Passed the GCIH an hour ago

Was like fighting a pitbull to remove a squealing live rabbit from it's jaws!

Bunny is battered, but alive.

Otherwise, also makes me think of the scene from Swordfish:

https://youtu.be/u1Ds9CeG-VY

[video]

https://youtu.be/u1Ds9CeG-VY[/video]

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cyberguypr

Congrats! A buddy of mine also passed today. Good GCIH day I guess.

BillHoo

Without disclosing what is actually on the exam, I will say I detect a pattern having taken this exam the second time:
- Spend as much time as you need to examine the questions in the first half of the exam. It appears I got most of the analytical problem solving questions in the first two hours.
- Second half was mostly facts and reference style questions that didn't require much deep thinking. either know them, or reference them in your study material and index. These were easy to go through and took less time.

I was really worried about my progress and score until after I took a break at the 2 hour mark. Then I just started racking up points!

I'm not ashamed to say I passed with 74 percent. That exam really chewed me up! Luckily I don't lose my membership on the advisory board (for what that's worth).

Does anyone else have the same observation?

docrice

When I took the exam back in 2011, the type of questions seem pretty evenly distributed across the question range. And no, if you're already on the SANS Advisory Board list, getting a <90% score on a GIAC exam won't make you lose your place so you're safe.

Congratulations on the pass. The GCIH is an all-arounder where you have to harvest multiple knowledge domains and bring it together.

zxbane

Congrats, I start the course on Sunday myself and will likely take the exam within a couple of months afterwards.

TechGromit

BillHoo wrote: »

I'm not ashamed to say I passed with 74 percent. That exam really chewed me up!

Congratulations, Hey a pass is a pass. I assume it wasn't the same test you took the first time. My assumption the questions are pulled from a pool of possible questions, but I have no proof of this.

I thought the test was pretty tough too, harder then the practice exams in my opinion.

DAVIS NGUYEN

Congrats!

ananth234

Congrats.Great Going

BillHoo

For the most part, it was a different test. I'd say maybe 30 percent of questions seemed familiar from the previous test. And at least two questions looked like ones I had from the practice tests. Two more questions looked like identical verbage from the practice tests, but they were asking for a totally different answer!

I had paid for a third practice test and got a 76 on that. But most of those questions looked like the ones from the first two practice tests. I didn't feel I got anything new and suspect, I picked many of the answers wrong again because they looked so familiar.

Yes. The exam questions were definitely harder than the practice tests. Many more screen **** and analysis than I would have liked - I spend too much time trying to figure out "What the heck is this junk? What am I actually looking at - it's a wall of numbers!!!!"

With the practice tests, many of the questions looked like they used screen shots and diagrams that were in the book. The exam used new ones that I had never seen.... and with poor resolution too!

Also, the first time I took the exam, I was so numb and stunned, I just clicked through their survey - Did you like the training? Was the exam relavant, etc. This time, I responded that this is a more demanding exam than the last SANS cert I got and there should be more time allowed for study and review.

...AND my index had 2436 entries. It was useful maybe 30 percent of the time - which is about right since facts and reference questions looked like maybe 30 percent of the exam. The rest are problem solving and analysis. I was still at a loss trying to find stuff, so I had to really focus on the questions.

I stopped taking my cholesterol and blood sugar meds on Wednesday and took the exam on Friday. I think I should have stopped them on Tuesday to allow my body to adjust. I think they affected my study too. As I read through the books, I usually highlight things that are important or need to be in my index. When I first read thru the books a few months ago, I my doc gave me Lipitor and both my boss and my wife complained that I was forgetting things (also had headaches, strange itching, and nosebleeds). I got re-prescribed a lower dose of Simvastatin and so I had fewer side effects. When I went thru the books a second time, I was suprised as I found entire chapters had been unmarked as if I never even read them! I could feel my blood sugar going up and down during the exam. Luckily, I had a Snickers bar, some gatorade and some granola in the locker for my break at the 2 hour mark. I felt much better then and my score started going up.

TechGromit wrote: »

Congratulations, Hey a pass is a pass. I assume it wasn't the same test you took the first time. My assumption the questions are pulled from a pool of possible questions, but I have no proof of this.

I thought the test was pretty tough too, harder then the practice exams in my opinion.

BillHoo

btw. I forget how soon they send the certificates out? I can't seem to find anyplace online at sans.org to get them.

My job has extended my deadline to submit the cert to them by Aug 31, otherwise, they will not reimburse me for the course and exam.

quogue66

If its just the cert it should be a few days..3-4. The plaque takes a couple weeks usually

BillHoo

Thanks. I got the plaque for my last cert and it basically sits in a box at home. I opted for just the cert this time.

BuzzSaw

Haven't seen that scene in AGES! - Thanks for the trip down memory lane

Congrats on the pass. Whats next?

BillHoo

Much safer clip than to post the INTERVIEW scene from Swordfish!

What's next? "I'll probably just go home and.... get drunk." - Tippy Turtle, SNL circa 1984.

I'll probably be dormant from here for another two years before I have to get another cert for work. Around 2018 I might go for the CISSP (missed that by 2 points in 2010 and never picked it up again) and use that to keep the GCIH valid til 2024. I'm using the CPE's from the GCIH course to re-validate my GSLC, and extend that to Jan 2022.

Or I might consider a Wireless cert for kicks. I've had the CWTS book sitting on my desk for a year to make my boss think I'm actually going to do it.

TechGromit

BillHoo wrote: »

btw. I forget how soon they send the certificates out? I can't seem to find anyplace online at sans.org to get them.

My job has extended my deadline to submit the cert to them by Aug 31, otherwise, they will not reimburse me for the course and exam.

Really? I just send the link to the SANS certification page with my name and that was good enough for them to reimburse me for the exam.

cyberguypr

When you go to your Account Dashboard and then click My Orders you will see the Certificate of Completion under the event receipt.

BillHoo

I'd already tried sending them that months ago. They want the actual GCIH exam certificate, not the the course completion certificate for Hacker Tools, Techniques, Exploits and Incident Handling.

Also that one is dated for the completion of the course which I had to fight them over a few months ago.

They had been harassing me for not taking the exam on Feb 20th and told me I had a 180 deadline to submit the cert. I told them that was the last day of the course, not the day I took the exam. Then they got annoyed when I requested an extension for the re-test. Btw, a tip I got from a co-worker was to not tell HR that the test was failed a first time, because they immediately refuse to reimburse. So I told them I needed an extension for more study time and they told me Aug 31, no more.

JoJoCal19

Congrats on the pass!!

Robicus

Congratulations! Another one down!