Study materials CISSP

[Parn]

Hello,

I’m planning to study for and get certified in CISSP, but I have many questions about the study materials. I’ve noticed there are many recommended books and resources, but I’ve also read that they get updated regularly. I want to make sure I use up-to-date materials that won’t change soon, so I can start studying confidently.

I’ve also seen recommendations to use more than one book and practice exams. While I understand the value of reinforcing with additional resources, I’d like to keep it simple and focus only on what’s truly necessary. My goal is to get certified within a reasonable timeframe.

Could you help me identify the most current and essential materials? I’m based in Europe, and I’ve noticed many resources are sold from the U.S., which increases costs significantly.

Thank you!

Best regards.

[ericgeater]

I’d like to keep it simple and focus only on what’s truly necessary.

What test are you studying for, again? 😆

[nkeaton]

I definitely do not think that reading more than one book is helpful.  I would pick the latest (which is easy to do from publishing information; none of us who already passed would have a reason to know that) of the Sybex (ISC2 official book) or the AiO (All in One) study guides.  I used the former (a couple of versions ago when it was current).  There is also a CBK.  It is only for clarification on difficult topics.  I never used the one that I bought.  I would highly recommend Luke's How to Think Like a Manager to better frame the mindset needed to answer questions correctly.  As far as practice questions, the Sybex ones just did not get it for me.  I ended up using Wentz Wu's.  I believe that people have equal success with Luke's, Thor's, or Boson.  I also recommend doing the CC first for anyone even thinking about doing the CISSP.  It is the general knowledge that need for a CISSP (no analytical questions) and helps reduce the stress of taking an ISC2 exam.  Right now the self-study training and exam voucher are no cost for most.  Best wishes.     

[Steve-Wilme]

The thing is you'll only know what is truly necessary for you as a learner once you go through the materials.  The advantage of 2 or 3 good sources is that if you find the presentation of material in one difficult to understand you can compare it to something else that you may understand better.  It'd be foolhardy just to skip the part you didn't fully understand in your one source because it may come up on your exam and if you fail a question it'll adapt to ask you another in the same topic.  You really have to grasp it all at once.

[nkeaton]

Respectfully, I think that if they cannot get it with one source that the redundancy will not help.  I recommend the Sybex or AiO.  I recommend Luke's book as well which helped me more than the study guide in many ways.  Many recommend the 11th Hour which I read and did zero for me.  Everyone learns differently; so there are no cookie cutter answers.     

[ericgeater]

I read Adam Gordon's CBK first, then Mike Chapple's "Official 8E" from Sybex, both books twice, in that order.  These two books represented 85% of my subject review and/or learning.