CISSP in San Francisco today

Iristheangel

Well... I really hope I passed it. My life situation sort of changed in the last 4 weeks so if I fail, I won't be able to pick up the studying and start again. I am now working two full time jobs and my new employer wants me to pick up the MCITP:EA and CCA by the end of the year so if I didn't pass, I'm going to pretty much be starting from scratch next year since I have no idea how much I'll really remember after putting down my CISSP studies for 6 or 7 months

kalkan999

I took my CISSP via CBT in April in Costa Rica and was instantly happy. Cried and jumped up and down, actually and got hugs all around from Pearson view ladies at the University who sat there and watched me via video from their office for a full six hours. I Flew there (even after everyone at work questioned my sanity) Just to take the exam after failing the written by a slim margin not once but twice. I could not bear the thought of taking the test and waiting again.

Iristheangel

I read about your epic CISSP journey, kalkan. If I was in that situation, I would have kissed the nearest person in joy.

holysheetman

hope you did too. We used a 250 question review during the final phase of the bootcamp and I missed 55 of those 250, so, that should count for something. I must say the questions on the test were MUCH harder than any of the review questions lol! I kind of figured this would be the case so I wasn't shocked when I took it.

Everyone in the bootcamp with me and then tested this past saturday all agreed that we all felt like it could go either way; it's all about whether or not you hit that 700 score or not so, gogo 700 baby!

Iristheangel

I think I did better on the longer scenario questions. I can easily focus in and disregard the irrelevant BS. It's the small questions that I probably got wrong but I am probably guilty of overthinking some of the simple direction questions. I think most people are the opposite when taking the exam. When I walked out of the exam, I couldn't remember ONE question but over the course of the next few days, I found myself waking up and remembering questions and answers word-for-word. I think my brain was just fried at that point

kalkan999

@Iris. I have been folllowing you just as close. I should have used this quote tool, as I was responding to Holysheetman on your thread. I also follow, Spicy Ahi, Beads, Rich5, dmoore, TPKeller and others who respond regularly on here are all getting good mojo 'please pass' vibes from Orlando direction. I watch and wait for others whom I don't hear from any more, as there are a number I have followed for awhile who score in the 685-696 region, and then talk about giving up. I was successful in bringing one back to try again, and will endeavor to inspire others who try and fail.

When we all pass, we should eventually agree to meet for an extended weekend somewhere, have drinks, eat, and be merry. Preferably somewhere with waterslides!

AS for not remembering any of the questions after the test, JDMurray sums it up very accurately as 'CISSP Amnesia.'

@Holysheetman. I also took the bootcamp through InfoSec here in Orlando, and failed by 5 points. I initially failed by 15, but I paid fifty for the manual recount, and got the response after just a couple of days where I was told 'Hey, while we DID make a mistake, you still failed. Your new score is 695 vs 685.' I thought about keeping that quiet, as ISC2 allowed me to re-take the exam before the 90 days they require before someone who fails the written can take the CBT version. BUT, I decided to share, because both ISC2 and the other company they used apparently both missed the mistake. My guess is that because it is a scan-tron, and because I erased a LOT, I may very well have shown two answers as shaded in instead of one. SO, if you are close but did not pass, and since you would have to wait the 90 days from the day you took the exam anyway, pay the $50 bucks to do a manual recount. Results can take up to 21 days, but I got my revised results in three business days.

And yes, Volume 4 of their InfoSec CISSP came in handy for the fact-based areas, but do not accurately prepare anyone for the rest of the test. The instructor was very knowledgable, so the failure was not her fault, nor was the material lacking. Also, just as Iris shared, those I suspected would pass, passed, while those who argued for no reason BUT to argue with the instructor or the materials provided, failed and are angry with the universe and are currrently berating the exam and its value on other forums and blogs I visit outside of TE. I failed for reasons I shared on previous posts if anyone cares for some 'light reading.' It was my hope to inspire and motivate others who want to pass and who don't dismiss ISC2 motivations or rationale for making the test so difficult.

emerald_octane

Iristheangel wrote: »

I'm going to pretty much be starting from scratch next year since I have no idea how much I'll really remember after putting down my CISSP studies for 6 or 7 months

I don't think it'll be too bad. It's not like the material will be unknown to you. Of course the concepts that you really didn't know might appear foreign but all the other stuff will begin to click much sooner than the first pass around.

holysheetman

thx Kalkan999: I won't be too upset if I failed although I'd like to know if it would be close or not... I'm thinking it'll be close. I'll at least be able to take the CBT version soon enough because it is fresh on my mind.

We had a wonderful instructor by the name of Nick Valenteen, very funny guy and knows his stuff!

TBRAYS

I'm the opposite, I get amnesia before the exam

Iristheangel

My heart just jumped into my throat because I saw an email from ISC2 in my inbox.... and it turned out to be an advertisement. @#@#%$#^!!!!!

ejg398

Still waiting on my results also. Can't stand how ISC2 spams my box. my emails are going to my gmail account so everytime one comes in, I get a popup. My heart jumps to my throat everytime one comes up for ISC2.

@TBRAYS - Agreed!

TBRAYS

Iristheangel wrote: »

My heart just jumped into my throat because I saw an email from ISC2 in my inbox.... and it turned out to be an advertisement. @#@#%$#^!!!!!

I know the feeling, let me tell you what I did, I had to forward my results to one of my friends because I couldn't bare to see that email, I wanted someone to tell me, lol

ejg398

Iristheangel wrote: »

My heart just jumped into my throat because I saw an email from ISC2 in my inbox.... and it turned out to be an advertisement. @#@#%$#^!!!!!

To funny we must have been typing this at the same exact time.

TBRAYS

ejg398 wrote: »

To funny we must have been typing this at the same exact time.

I know rite, lol

holysheetman

I hate those isc2 adverts!

Iristheangel

Dear ISC2,

Please die in a fire.

xoxoxoxo Iristheangel

(I'm impatient. I'm well aware that this is my own shortcoming, not ISC2. They're just my scapegoat today)

spicy ahi

Iristheangel wrote: »

Dear ISC2,

Please die in a fire.

xoxoxoxo Iristheangel

(I'm impatient. I'm well aware that this is my own shortcoming, not ISC2. They're just my scapegoat today)

I have to tell you... there's Dr. Pepper all over my screen because of this comment.

kalkan999

Iristheangel wrote: »

Dear ISC2,

Please die in a fire.

xoxoxoxo Iristheangel

(I'm impatient. I'm well aware that this is my own shortcoming, not ISC2. They're just my scapegoat today)

No, I agree and have agreed in the past. They should seriously hold off on Spam e-mails while people are waiting for the exam results.

OR, they should have a Third-party who doesn't have ISC2 in the subject line or from the sender. It totally sends a bad message that we who are waiting have failed, and should buy their product.

nomadically

When I got the advert, i thought they made a mistake and decide to take mine away..

JDMurray

nomadically wrote: »

When I got the advert, i thought they made a mistake and decide to take mine away..

That has happened before. There was a serious bookkeeping mistake once and a bunch of exam candidates were told they passed when they had actually failed. They were correctly notified quickly, but what a sting it left. I'm sure that'll ever happen again.

emerald_octane

I'm pretty sure I would jump off a cliff if that ever happened to me.

katearna

I'm so glad i found this post today. I took the CISSP exam on May 19th, and i have been checking my inbox over 5 times a day, and performing the same Google queries for a mysterious page that will display exam results. Not happening. Right when i tell myself that i need to let it go, ISC2 sends me one of those tricky emails that is an advertisement for their training. Misery loves company I guess. Your all's comedic relief is making the wait more bearable

badrottie

Practically everyone that has sacrificed their time and made a significant personal commitment to obtaining the CISSP will attest to post-exam traumatic stress. Welcome to the club. We will show you the secret handshake at the conclusion the meeting.

Firstly, Keep Calm and Carry On. Monitoring your email will not make (ISC)2 send your exam results any faster. (Alternately: Freak Out and Go Ballistic--get it out of your system and focus on something else.)

Secondly, even if you were not to pass (Perish the thought!), what you have learned about security will better prepare you for the next kick at the cat.

Thirdly, the CISSP exam is notoriously difficult. It is a crucible that we all experience and is part of our tribe's folklore. A CTO/CISO that I worked with stated flatly, "That is an exam that I never--EVER--want to write again." This is coming from a man that has been in a senior leadership role for Fortune 500 companies, restructured bankrupt companies and had thousands of direct reports. If he found it a rough go, please find it reassuring that you are not alone.

Finally, with (ISC)2 moving to the CBT format, you do not have the inconvenience of having to either wait until (ISC)2 schedules another exam in your city, or worse yet, having to travel to another city to retake it. Study hard on your (now identified) weak, areas, book and write it at an accredited testing facility, and you will most likely clear it the second time around. The CBT format reduces the financial impact associated with rewriting (A friend flew across the country to retake the exam after failing by 2 points.)

That being said, a lot of us pass the first time around. I did, all my colleagues did, and even if they did not, there is no shame in having to take it again.

In the end, there is only one thing that matters: getting your CISSP. That is the goal. Everything else is part of the journey to get there.

spicy ahi

kalkan999 wrote: »

@Iris. I have been folllowing you just as close. I should have used this quote tool, as I was responding to Holysheetman on your thread. I also follow, Spicy Ahi, Beads, Rich5, dmoore, TPKeller and others who respond regularly on here are all getting good mojo 'please pass' vibes from Orlando direction. I watch and wait for others whom I don't hear from any more, as there are a number I have followed for awhile who score in the 685-696 region, and then talk about giving up. I was successful in bringing one back to try again, and will endeavor to inspire others who try and fail.

When we all pass, we should eventually agree to meet for an extended weekend somewhere, have drinks, eat, and be merry. Preferably somewhere with waterslides!

@Kalkan999 - Agree with what you said. I follow everyone here as well, and I actually encourage people here locally to come on and post because it really helps to be around a group during this trying period. A lot of them ***** at the cccure forums, but I find this site to be better in the encouragement department. Everyone on cccure is serious! I'm not sure if any of the folks I talk to have taken me up on the offer and joined us on this site, but if they haven't then they're definitely missing out.

Iristheangel

If you ever head to southern California, look me up, Spicy. I wouldn't mind nerding out.

rwmidl

JDMurray wrote: »

That has happened before. There was a serious bookkeeping mistake once and a bunch of exam candidates were told they passed when they had actually failed. They were correctly notified quickly, but what a sting it left. I'm sure that'll ever happen again.

JD - I remember that. There were some serious pissed off people in TE (rightly so - in that getting a notice you passed, then having it pulled from you with no fault of your own).

emerald_octane

rwmidl wrote: »

JD - I remember that. There were some serious pissed off people in TE (rightly so - in that getting a notice you passed, then having it pulled from you with no fault of your own).

I wouldn't want to be faced with such a situation but it does look like they all got some pretty serious perks out of the ordeal:
A Brilliant Example of “Cert Error Damage Control” - IT Career JumpStart

What they did fourth, however, shows the kind of good faith in dealing with the public that I wish every business would demonstrate. For those candidates who received erroneous pass notifications, (ISC)² is offering a refund of their exam fee, the opportunity to retake the exam at no charge, and a free online CISSP CBK seminar (CBK stands for “Common Body of Knowledge,” the 10 information domains that constitute the topics and concepts about which candidates are tested). Those candidates who passed but received erroneous failure notices will be exempted from paying annual maintenance fees for their cert for the next year (through the end of 2011, that is), and may request (ISC)² to expedite processing of endorsements and experience verifications so that they will earn their CISSP credentials as quickly as the (ISC)² can manage to grant them.

JDMurray

The (ISC)2 handled it publicly very well. People also realized that the (ISC)2 could have kept the mistake hidden by simply allowing those candidates to pass, but they decided to take the bad PR hit to preserve the integrity of their organization. Some pain at first, but it paid-off with increased respectability in the long run.

Iristheangel

So far nothing. Tomorrow is my five week point so I guess the bright side is that I know I'll only be waiting a maximum of one more week, right?

holysheetman

still nothing iris? good grief...