Related Posts
Audit > FDD > t15 MBA > BB IB
Thoughts?
More Posts
Any book recommendations on change management?
Hey, I have 4 YOE and currently a manager at PwC and have been managing teams for a little over a year now. My role mainly consists of leading teams of engineers deliver MVPs to our clients.
If I wanted to exit to Google or Facebook (Meta) what role would align for me? I was looking at engineering manager roles but unsure if that’s too senior for me.
Chief
Additional Posts in Cyber Security Bowl
Any tips or tricks for CSX certification?
Tell me it’s not true.
Anyone ever heard of or worked for Sygnia?
Does Krebs have any credibility left?
Any thoughts on the CISM certification?
Anyone working in Pharma industry?
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
The content itself isn’t very difficult, it’s the way the test is written that’s difficult.
Coach
This part
Depends on how hard you study. I took a boot camp, read the shon Harris book cover to cover and took like a half dozen practice tests and analyzed each question including why the wrong answers were wrong. Passed it on the first try in the minimum number of questions.
11th hour book is your friend. It is more how it is worded as others said
Caveat: I haven’t read the other comments, so apologies if there’s repetition.
I passed the exam last year in February, I prepped for 3 months.
Here’s what you need to understand- the exam may seem technical, but it’s not. Rule of thumb- read the question and think what a manager would do. You need to respond to questions from a Manager point of view even if your first instinct is to choose the most technically correct option. 80% questions can be answered this way.
Take the Thor P Udemy course. It’s updated to cover the latest format.
Use the CISSP Official test guide for practice questions
And make sure to use the Boson exam simulator. Out of 5 exam simulations, I took two in study mode and 3 in exam mode. Don’t let your confidence shatter if you don’t perform well in the practice test. Just take them so you understand the language of the questions on the actual test.
Remember, the course is a mile wide and an inch deep. Take the Udemy course, make your notes, use the sunflower notes( Google it and you’ll know what I mean) for last minute revision.
The KEY to pass this exam is to read the questions carefully. Read it 2/3 times until you understand it completely. Questions are written to confuse you, so READ THEM CAREFULLY.
Good luck and I’m sure you’ll do well!
I've failed it twice so far and am taking it again next week
Bootcamp is OK but does not replace requirement for intense revision. Use the official study-guide practice tests. You’re exam ready at 80%, on all domains. You can get test exam questions on audible. I found those very useful.
I failed twice. I did 2 separate bootcamps and put forward a good study regimen for a good 6 months maybe.
For context I have an English degree and a law degree and here’s what I studied with approximate percentages of how much I think they contributed to me passing.
1. Security Now podcast - 50%
2. One week bootcamp - 15%
3. Self study (all books, nothing online) - 15%
4. Hundreds of practice questions - 20%
It’s from a business perspective. Think of saving human life and supporting business and people rather than a straight technical solution. Always think high level business oriented and not in the weeds technical and you will pass. Definitely take practice tests and Kelly Handerhan. She is great at the mindset.
So on my side I did the Kelly Handerhan cybrary course (highly recommend) and read 30% of the 11th hour book, that’s it. But I did a lot of practice questions on the cissp app and some on the boson practice test. I think it helped. I studied one hour per day for around 3-4 months. Consistency is key.
I had 3 years of cyber risk experience, and around 5 years of general IT (more technical - think helpdesk and cloud).
The exam was challenging. The CAT format makes it challenging throughout the complete exam. I passed on the first try at 100 questions with only 20 mins to spare. So if I had to go to 150, I would have probably ran out of time. But with consistency, it is definitely achievable.
Think of it as an English exam as well - re-read the questions multiple times. One word may change the best answer.
Read the answers from bottom up.
And it’s a known tip, but think like a CISO/a manager. Think long term.
The endorsement process took around 3 weeks. I had an endorser.
This
Not for me.
You need to understand what isc2 is looking for, otherwise you will always pick the wrong answer.
Yes.
Specifically, what isc2 wants may not actually be the best (or even viable) answer. This is different from a math test where there is a clean right answer.
For example, isc2 will always prioritize human life before security, so if there is a control that is better for security but worst for safety (doors that fail close), isc2 would not want it(they want a door that fails open), even if it is technically more secure.
They also like solutions that are extreme but not viable. For example, to secure a building, isc2 wants to use a man trap instead of cameras. A mantrap is obviously not going to work for high traffic area, but it's more secured and that's why isc2 wants it.
They also almost always favor physical controls. If there's a answer that uses a physical control, it's likely the correct answer.
They also don't like it when you do technical stuff. The answer is never the hands on approach.
I don’t think it was hard - just remember, think like a CEO. Base all your questions on that mindset. I took a bootcamp for a week and studied for another week and took it.
Just remember that your role when answering CISSP questions is a "risk advisor" not a technical implementer.
I studied for about 4 weeks with the following:
1 - Training Camp Bootcamp. This was super helpful
2 - Official Study Guide. Read, take the end of chapter quizzes, focus on what you're missing
3 - Boson practice exams. REALLY read the explanations. I only took each practice exam once so I wasn't memorizing answers.
Do you have experience in other domains? If not, be sure that you actually qualify for the CISSP years of experience. Otherwise, you'll be an Associate of ISC(2) instead of a CISSP after passing the exam.
Mentor
Didn’t find it difficult, it is just a lot of content and you should do the practice exams to get better at analyzing the questions.
I was a uni graduate from polisci with no cyber or it background, did the 11th hour book for about two weeks, failed once then succeeded the second time.