards having a hands-on portion as well. Additionally, to play devils advocate, I would rather a person be resourceful and know where to find answers as opposed to memorizing and brain dumping a certification attempt (e.g. CompTIA or ISC2). In my opinion, all that proves is a person's ability to cram and/or be a good test taker. 

JDMurray

The SANS study manuals for each course are revised once or twice a year. This changes the page numbers and content of the manuals. This means that any index compiled is only good for one specific release of course manuals.

LonerVamp

I've taken two GIAC exams, and I've been happy with the knowledge needed to pass them. One was definitely harder than the other and both were technical in nature.

For my second exam (GWAPT), the course book had an index. But I found that it quite frankly sucked. It would index things that shouldn't be indexed, and of course provided no context on each hit. Likewise, it was woefully incomplete from what a good index should have. I actually took the time to integrate that index into my custom one, but I regret that time spend and wouldn't do it again in hindsight.

I'm also not one to ever really use someone else's index. The act of making mine means I learn a lot and I have intimate knowledge of the books and where things are in general. I also trust myself in my process of making one that I have what I should have. I also don't like shortcuts where I feel like I'm faking my way through something.

yoba222

I don't understand the whole SANS index-mania thing. I sort of suspect it's a band-aid attempt at implementing anti-cheαt mechanisms. But then I have just one SANS cert and maybe for the one I have an index isn't really as needed as much as other exams.

JDMurray

yoba222 said:

I don't understand the whole SANS index-mania thing.

Building your own index is a study technique. Doing so forces you to look at the course material more thoroughly than you might have otherwise. This is why it is recommended to do by SANS itself.

november24

what is index anyway???

sfportaro

november24 said:

what is index anyway???

SAN exams are open book. Since you have several books most people create indexes of where to find specific topics and then go to that book/page to research. Sounds easy? Remember you are under a time restrain and looking up every question will blow you out the water, time wise.

tboe

TechGromit said:

For all you lazy, unmotivated people out there that want to pass a GAIC exam, you don't need to bother wasting your time studying, you can now buy your very own index for your exam from Ebay. Why put in the work creating your own index when you can pay someone else to work hard for you. You still will need the SANS books, preferably a book set version that matches the index version your buying, but we will not trouble you with boring details. After all there more interesting things to do with your time like playing video games.

Nope! dont do it, this will land you a BIG Fat Failure on your exam... This Prob could work with some other Vendor Type but not SANS you will FAIL miserably Doing This....

   

TechGromit

JoJoCal19 said:

My indexes were so well put together I didn't have to touch the books much.

Wow, That's a great selling point, we have to get your indexes on Ebay! So good you don't need the books. We are going to make a fortune together, what do you say to a 60/40 split, after all I'm the idea guy, your just the grunt back end help.    

TechGromit

LonerVamp said:

For my second exam (GWAPT), the course book had an index. But I found that it quite frankly sucked. It would index things that shouldn't be indexed, and of course provided no context on each hit. Likewise, it was woefully incomplete from what a good index should have. I actually took the time to integrate that index into my custom one, but I regret that time spend and wouldn't do it again in hindsight.

Who ever did the index for my GREM course should be fired and shot, or shot and fired, either way it was that bad. Concepts not covered, indexes to non existence material.  Wrong page numbers, it was terrible, but hey it was free, well unless you count the 6 grand for the course. Freed up a lot of time not to study, after all the index was done for me, they wouldn't included it, if it wasn't going to be helpful on the exam.