SkillSoft? Anyone use them?

Anyone ever use the company SkillSoft for studying? I signed up for a 6 week program and it requires 6 to 8 hours of studying every week (online course and some online study sessions with a mentor) and not sure how I feel about it since I am doing my own studying. Also they would not tell me what % of their CISSP classes have passing grades after the test. I can't do 6 to 8 hours a week on top of my current study schedule of 1 to 2 domains a week.

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Comments

JDMurray

Doing a forum search on "skillsoft" turns up quite a few opinions.

BillyC

I have access to Skillsoft through my current employer. I sort of used it for other exams (e.g., Security+, ITIL). By "sort of" I mean I primarily used it for the practice questions. I found the online training slow/time-consuming, and would often get distracted

Maybe I'm just not that kind of learner. Still, if you have the opportunity (i.e., someone else is paying), it might be worth checking out.

wastedtime

I've been using it since '03. For the most part I am going to reiterate what BillyC said. I would say it is worth it if you get it through an employer or school. Some of the issues with the training is it is slow/time-consuming at times. I also find some of the information wrong (the question and answers are real bad at that). Lastly some of the training is very watered down.

7 VII 7

wastedtime wrote: »

I've been using it since '03. For the most part I am going to reiterate what BillyC said. I would say it is worth it if you get it through an employer or school. Some of the issues with the training is it is slow/time-consuming at times. I also find some of the information wrong (the question and answers are real bad at that). Lastly some of the training is very watered down.

That is what I am going through right now. Did 2.5 hours of automated audio with some questions... it went over Centralized and Decentralized Access Control SO fast and did not touch on RADIUS DIAMETER, etc... kinda scary. I am going to have to do 6 -8 hours of this a week and continue my 6 hours of my regular studying... sucks!

7 VII 7

So I am 1 week away from being completed with the SkillSoft CISSP study sessions. WHAT A JOKE! The make you listen to 2 or 3 Domains a week using an automated CBT which span between 2 hours and 3 hours depending on how much you already know. They give you little mini-tests about the questions you learned in that Domain but they range from high level to CISSP will never ask you this.Every Tuesday they have an instructor contracted out to help with a 2 hour session in which he tries to go over the domains that you did for CBT over the last week. These are even MORE high level and even though the instructor knows what he is talking about there is not enough time in that 2 hours to get through the domains and it is so high level it is a joke.They say that you should be gathering your knowledge from the 2 hour instructor sessions, CBT and supplemental books... well the books are the Shon Harris books and other BIG books they ask you to read on your own. Well that defeats the purpose of the other CBTs for the Domains.I would be asking for my money back if my company did not set me up with this. I tell you what... if you are looking for a company to teach you the CISSP material do not walk but RUN from this company. I am not sure how they are with other certs but CISSP is a joke.The ONLY benefit is that they give you unlimited questions on CCCure/FreePraccticeExam website. Waste of my time with my other studying.

universalfrost

i had to suffer through the SkillSoft torture for my security+ and network+ (I work for the DoD and they won't give you the test vouchers unless you take and complete the skillsoft courses).....

For better training on Security+ , CISSP, etc.. use the carnegie mellon / sei courses www.vte.cert.org

They are free if you work for certain organizations or the DoD and if you want they can also send out the DVD(s) to watch offline.

I am going through their CISSP course right now and it is good stuff! I am combining that with the ISC2 book and the CISSP study guide by Conrad (not the 11th hour book he also authored).

7 VII 7

yup, I am aware of VTE. I am not a big fan of that either even though it is MUCH better than SkillSoft.

Whiteout

I also work for the DoD and have to use skillsoft alot. Sure it provides you without alot of information, but I find it very dry. I often find myself falling asleep while trying to complte the CBT's "Coma Based Training". Also the software is pretty poor and is always locking up on me.

But it does provide you with an abudance of knowledge if you can power through them. Not sure who writes them...

7 VII 7

Just finished my SkillSoft classes and CBTs. It is an OK review program and the only thing I got out of it are the CBT practice questions and the CCCure questions they pay for. Back to studying my material from my BootCamp books. 5 1/2 more weeks!