Starting CISSP study

[mdelia]

I've been in the field for 20 years. I've been working in security the last six years. Many years ago I earned numerous Microsoft and Cisco certifications. I have not earned any security certifications. I'm predicting to study ~20 hours per week and will schedule the exam in six months. Does this seem to be an adequate amount of time to prepare?

[ericgeater]

Twenty hours a week seems like a heroic amount of time.  Let me just set that there.

When I first read the CBK, I came to quickly realize that there was a lot more to the breadth of cybersecurity.  Pick up the CBK, read it, and then determine whether it's wise to presently schedule an exam for a moment six months away.  Changing your exam date, if that becomes necessary later on, costs money.

[dpower]

Hi,

I need some guidance.

I have the Security+ certification from CompTia and wanted to give ISC2 a try, so I signed up for the free CC training and exam voucher. I passed the CC exam this past Saturday and was already in the process of studying for the CISSP exam.

One thing I noticed about the ISC2 practice questions for the CC exam, they were nothing like the actual exam questions. I know they are designed that way, but for the harder CISSP exam, I worry that the ISC2 practice questions and flash cards will not be enough.

My current study model includes:

- Fully completed the Global Knowledge CISSP course via Leo Thrush (http://infosecprofs.com/who-we-are/)

- Currently reading the CISSP CBK, and my notes from the Global Knowledge course (300+ pages including images)

- ISC2 Official 6th Edition Flash Cards - 100% completed

- ISC2 Official 6th Edition Practice Tests - Completed 20+

For those of you who recently (6th Edition) passed the CISSP exam advise on the material you used for study? Any other relevant information is greatly appreciated.

I still feel as though I am not prepared enough to clear the exam.

Thank you!

[Hopeless_Spirit]

I found the practice CC questions very similar to the exam ones, luck of the draw really.  There were a few complete curve balls for me that I know where absolutely no where in the official material; fortunately I know a lot more of the other ones and am also onto the CISSP now 😄  

I know what you mean £500 is a lot to sit an exam and fail alternatively £700 is a lot to pay if you pass first time!  How ready is ready enough?

On the recent CISSP exam ready webinar (I recommend jumping on the next one and asking directly) they mentioned the 

ISC2 ZAP App by Konnect LLC 

It's the official CISSP (and CCSP & SSCP) RETIRED questions app which I've added to my study program because i really enjoy the quick 10 questions plus explanation.  Great alternative to Angry Birds / Candy Crush  😉

It also has 2 free exams plus another 7* 125 question exams if you pay the fee; which will be a good gauge.  The questions may change over time but the principles and steps shouldn't change much; so then it's just the emerging stuff to make sure you know..........

Good Luck! 

[2FTerminator]

The is a lot of materials that ISC throws at us.
I found the Flash Cards, the official Digital Text Book, but where can I find the "ISC2 Official 6th Edition Practice Tests"?
Thank you!

[denbesten]

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@Hopeless_Spirit wrote:

On the recent CISSP exam ready webinar (I recommend jumping on the next one and asking directly) they mentioned the ISC2 ZAP App by Konnect LLC 

It's the official CISSP (and CCSP & SSCP) RETIRED questions app

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@tldutton, is this accurate?  Is there now a venue which provides access to retired questions, or those kept in confidence similar to the active questions?

[ericgeater]

My BS meter is pegged on that claim.  C'mon, how likely is it that ISC2 would actually release retired questions for use in practice exams?!

I mean, it's worth investigating if there's a possibility that the agency selling the training is making such a claim, but all I see is one person in this forum making the claim.

[tldutton]

@denbesten 

Since I don't work on the education side I had to look that app up.  Their site says the app has "5000+ realistic test questions with detailed explanations".  The app does NOT contain ANY actual retired items (questions); items are retired if they have been compromised (brain dumps) or the underlying topic has beed deprecated (no longer relevant).

[tldutton]

@mdelia 

1. First pull the most current exam outline; that will shape what you study--it gets updated every three years.  For example the CISSP exam outline:  https://www.isc2.org/certifications/cissp/cissp-certification-exam-outline.
2. Go to the "References" page, https://www.isc2.org/certifications/references?queryID=b2046ece2f9b8bd7d514534e0f0efb17, then go to the cert you're interested in.  This page is updated every January to reflect the top-10 references for each cert's domains (combined, then dupes removed) that were used by volunteer member SMEs to create items (questions) for that particular cert.  It's not all-inclusive and won't guarantee you pass but will give you insight into the top references used to support most of that cert's items (additional study resources)
3. Pull the flash cards for the cert you're interested in.  For the CISSP, the cards can be requested at:https://cloud.connect.isc2.org/cissp-flashcards
4. Join the ISC2 Communities site, https://community.isc2.org/, then join the "Exam Preparation" board under "Certification" then join the "study group" associated with the exam you're interested in; these are found under "Groups" then "Study Groups", then join the appropriate board.

Those are the free resources that ISC2 provides to help with your exam prep. 

I highly recommend scheduling your exam first, giving yourself more than enough time to study/prepare for it.  Many times, if you don't schedule it, you'll just keep pushing it to the right then scramble to schedule it at the last minute.  If you think it'll take you six months, give yourself a buffer and schedule it eight months from now.

I also suggest reading the most current CBK for the cert you're preparing for as well as an "exam prep guide"; for the CISSP; don't rely on just one source for your studying. I personally read the entire current CISSP CBK as well as Shon Harris' most current CISSP Exam prep guide; find what works for you.  I also recommend taking a week-long, real time boot camp the week prior to your scheduled exam to act as a final, formatted study session and time to get all the concepts straight in your head. In reference to boot camps, go with a training provider you've used in the past that resulted in passing an exam or ask your peers who they used.  The company I used is no longer in business but they definitely helped me understand topics such as cryptographic algorithms better.

[Hopeless_Spirit]

During the CISSP EXAM READY: Ask the Experts Before You Sit webinar, they mentioned the app as a tool to use as a learning aid.

Not sure now if they said they were "retired" questions (maybe my brain made that up? would have to rewatch the webinar but it was along those lines, it was a while ago).  Some of the questions are a bit out of date but i really enjoy the app to do a few questions while you have a few minutes rather than going on FB / Wordle etc. 🙂

And no i don't work for them, just sharing the knowledge  😄