topic Re: Study Tips Needed in Exam Preparation

Study Tips Needed

jhildebrand — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 18:17:50 GMT

Hello all,

I am currently studying for my third CISSP exam and could really use some help with study tips/tricks.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jessica Hildebrand

Re: Study Tips Needed

rslade — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 18:43:23 GMT

> jhildebrand (Viewer) posted a new topic in Exam Preparation on 04-30-2021 02:17

> I am currently studying for my third CISSP exam and could really
> use some help with study tips/tricks. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank
> you.

OK, you haven't said much about what you already tried, so we'll start with the
basics.

Read "Security Engineering," by Ross Anderson.
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/book.html

If you need some references for specific domains or topics, check out the
references at
http://victoria.tc.ca/int-grps/books/techrev/mnbksccd.htm

To get a feel for the types of questions you will see, and how to approach them,
check out
https://community.isc2.org/t5/Exams/Practice-Questions/m-p/18626

When you've done that, we can deal with more specific issues.

If you want a course, I'm doing one soon, online, through a local college:
https://www.nyit.edu/events/CISSP_boot_camp

======================
rslade@gmail.com rmslade@outlook.com rslade@computercrime.org
"If you do buy a computer, don't turn it on." - Richards' 2nd Law
"Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94663-2
"Viruses Revealed" 0-07-213090-3
"Software Forensics" 0-07-142804-6
"Dictionary of Information Security" Syngress 1-59749-115-2
"Cybersecurity Lessons from CoVID-19" CRC Press 978-0-367-68269-9
============= for back issues:
[Base URL] site http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/
CISSP refs: [Base URL]mnbksccd.htm
PC Security: [Base URL]mnvrrvsc.htm
Security Dict.: [Base URL]secgloss.htm
Security Educ.: [Base URL]comseced.htm
Book reviews: [Base URL]mnbk.htm
[Base URL]review.htm
Partial/recent: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/techbooks/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Slade
https://is.gd/RotlWB http://twitter.com/rslade
http://blogs.securiteam.com/index.php/archives/author/p1/

Re: Study Tips Needed

jhildebrand — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 18:47:14 GMT

Thank you.

Previously, I have attended a boot camp and it was definitely information overload.

This last go around, I tried everything I could to "learn" the material (i.e. bot camp, videos, writing things out, reading, practice tests and recording notes).

Just not sure the best way to approach this. I am a hands on learner, so anything else doesn't seem to help with retention of the material.

Re: Study Tips Needed

WillPali — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 19:22:10 GMT

Although I studied the Official Study Guide and did quizzes each chapter (multiple times), then Sybex test bank questions (several times), I think I spent too much time on them; only saw maybe 5 on exam. I spent too much time memorizing so many frameworks, models, tables, etc. General concepts and how they apply probably better time spent. My test was more focused on scenario's & what should you do if... Remember:

the questions will (usually, not always) give you 2 answers that can easily be dismissed. Then the other 2 could both be right, don't get freaked out with that. Expect it. Which is the BETTER answer? Go with your gut, answer it and move on. Don't look back and second guess your knowledge. Move forward. I'm convinced that the 20-25 "unscored questions" are there to mess with your head; increase your stress. About 80 questions in, I took a break, got up, walked to restroom and splashed cold water on my face and took some deep breaths, just to cool down, chill out and get my head back in the game. The question I was stuck on, was crystal clear when I got back. Those 10 minutes were the difference for me. Walk in knowing the test is going to mess w/ you. Expect it, plan for it, do your best. Don't beat yourself up if you're not sure of (a bunch of previous questions/answers), just keep moving. You'll be fine. Good luck!

Re: Study Tips Needed

jhildebrand — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 19:54:50 GMT

Thanks!

I appreciate the feedback. If I may ask, did you pass?

This last test, I felt myself spending way too much time on questions because I was afraid to get them wrong.

Re: Study Tips Needed

WillPali — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 20:48:22 GMT

Yes, I did pass. With all the practice quizzes, tests and questions I practiced (about 2700 of them), I cruised through them averaging about 30-45 seconds on each, expecting to cruise through the actual test in about 90 minutes. Very confident/cocky. No way! Exam questions were VERY different from practice questions! Still not sure how valuable those practice questions really were... I started getting stuck/hung up on questions, (trying to figure out which was the better of 2 answers, and second guessing. I was about 2 hours in and only at about question 80. Way off target. Was getting really frazzled. That's when I decided to take a break. When I sat back down, decided to move faster, not sit and ponder. I was going to finish (good or bad and) NOT run out of time. I finished/passed exam with about 7 minutes left.

Re: Study Tips Needed

jhildebrand — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 21:36:23 GMT

Thanks. It was about the same for me. I was able to stay composed and not
get stressed, or so I thought. That is, until I realized how much time I
had left.

Honestly, I am hoping I can pass this time with some extra study time and
practice.

Re: Study Tips Needed

rslade — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 21:41:23 GMT

> WillPali (Viewer) posted a new reply in Exam Preparation on 04-30-2021 03:22 PM

> Although I studied the Official Study Guide and did quizzes each chapter
> (multiple times), then Sybex test bank questions (several times), I think I
> spent too much time on them; only saw maybe 5 on exam.

Yes. Basically, you will not see *any* of the actual exam questions in any test
bank (although you may see some simple questions that might be similar).

> General concepts and how
> they apply probably better time spent.

Very much so. Learn and understand the principles.

> Which is the BETTER
> answer? Go with your gut, answer it and move on. Don't look back and second
> guess your knowledge.

Yup. When you know the field, your first reaction is usually the right one. (If
you *don't* know the field, you won't pass anyway.)

======================
rslade@gmail.com rmslade@outlook.com rslade@computercrime.org
"If you do buy a computer, don't turn it on." - Richards' 2nd Law
"Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94663-2
"Viruses Revealed" 0-07-213090-3
"Software Forensics" 0-07-142804-6
"Dictionary of Information Security" Syngress 1-59749-115-2
"Cybersecurity Lessons from CoVID-19" CRC Press 978-0-367-68269-9
============= for back issues:
[Base URL] site http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/
CISSP refs: [Base URL]mnbksccd.htm
PC Security: [Base URL]mnvrrvsc.htm
Security Dict.: [Base URL]secgloss.htm
Security Educ.: [Base URL]comseced.htm
Book reviews: [Base URL]mnbk.htm
[Base URL]review.htm
Partial/recent: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/techbooks/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Slade
https://is.gd/RotlWB http://twitter.com/rslade
http://blogs.securiteam.com/index.php/archives/author/p1/

Re: Study Tips Needed

rslade — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 21:54:23 GMT

> WillPali (Viewer) posted a new reply in Exam Preparation on 04-30-2021 04:48 PM

> Exam questions were VERY different
> from practice questions!

Which is why I wrote up
https://community.isc2.org/t5/Exams/Practice-Questions/m-p/18626

======================
rslade@gmail.com rmslade@outlook.com rslade@computercrime.org
"If you do buy a computer, don't turn it on." - Richards' 2nd Law
"Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94663-2
"Viruses Revealed" 0-07-213090-3
"Software Forensics" 0-07-142804-6
"Dictionary of Information Security" Syngress 1-59749-115-2
"Cybersecurity Lessons from CoVID-19" CRC Press 978-0-367-68269-9
============= for back issues:
[Base URL] site http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev/
CISSP refs: [Base URL]mnbksccd.htm
PC Security: [Base URL]mnvrrvsc.htm
Security Dict.: [Base URL]secgloss.htm
Security Educ.: [Base URL]comseced.htm
Book reviews: [Base URL]mnbk.htm
[Base URL]review.htm
Partial/recent: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/techbooks/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Slade
https://is.gd/RotlWB http://twitter.com/rslade
http://blogs.securiteam.com/index.php/archives/author/p1/

Re: Study Tips Needed

WillPali — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 01:52:23 GMT

So, jhildebrand... any news? (Fingers crossed for you... 🙂

Re: Study Tips Needed

Steve-Wilme — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 07:35:57 GMT

In my experience the best preparation is to simply learn the material. I expect that that sounds overly simple. But the point is to understand how you learn best. Some people can simply read the text books and understand it, some may need a taught course or boot camp, other can learn it with videos and cue cards. So if you've studied for other technical quals you should understand what works for you. The CISSP isn't really a hands on thing so if you learn by doing labs etc, that won't really help you with it.

Personally I just made a combined precis of 3 textbooks covering each of the CBKs. Distilling it down is an active process, so helped me remember it all for the exam. So once I worked out how I learnt I've been doing the same thing for the last 30 years, as it works for me.

Re: Study Tips Needed

Cissp7118 — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 06:21:37 GMT

Hey, when you do the exam again, try this technique for answering the questions:

Read the answers first, then read the question. That way, you brain starts to draw on information that you have already studied about the topic in each answer.

If you start with the question, normally we would read question, read answers, then back to question, then back to answers. Valuable time is lost with that approach.

So, read answers first, the brain thinks about the possible topics, then read the question, eliminate 2 answers that do not relate, then you have a 50/50 chance of getting the right answer.

Hope that helps and all the best!