topic Re: Provision passed CISSP -sharing in Exam Preparation

Provision passed CISSP -sharing

mihaibarbulescu — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 14:36:37 GMT

Hello all,

First of all, I must admit: CISSP is one of the most brain-intensive certificates 🙂 This means that you
really have to think not to memorize terms and phrases.
Until the end the overall impression is that you will fail 🙂 So you need to be a real security guy to sustain that amount of time in "fear" 🙂
I got 150 questions ...so I probably was not good enough for the 101 questions 🙂 So more pressure 🙂
It took me around 1.30 hours to finish the test.I'm usually very energetic and I lose patience very fast so if you can sustain 3 hours in stress and read each question carefully will be better.
I had to read, and every word counts there 🙂 The answers sometimes are very straightforward sometimes you exclude two answers very easy then lose some time on the others...And sometimes all 4 of the answers are very strange 🙂
Mostly is a mix between the first two choices
My first language is not English, but I work with technology since I was a little kid. I'm 35 years now and more than 17 years of experience in ITC
I also have the CCIE grade that helped me with the Technology part from ISC.I've been working as a security consultant for different US companies where I got the chance to apply a lot of real-life experience

Now what helped me for the exam :

a) Sybex 8th Edition -> very good you need to read it and try not to memorize things ...just read it for pleasure and passion.
b) CISSP in 21 days...I don't remember who wrote it but very usefully for a summarization.
c) Sybex Practice Tests -> start with these and don't lose faith. In the beginning, you will fail almost all of the questions because you need to adjust your techie brain to think like a CISSP candidate 🙂
d) Boson practice tests -> very good in explanations and NOT EVEN CLOSE THE REAL EXAM 🙂
e) Some other tests that I don't remember so there were no good
f) 17 years of experience as a Senior Network Architect, DevOps + 2 two years of Consultancy in security

At the exam the questions will be very vague and will make you think .... so my advice is this :

1. Have patient for each of the questions
2. Read it carefully and watch for every word because it counts
3. Understand the meaning
4. Look and exclude the wrong answers...you will mostly get a 50-50 % chance to answer right
5. Think like a professional and leave fear to conquer you only when you get the test results 🙂

6.EAT a lot of dark chocolate before the exam and have a good night sleep 🙂

Also, don't do stupid things in that morning like I did and upset my wife and I had an awful morning :)) So eventually move away from your house on that day :))))

Re: Provision passed CISSP -sharing

rslade — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 17:56:00 GMT

> mihaibarbulescu (Viewer) posted a new topic in Certifications on 09-20-2018

> Hello all, First of all, I must admit: CISSP is one of the most brain-intensive
> certificates This means that you really have to think not to memorize terms and
> phrases.

I remember in one of my seminars, one candidate said it (the seminar, remember,
not the exam yet 🙂 was one of the most intense experiences he had ever had.
He noted that if he ever again saw on a resume that someone had a CISSP, he was
going to hire that person 🙂

> Also, don't do stupid things in that morning like I did and upset my
> wife and I had an awful morning ) So eventually move away from your house on
> that day )))

Yeah. We always told people not to plan on doing anything that evening. I
always told people to *stop* studying a day or two before the exam so as not to
stress out.

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Re: Provision passed CISSP -sharing

PC509 — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 21:15:11 GMT

"Yeah. We always told people not to plan on doing anything that evening. I
always told people to *stop* studying a day or two before the exam so as not to
stress out."

I went to take that advice, but my son had emergency surgery (appendectomy) the day before. So, I was stressed out, spent the night (got ~3-4 hours of sleep in a chair) at the hospital, raced to the testing center not very optimistic. I didn't want to waste the $ on a no show, so I just went for it and wanted to get back to my son. Took the test. I knew the answers and thought I was rushing through. So I slowed down. I still went pretty fast. Stressed to the max, in a hurry, going faster than I should have, but I knew the material. It stopped at 100 questions. I thought I bombed it because of everything going on. But, I had that confidence. I knew those answers. Went out and got my "Provisionally Passed" paper. 😄 That stress was out of the way, and my son is doing a lot better. So, I had planned on taking the day before off and stress free, good nights sleep, nice breakfast, but it just didn't work out. But, if I can keep my wits in a situation like that - I know my stuff, and I can work pretty good in stressful situations. 🙂

Re: Provision passed CISSP -sharing

rslade — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 18:14:00 GMT

> PC509 (Newcomer I) posted a new reply in Certifications on 09-20-2018 05:15 PM

> I went to take that advice, but my son had emergency surgery
> (appendectomy) the day before.

OK, special case ...

> That stress was out of the way, and my son is
> doing a lot better.

Good to know 🙂 Hope he continues to improve.

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Re: Provision passed CISSP -sharing

PC509 — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 18:20:34 GMT

Very special case. I was all ready to take the advice you gave, but it just didn't work out. It was part of my study plan, to take the day before off, relax, good sleep, nice breakfast, etc.. I would have preferred it that way, too!

Re: Provision passed CISSP -sharing

slee047 — Sun, 23 Sep 2018 14:26:36 GMT

Congratulations!