Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice and insight from those who have recently passed the CISSP.
A bit of background:
I have over 20 years of experience as a full-stack developer and hold a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity.
Since June last year, I’ve been preparing seriously for the exam—studying 1 to 5 hours daily using YouTube videos, online courses, and at least five textbooks.
I’ve completed all the questions in the CISSP Official Study Guide (10th Edition), the Practice Tests (4th Edition), and thousands more from other paid training platforms. Based on my preparation and practice results, I felt very confident going into the exam.
However, during the real exam, I was surprised by how deep and detailed some questions were. For example, I had multiple questions focused heavily on SDLC and Software-Defined Networking. It felt much more in-depth than what I encountered in practice materials.
This made me wonder if:
- I may have focused on the wrong areas in my preparation, or
- The CISSP exam has changed recently (possibly a newer 2026-style version), or
- I misunderstood the level of depth expected.
I would really appreciate any advice from those who have passed recently.
Thank you in advance for any guidance. I’m determined to improve and succeed on my next attempt in April.
Best regards,
Q
