CISSP Mindset

kleanit41

I need to join a study group for the CISSP. I will be patient and wait until a group has been established. I will be re-taking my CISSP in about two months.

nkeaton

@kleanit41 Luke Ahmed’s How to Think Like a Manager helped me more than anything else to frame the mindset needs to answer the exam questions correctly. He is doing something more organized for aspiring CISSPs right now.

kleanit41

Thanks, and blessed you so much.......I have that book on hand. I have read some questions as we speak. It is making me think logically about the answers in which I did during the test. I took the exam and was able to get to question 144. I was expecting it would stop at question 100. Therefore, I missed managed the time spend on each question. I believe that the CAT recognized that I was not consistent on my correct answers after question 100. Therefore, I got mentally fatigued and also had to guess at some questions. Are there any more suggestions for being mentally prepared for the CAT aspect?

nkeaton

@kleanit41 I am definitely not a fan of adaptive exams. It can quit at 144 either because made the algorithm happy and passed or because can’t do enough in the next 6 questions to pass. I passed at 150; so I was very much on the fence of pass or fail. A person only passes at 100 if answered the 75 questions that count correctly enough for the algorithm to determine that pass the exam. We had a person that failed at 100. The algorithm determined that they couldn’t make it right even with another 50 questions. You were close to get to 144. So it is a positive. Luke’s book definitely teaches to look at from a management point of view rather than a technical one. I know that people use his practice questions successfully. I used Wentz Wu’s. I believe that people do equally well with those or Thor Pedersen’s or Boson.

kleanit41

@nkeaton

Thank you for sharing this perspective — it’s extremely helpful as I refine my approach for the CISSP. The adaptive format is definitely challenging, and your explanation of how the algorithm behaves adds clarity. Knowing that the exam can stop at 100, 144, or 150 based on how consistently the managerial mindset is applied helps me interpret my own result more accurately. Reaching 144 does give me confidence that I was operating near the passing threshold, even if inconsistently.

I agree completely about the value of shifting from technical thinking to managerial decision‑making. Luke Ahmed’s material has been useful for reframing how I interpret questions, and your point about Wentz Wu, Thor Pedersen, and Boson reinforces that there isn’t a single “right” resource — it’s about choosing one and mastering the reasoning style behind it. I’m planning to incorporate a more deliberate mix of these question banks while focusing on consistency, not volume.

Your insight about the algorithm and the importance of mindset gives me a clearer direction for my next study cycle, and I appreciate the encouragement.

nkeaton

@kleanit41 Thank you for the kind words. I help our folks at work earn and maintain their certifications. So I am fortunate that have seen this a lot and can help others. I think that Thor’s no cost video on how to study talks about the algorithm, and his explanation sounds plausible. ISC2 will not discuss that which support since protects the integrity of the exam. So I think that the key is to really go slow and concentrate on the first 100 questions even though won’t know which 75 count. After 100 the pace has to be a little faster though. Our person failing at 100 was a wake-up call for sure. I definitely see 144 as a positive. You were very close. I was sweating bullets that mine went to 150. I even asked the lady at the test center if the printout actually said Congratulations. I am sure that you will take what you have learned and pass it the next time.