Question on actual number of questions

[Gerald-victor]

Hello everyone. A question for you 

I ve seen some comments and exam results announcements from people who just cleared their CISSP exams.. I cleared my exam today with 100 questions and with still an hour remaining. is this possible.? I am aware that the CAT format follows 100 - 150 questions.. and when someone says I cleared the exam in the 100th question does it mean they have got everything right?

If my assumption is right as above, does it also include the 25 questions that ISC2 poses as experimental questions and not evaluated .? So in effect are you getting evaluated only for the 75 questions? Would you happen to know how do they arrive at 700 if you are evaluated only either for 75 or 100 questions. Thanks for your time 

[Kaity]

Hi @Gerald-victor - I think the video and info on this page should answer most of your questions regarding # of questions: https://www.isc2.org/certifications/CISSP/CISSP-CAT

"Each candidate will be presented with a minimum of 100 items and a maximum of 150 items. To receive a pass or fail result, a candidate must answer a minimum of 75 operational, or scored, items and may not answer more than 125 operational items. Additionally, each candidate will receive 25 pre-test, or unscored items, as part of the minimum length examination. (Pre-test items are items being evaluated for inclusion in future exams.) A candidate will not be able to distinguish between operational and pre-test items; consequently, a candidate should consider each item carefully and provide the best possible response based on the information presented."

However, I can't say exactly how the scoring works on each individual question, but the above info (and video at the link) should be helpful! 

[Gerald-victor]

@Kaity 

Thanks a lot for your response. Honestly I didn’t expect someone would revert at this lightning speed. This helps.. thanks again 

[rslade]

> Gerald-victor (Newcomer I) posted a new topic in Exam Preparation on 07-02-2020

> Hello everyone. A question for you  I ve seen some comments and exam results
> announcements from people who just cleared their CISSP exams.. I cleared my exam
> today with 100 questions and with still an hour remaining. is this possible.?

Back in the old days of the 250 question, 6 hour exam (paper-based), there was a
legend, known throughout the proctor and instructor corps, of someone taking
only 45 minutes and actually passing. (Subsequently, I met him.)

> I
> am aware that the CAT format follows 100 - 150 questions.. and when someone says
> I cleared the exam in the 100th question does it mean they have got everything
> right?

Not necessarily (and probably not). It means you got *enough* right.

>   If my assumption is right as above, does it also include the 25
> questions that ISC2 poses as experimental questions and not evaluated .? So in
> effect are you getting evaluated only for the 75 questions?

The "25 test questions" figure dates from the days of the 250 question exam. I
assume questions are still being tested during actual exams, but I also assume the
number is proportionately lower: possibly ten if you pass on 100 questions. (With
the adaptive CBT, the algorithm for assessing questions is probably fairly
complicated.)

> Would you happen to
> know how do they arrive at 700 if you are evaluated only either for 75 or 100
> questions.

Again, probably a fairly complicated calculation under the adaptice CBT. Even
back in the paper-based exam days the psychometrics involved were complex. As
the psychometrician of the day explain it to us one time, it was actually the exam
that was weighted, based on how many people passed after a new exam had a
sufficient base of study (and, of course, excluding the questions themselves being
assessed). I assume that these days the weighting is more on the individual
questions, but similar statistical measures would apply.

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[Gerald-victor]

@rslade 

thank you.. that’s helpful .. particularly around getting “enough” right .and  also the proportionate test questions if someone were to finish around the minimum 100 numbers ... thanks a ton for your assistance