This exam is a monster! I cant believe I passed it on my first try. My prayers were answered. Thank you Jesus! Also have to thank my fiancee and family for the support and understanding when I literally isolated myself for 3 weeks to focus on the exam. You really need to do that if you want to pass.
Now about the exam, it was hard ! I have read tons of posts in here where people have finished in under 3-4 hours but I was still in front of the computer when the time ran out !!! I didn't leave before, I wanted to make sure I gave the best possible answer to each and every question. The exam is nothing like the questions you see in practice tests. I have to thank couple of the members in here for their sound advice. Its all about CONCEPTS. I will say it one more time CONCEPTS !!!
I started the test and the first question itself made me realize that it isn't going to be like the practice test questions. I panicked. I didn't know what I was answering, I crossed 50 questions I thought I was going to fail and pretty much gave up. My head was bursting because I still wasn't seeing the kind of questions that were in practice tests. After crossing a hundred questions I calmed down a bit and then I started answering quicker. Its the key, to stay calm, even if you see 10 questions in a row that you don't know the answers to, stay calm and get on with it, you can come back later and work on them. I finished my questions around 4 hour mark, then took a break ate something, went back and checked all the questions one more time, this time with a much calmer mind. I thought I answered every question wrong but during review I found that I had selected the best answer the first time around itself. It was the CONCEPTS that I had taken great pain to understand that helped me process the questions in my mind without me even realizing it. If you are going in there expecting to get test bank questions and memorizing the smaller numbers, details and hoping to pass, you will be in for a rude shock! CONCEPTS, CONCEPTS, CONCEPTS. Understand them and you will be able to answer any question thrown at you.
Study materials.
Shon Harris. If you have the time or even if you dont, you should still go through this book. Its not just about reading enough to pass. As security professionals, we owe it to ourselves and to the infosec community to gain as much knowledge as we can, especially the domains in which we dont have experience. It will simply help us do our jobs better. You can pass the exam without going through it cover to cover but you will understand a lot more things if you do.
Sybex. Pretty good read. Can be the alternative to Shon harris, if you dont have time.
11th hour Eric conrad. Read it on the last day. Very solid read. You should read this the day before exam and complement it with sunflower or Michael overly cram guide to make sure you have covered everything.
Cybrary videos : Very good from a conceptual perspective for the domains you dont have experience in. Cant remember who it was but thanks to the guy who posted in the forums about Cybrary a week ago.
CBT nuggets. Very good coverage over all.
Each author and presenter mentioned above have different styles but all of them help. You wont go wrong with any one of them.
Practice tests.
Shon harris CISSP practice exams Second edition : Worth it. It will test your understanding and ability to apply the concepts.
Mc Graw hill online : About as close as it gets to real test.
AIO book test : Very good
Total Testers : Got this on CD with the purchase of AIO book. Very good supplement to the above mentioned tests.
Elsevier : Easy questions, will help you get used to the exam.
Cccure paid version. Dont bother with it because the above mentioned resources and some other free ones you can find are more than sufficient to help you practice. Save your money.
I myself have asked a dozen times on this forum about practice questions, whether to opt for the paid transcender, cccure or anything but trust me, you DONT need them. I agree that you do remember things when you are practicing and it helps you retain specific points but thats not how we should be learning because it wont help you much in the exam.
Bottomline. Understand the concepts to answer well in the exam and use the practice tests to prepare yourself for the rigor of the exam not vice versa. Paid vs free practice tests debate, I am taking the side of the free tests.
Its a long post but I want to give out as much as I got from this forum. Thanks to Jvrlopez, GForce75, TheForce and the rest of the members for their advise. I came out after this exam a lot better in career but also as a person because it needed discipline, commitment and a strong will to accomplish it. Good luck to all who are taking their exams shortly.
