I did it

Yes, I PASSED THE CISSP EXAM!
I just got back from the test center, I finished in 4.5 hours.

Right now I am literally drained as dead.

I'll get some sleep and I'll write a full review when I wake up, I promise.

*falls on keyboard*

Find more posts tagged with

Save $250 on 2025 certification boot camps from Infosec!

Book now with code EOY2025

Button

Comments

E Double U

Congrats! I felt the exact same way.

cyberguypr

Congrats on the pass!

Awesome! Congrats!

Congrats!!!

Congrats on passing!

Thanks everyone.

Ok so, I took a short nap, woke up and wrote a full review of my exam experience today as I promised.

It's very long and extensive, so I wrote it on LinkedIn to at least look prettier.

Take a look and let me know what you guys think

If you want, I could paste it here in the forum as well.

successrealm

Good write up, thanks! (I would paste it here too, since maybe note everyone uses Linkedin yet)

tahjzhuan

Congrats and thanks for the write up.

Mentality

Alright, here is the full CISSP exam review.

MISSION: CISSP - The Epic Exam Experience

This is a quick, realistic & to the point review/thoughts about my CISSP exam experience.

I have passed the exam earlier today 14th of April (yes, one day prior to the new blueprint) and I managed to finish in 4.5 hours.
If you intend to take the exam, I'd strongly encourage you to read the review carefully and make as much use of it as you possibly can.

* Side Note: This exam requires LOTS of studying, however, due to the fact that this exam was going to be changed on 15th of April, I didn't have much time.
I had to go full throttle and overload myself both mentally and physically, because I only had 20 days to accomplish the job.

DON'T DO THIS. I did it for a reason. By the time you read this article, the new exam blueprint will already be effective. So take your time and study with a moderate pace.

Work On The Process, The Product Will Come

CISSP is NOT a technical exam, get over it.
This is a business focused exam and is totally conceptual, with a slight technical twist. If you go looking for answers with the most technical flavor you will fail miserably.

You need to think like a CEO, the exam doesn't want you to memorize facts like the key size of each and every encryption algorithm.

Rather learn concepts like the difference between encryption and hashing, symmetric and asymmetric algorithms, know which ones can provide services like privacy, non-repudiation, etc.
Simply, know the reasons why a specific technology can meet specific business needs.

When In Doubt; Charlie Out!

DO NOT leave any questions unanswered, specially the ones you mark for review.
Most of the questions will have 2 completely ridiculous answers. If you eliminate 2 out of the 4, that means you have a 50% chance of getting the question right.

If you exclude 2 answers and end up with the other 2 and you don't know which one is correct, just pick any of them.
Don't leave it empty hoping that you'll get back to it later, 'coz when you least expect it, the 6 hours will zip right past you.

Same rule applies If you couldn't eliminate the 2 bogus answers. Just pick anything. (C) is as good as any other choice at this point.

Read Questions S-l-o-w-l-y

What I do is: I read the question slowly, read the answers, read the question again and then read the answers again. Don't Rush.

Pay attention to keywords like MOST, BEST, SHOULD, UNLIKELY, etc.
They can change the meaning of the question - and in turn the answer - in seconds.

Get the key words right, and you'll understand the message the question is conveying to you.

Use the BREAKS Luke!

You can take unlimited, unplanned breaks. USE THEM.
The exam is like a long distance marathon, it's grueling and is not meant for the faint of heart. Don't attempt to answer all the questions in one setting.

No breaks means your brain will get stressed and overloaded and you will focus on getting done with the exam rather than passing it.

You'll start doubting your success and be like "F*** it, I'll just shoot through the questions and get it over with"

I finished 100 question in 1.5 hours, took a 15 minutes break, finished the rest in 2 more hours, took another break, got back for the final review and that was it.

I am not a superhuman and I don't claim any extra ordinary skills, but I consider myself to be fairly smart.
I have breezed through MANY exams before, but this is the one exam that you should aim to finish last.

CAFFEINE, CAFFEINE , CAFFEINE.

Nothing much to be said. If you don't have any heart conditions, weight issues or blood pressure issues, drink coffee on breaks.

Not-Prepared-Enough Syndrome

You will convince yourself that you failed no matter how well you are doing. There's no avoiding this.
I felt it. Everyone else felt it.
Just continue to do your best no matter how bad it gets. Keep moving forward no matter what.

Again, look for process & business related explanation, know the technology, know it's PROs and CONs, then you'll know if it's suitable to meet business needs or not.
Key words like: Management, Policies, Procedure, Standards, must keep echoing through your mind the whole time.

The test doesn't care if you know text book definitions. It wants to make sure you actually know the topic, and can apply your knowledge to solve real world problems. That's what makes this exam so challenging.

Believe in yourself. This exam is hard as sh*t, but it can be passed.
You're going to feel like me and everyone else in that room, that you are failing. But little do you know you are actually passing.

Google Is Your Friend

Search anything and everything. DON'T rely on memorizing acronyms and flashcards or you will be royally screwed.

The Long Walk

The exam is not psychologically fair by any means.
Your brain will be drained and stressed and your body will hurt and will beg you to get done and go home, but you will have to tell them both to shut the f* up and you will carry on, because it's the only option.

However, after long hours of agony and despair, and when you finally finish, the exam won't show your score on the screen.
Actually it won't show you the score at all, so don't get too excited when you read the word "Congratulations" on the screen, if anything, it only means you can now leave your seat.
The only way you can only know if you actually passed or failed is going to the test admin's desk where the exam report will be printed.

Getting up from your seat and going over to front desk will be the LONGEST WALK you have ever encountered. You'll probably feel sick and start sweating.
It will get worse when you hear the printer buzzing as it prints your score report.

Don't cheese out, in order to win this battle you have to put yourself in the "To hell with 600 dollars, it's not the end of the world" state of mind.
Stand tall no matter what your results were.

Study Material

- Tried Shon Harris' videos, totally didn't like them. EXTREMELY dry humor, slow paced training that is designed to address people who aren't really meant to take the CISSP exam in the first place, so it wasn't really my thing. I actually fell asleep like twice watching the videos. (not joking, I really did)
Shon Harris was a good CISSP, but definitely not a good trainer.

- Shon Harris book: not bad, but TOO verbose and filled with stuff you probably will never see in the exam.

- CBT Nuggets videos by Keith Barker, they are GREAT. He magically managed to jam most of the important stuff in only 29 videos.

- Cybrary's video training, by Kelly Handerhan. One word: BRILLIANT.
Kelly is the UNDISPUTED CISSP QUEEN!
And Cybrary is one of the BEST websites I have ever seen offering totally free training videos made by real knowledgeable trainers.
Kelly Handerhan is an infosec consultant just like Shon Harris, but her videos are normal paced and to the point, and she knows which domains are critical, because she took the exam 3 times, and passed every time.
- Over all an average of 2000 - 2500 practice questions from various free sources.

Final Words

BIG thank you to Keith Barker & Kelly Handerhan. I owe you both.

I think that's about it.

Is the test hard? Hell YES, but that's why It's interesting and worthy.
And hard doesn't mean impossible.

Study, read, search and don't memorize.

Use your exam sheet and write down any quotes that could help you. Some people write tips like "Think like a manager" to keep them in track.

However, I wrote something slightly different:
"Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done"

Yes. I quoted Kansas.

zme783

Very Nicely summarized!

Congratulations on your achievement!

Chuzpah

Congrats! Nice write up.

Archon

congrats. great summary.