CCSP - passed, December 2019

[DMike]

Provisionally passed today.

Quick advice for future participants in the game: know your stuff and take this exam seriously !

Previous ISC2 lingo experience counts a lot. Work experience counts the most.

My scenario:

- I had passed CCSK almost 6 moths ago, so I was familiar with CSA guidance and ENISA (don't be fooled, these are completely different exams, as it took me 45 min. to complete CCSK and almost 2.45h to go through CCSP )

- CISSP holder (& other tech certs)

My recipe:  

- Official Study Guide: one in depth pass when I took notes, one final pass a day before exam, like a crammed session (7h cram read)

- Kelly's CCSP videos

- OWASP - read it thoroughly as it's a fantastic resource

- I tried to read some of the NIST materials, found them ok but not catchy...

- Some refresher sessions from the CISSP materials.

All this took me 1 month: 2-3h a day (including weekends).

You need to be able to place yourself in the right reference system when answering, everything is situational awareness.

Cheers and good luck !

Mike

[Caute_cautim]

@DMikeGood advice and well done too

It does take commitment and self development.

Regards

Caute_cautim

[AlecTrevelyan]

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@DMike wrote:

Provisionally passed today.

Quick advice for future participants in the game: know your stuff and take this exam seriously !

Previous ISC2 lingo experience counts a lot. Work experience counts the most.

My scenario:

- I had passed CCSK almost 6 moths ago, so I was familiar with CSA guidance and ENISA (don't be fooled, these are completely different exams, as it took me 45 min. to complete CCSK and almost 2.45h to go through CCSP )

- CISSP holder (& other tech certs)

My recipe:  

- Official Study Guide: one in depth pass when I took notes, one final pass a day before exam, like a crammed session (7h cram read)

- Kelly's CCSP videos

- OWASP - read it thoroughly as it's a fantastic resource

- I tried to read some of the NIST materials, found them ok but not catchy...

- Some refresher sessions from the CISSP materials.

All this took me 1 month: 2-3h a day (including weekends).

You need to be able to place yourself in the right reference system when answering, everything is situational awareness.

Cheers and good luck !

Mike

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Many congratulations, and great write up!

[DMike]

Thanks.

I know it's so useful to find feedback about exam experiences before you take the exam. I find it motivating and full of clues of how things may end up, so I tried to pay it forward.

Basically it's simple: if you are not well prepared, say adios to 600 bucks. 

And it's very easy to miss-interpret one question or to skip an essential word that messes up the answer. So please read the question as many times as you need to understand it. 

Obviously each with it's own experience. I do hope the advice will serve well.

We need professional people in our game, so good luck again boys and girls.

MD

[Kaity]

Congratulations! And thank you for sharing your advice with the Community! 

[Bruce]

Congrats Mike! Sounds like a great study plan - thanks!

[noaho]

Appreciate your thoughts on this, Mike. The details on the study timeframe are particularly useful. Thanks.

[Rossva]

good post thanks. On my "to do" list this year is CISM & CCSP! congrats on your pass!

[Rasha_]

Congrats! Did you study the first or second edition of Official Study Guide?

[DMike]

I used the first edition as I don't really think it matters...I can only assume they re-arranged some of the info, maybe added some legal and compliance stuff, etc. The thing is I purchased my book back in August last year and the second edition came out in December.

Aside from what they changed/added in the second edition, like I said before, I would focus on alternative sources to study: OWASP, SOC 2 type assessment reviews (you can easily find some on the internet; Microsoft has one for Azure), ENISA, CCSK materials (which are more technical I find...), etc.

Have fun ladies and gentlemen and good luck ! It is a doable exam if you focus on it.

Happy New Year,

Mike