3/14 Atlanta CISSP Attempt

cashew

I have my CISSP exam booked in Atlanta for March 14th. I was curious if anyone else is going to sit this exam? If not, here's my official thread will I will post my pass/fail and study options.

JDMurray

Good luck wit the CISSP exam!

Read as many posting as you can in the CISSP CBK forum at www.cccure.org. That sure helped me get in the correct frame of mind for working on CISSP exam questions. The practice exam questions at www.freepracticetests.org are a great help too.

cashew

Saturday is the big day! I did a test drive to the location and lucky for me, it is only about 10 miles from my condo. I live in Atlanta and the location is at a hotel near the airport, so I'm good to go on that front. I'll post my study track and experience upon my pass.

Question out of no where, JD since you're a CISSP and SSCP, do you have to earn 120 + 60 cpe's per three years?

JDMurray

You are not allowed to count any CPE earned fr more than one cert, so yes, I need to collect 180 CPEs over three years for both certs. I also pay a cumulative $150/year in AMF for both certs too.

cashew

Isn't there a study guide somewhere that you are supposed to look at the day before the CISSP? A quick glance document someone created?

JDMurray

Well, in my blog article, I advise you to collect your own notes as you study the CISSP CBK material. Just a few days before the exam, you will be trying to cram as much exam-related information into your head as possible, so you will need to read the concentrated information written in your notes much more than from your CISSP books.

However, for those people that aren't note-takers, the www.cccure.org Web site has many CISSP study guide written by a variety of people that can be used. Problems with these guides are they can be too sparse on details, have missing or incorrect information, and they will not cover the newer exam topics, like VoIP and quantum crypto. Use at your own risk.

cashew

I have word documents with each domain that average around 8 pages. I underlined all the topics that when I re-read them I did not remember. Sounds like I'm on the right track then. And yes, I've read your review. Do you not remember me asking you every other day for it?

JDMurray

Sure I do. I'm replying to your post, but I write my posts for anyone who may read them.

cashew

Found the document. This is a pretty good refresher that I will read on my laptop in the parking lot an hour before check in. As JD mentioned above though, if you do not know the domains this will be useless to you.

This PDF was created by Michael Overly. I originally found this on CCCure, however I could not link to it.

{LANG_NAVORIGIN}

cashew

According to the CCCure tutorial, results are usually given on Friday's. For those that have passed, have you found this to be true?

JDMurray

Both of my results came in on a Friday. However, many people at www.cccure.org have posted that their results came in on other weekdays.

cashew

Besides your excellent write up, any last minute advice JD?

JDMurray

Your energy level and state of mind are very important. You need to be rested, clear-thinking, and well-fed when you walk into the exam room. Once there, make yourself feel confident that you belong there and will pass. Apprehension or fear will just cloud your mind. Grab the exam and take charge of it like you are taming a wild animal. If you need to, get a bit angry to make your adrenaline flow. Always convince yourself that you are in control of the exam and never allow yourself to feel that it has control of you. You have a brain and the exam doesn't. You are there to defeat it and not the other way around.

Hmmm...I just realized that prepping for a big exam is very similar to psyching yourself up for participating in an important sporting event.


And GOOD LUCK!!

cashew

Passed! Fully endorsed and official! I submitted my endorsement form on a Thursday and the following Tuesday I had received two emails: The 1st stating I had passed at 5:00 am and the 2nd stating my endorsement was approved at 2:00 pm. What a relief to get this one out of the way!

JD, I know you sat your SSCP first. I was thinking of going back and doing the SSCP after my CISSP, since the knowledge is still fresh. I have the ISC2 OIG for the SSCP, do you think a few months of study from that book alone (minus anything I need to look up online if I don't understand something) should suffice?

dynamik

Congratulations!

shednik

Congrats on the pass!!

gwamaka

Congratulations on passing the CISSP exam.

I am studying for the SSCP right now and I am using three books; Official SSCP Guide from ISC2, Syngress SSCP Guide and Shon Harris CISSP AIO Guide. I am also using SSCP CBT Nuggets and Testout CBT video to review the chapters after going through the books.

The official guide is very comprehensive but a very difficult read, partly its because of the non consistent flow/transition from one domain to other due to the fact that each domain is written by different person, and partly due to the way the book is written and organized (editing). I have to force myself to read through it anyways, since it looks like its the only source out there that maps all the SSCP objectives nicely.

I have gone through 4 domains so far and will be starting the 5th one this coming weekend. Initially I planned to sit for the SSCP exam in May, but the session was sold out by last month. I have rescheduled it for sometimes in August and have adjusted my studying pace accordingly. I am planning to do the CISSP exam in December so hopeful things will work out well. With the schedules at work and family issues, it seems like these are the only certifications I will be able to strive for this year.

I think for you it will work out well as you have already gone through the experience with the CISSP exam.

cashew wrote: »

Passed! Fully endorsed and official! I submitted my endorsement form on a Thursday and the following Tuesday I had received two emails: The 1st stating I had passed at 5:00 am and the 2nd stating my endorsement was approved at 2:00 pm. What a relief to get this one out of the way!

JD, I know you sat your SSCP first. I was thinking of going back and doing the SSCP after my CISSP, since the knowledge is still fresh. I have the ISC2 OIG for the SSCP, do you think a few months of study from that book alone (minus anything I need to look up online if I don't understand something) should suffice?

Megadeth4168

Congrats!

JDMurray

Congratz cashew!!

cashew wrote: »

JD, I know you sat your SSCP first. I was thinking of going back and doing the SSCP after my CISSP, since the knowledge is still fresh. I have the ISC2 OIG for the SSCP, do you think a few months of study from that book alone (minus anything I need to look up online if I don't understand something) should suffice?

You'll find the SSCP exam more technical and less challenging than the CISSP exam. The SSCP OIG is good, as is looking up a lot of the SSCP CBK domain topics in the Wikipedia and the Internet in general. Think more about technical process/solutions and how things work. How long it will take you to study is completely up to you.

But now that you have the CISSP, what do you think having the SSCP will do for you? I mean, besides needing collect more CPEs and spending $150/year total in (ISC)2 AMF instead of just $85. I ask the same question of people that feel they need to get the Security+ after getting the CISSP (and don't work for the DoD).

cashew

JDMurray wrote: »

But now that you have the CISSP, what do you think having the SSCP will do for you? I mean, besides needing collect more CPEs and spending $150/year total in (ISC)2 AMF instead of just $85. I ask the same question of people that feel they need to get the Security+ after getting the CISSP (and don't work for the DoD).

I think of the SSCP and a step above the Security +. I think it also proves you have the technical ability in addition to the CISSP. My work would pay for the exam and the AMF, but maybe I will pursue another. I think I may go the CISA route instead or upgrade my MCSE to MCITP. I guess having the MCSE in addition to the CISSP should show my technical knowledge of servers and networks.

Actually, CCNA is tempting as well. This way, by having the CISSP (Security), MCSE (Servers) and CCNA (Networks), it would show diversity and a master in all areas.

JDMurray

cashew wrote: »

Actually, CCNA is tempting as well. This way, by having the CISSP (Security), MCSE (Servers) and CCNA (Networks), it would show diversity and a master in all areas.

Career-wise, it's better to go for the CISA than the SSCP. And experience and actions demonstrates mastery, not certifications.