topic Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change? in CCSP Study Group

CCSP exam pattern- any change?

Saurabhsingh23 — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 01:54:33 GMT

All,

Can we still mark the questions for later review during exam, or there is any change in test pattern.

Please suggest.

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

AlecTrevelyan — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 10:07:26 GMT

It's still a linear exam (i.e. non CAT) but the answer really depends on how you take the exam.

If you're doing it at a Pearson VUE test centre, then you will be able to go back and review.

If you're doing it online as part of the online testing pilot, then you can't go back and review:

https://www.isc2.org/Exams/Online-Proctor-Pilot-Test-FAQ

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

Saurabhsingh23 — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 10:16:49 GMT

Thanks. is there any article which confirm about pearson vue rules, that we can review questions.

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

AlecTrevelyan — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 11:42:53 GMT

I'm not sure if it's explicitly stated anywhere official that you can go back and review questions when taking ISC2 exams inside a Pearson VUE test centre.

However, having sat many ISC2 exams myself including the CCSP - all linear taken in a Pearson VUE test centre - it was always the case you could go back and review.

Personally, I am not a fan of reviewing - I feel if you're not 100% sure of an answer, your first choice is often the correct one anyway.

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

IamJT — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 15:11:09 GMT

The option to flag questions or go back has been removed. Took the CCSP in a Pearson Vue centre in February and was not able to do any of that.

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

Daniyal — Mon, 03 May 2021 00:20:43 GMT

It is mentioned in the ISC2 examination FAQs that you can't skip a question and go back :
https://www.isc2.org/Frequently-Asked-Questions

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

AlecTrevelyan — Mon, 03 May 2021 10:32:42 GMT

Correct, the FAQ has been updated since this thread was originally created.

For the avoidance of any doubt, not being able to go back and review questions/answers is now the new standard across all ISC2 exams and exam formats:

https://www.isc2.org/Frequently-Asked-Questions#accordion-29bc23be1a3a4eb296321631a61650e0

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

Kevin01 — Thu, 13 May 2021 19:31:21 GMT

Took the CCSP exam late April 2021 at a Pearson VUE testing center. I did not have the options to mark and review or go backwards in the test.

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

93 — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 10:12:18 GMT

Just took the exam.. Had no idea you could not go back or flag questions to revisit during your alloted time. That sucks to be honest with you. The idea of going through so you can make sure you provide an answer to all the questions within alloted time, flag ones to revisit if time allows, and go through to make sure you answer all is nto an unreasonable expectation.

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

93 — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 10:12:56 GMT

Took at Pearson VUE testing center

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

denbesten — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 18:18:58 GMT

@93 wrote:
...Had no idea you could not go back or flag questions to revisit....answer to all the questions within allotted time....

Without question, completing is important. But at the same time, correct answers are just as important. The exam is full of "distracting" answers that seem correct on the surface, but are not the 'best" answer. Skimming through questions and quickly picking the answer that "seems right" is an excellent recipe for unknowingly losing points to the distractors.

The key to passing any exam (not just ISC2) is to take your time, read each question completely, read each of its answers completely, and then read the question again. After having done that, pick the best answer and move on to the next question.

Focusing on the clock is bad strategy, primarily because it takes you out of "the zone". Much better is to, at the beginning of your studies, review the Exam outline and calculate that the ideal pace is 90 seconds per question (4 hours for 150 questions). Then time how long it takes you to complete each practice test. After a while, you will instinctively fall into a rhythm that allows you to complete on time without looking at the clock, leaving your complete brain free to focus on reading comprehension and avoiding the distractors.

Also, don't even try to keep score. More important than simply not having enough information (notably, how many points a given question is worth), it is important to realize that keeping score will not help you answer the next question any better. It will, however, raise your stress level and take you out of the zone.

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

AntiEvil — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 20:35:19 GMT

I took the CCSP today, 01/04/2024 (and passed...). No, I could not go back. The only way to advance the exam was to answer the question and move to the next question...until you've finished your 150 questions.

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

theredseth — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:33:55 GMT

Just took my exam a few days ago at a Pearson Vue facility and you CAN NOT flag or go back to previous questions.

Re: CCSP exam pattern- any change?

riffjim4069 — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 16:23:03 GMT

I FINALLY got around to taking the ISSAP about 10-days ago. Good thing I ran into someone who recently took the exam because it would thrown me a curve ball discovering there was no longer a mark/review process on exam day. It had been years since my last ISC2 exam. I'm also taking the CCSP in about 10-days, so I'm glad to hear the exam follows this same format.

I actually preferred not being able to review my answers. I can be a bit OCD and would occasionally skip-ahead a block of questions if I had a difficult stretch, or simply made a quick "best choice" knowing I could go back and review [to death] the questions. I felt not being able to "review" forced me to be more disciplined in my approach. I finished and passed the 3-hour ISSAP exam with 50-minutes to spare and was done. No fuss, no muss. Had I been able to review, I would have spent the next 50-minutes re-reading all the question and my re-thinking my answers. Would I have caught one or two questions that I may have misread? Perhaps, but I would have most likely wasted 50-minutes of my life stressing over nothing.

Anyway, I have a few years of cloud experience; read both the CompTIA Cloud+ and Official ISC2 CCSP Textbook v7 from front-to-back, completed the ICS2 Official CCSP self-paced course, and now I'm running through Mike Chapple's Official CCSP Practice Tests (900 questions). If one does the work and knows the material, they're gonna score 850+ and have a whole lotta wiggle room for brain-farts, stress, and even not getting a good night of sleep. Being well-prepared for the CCSP exam is always the best strategy.

Just my two-cents...I don't miss the review option one bit. Cheers!