How to pass the CISSP exam without reading the 1600pages Exam Guide.
Background
I am a non native English speaker, and my vocabulary is very little.
If you have difficulties to read books and theories, you may check this blog and see if it could help you.
I don’t love reading theories, theories on books is just like a combination of some English vocabulary.
My working experience is comparatively little to many せんぱい in the industry. Before I take the exam, I thought I would fail at least once given that I am not good at studying at all.
Turn out, I found this exam is not only about studying hard, yet it’s about how you understand all the technologies and concept, and bring the most beneficial solution to the Company based on their situation.
Material for the Exam
- CISSP All-in-one Exam Guide by Shon Harris
- CISSP Official (ISC)2 Practice Tests by Sybex
- CISSP (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional Official Study Guide 8th Edition
Study Pattern
I am not good at reading English, umm, I understand every words in the book and I don’t know what that means when they come together.
Instead of reading all the books once all the way through, I work on the questions directly and learn from the questions.
I registered the exam 2 months before the actual exam.
I have the awareness that I have to study the exam everyday even my daily job is busy n even my trip in Russia is fabulous.
Very Beginning stage
21 days
First 21 days -
Complete reviews questions of each chapter in CISSP (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional Official Study Guide 8th Edition.
Read the answer right after I complete the questions.
I am not actually working on the questions, just to get more idea about what I should know and memorise some concept that I don’t know.
Objective:
- To gather more information about the exam
- To identify the weakest link
Beginning stage
Before 6 weeks of the exam
8 days – 40 questions each day each domain.
Since the official study guide is divided in a different manner compared to CISSP Exam, my second stage of exam preparation get back on the original domain division. Complete ~40questions in CISSP Official (ISC)2 Practice Tests by Sybex by domain.
Memorise the concepts, terms and things I don’t understand in the Questions/Answers.
You don’t have to force yourself complete just 40 questions, I do more than 40 when I feel comfortable.
Objective:
- Concept Consolidation
Middle stage
14 days
In this stage, I mainly focus in the practice questions. Complete the questions, and drop down the questions that I found it doubt.
The practice test of course is not the same as actually exam, yet there’s no question as straight forward as a dry and raw Spagetti does.
This stages I developed my mindset of the CISSP Exam. It’s about how to deliver the most suitable solution to the company.
Objective:
- To get familiar with the exam mindset
Slight later than Middle stage
3 days
I gather the summary in the CISSP All-in-one Exam Guide by Shon Harris, and gather them as a glossary.
I tidy up the summary and transform it as a glossary like things in a document.
It could help you read all the terms and identify the concept and terms that you still haven’t discover in the book.
After all so many practice test, it’s a good time to summarise the work.
Objective :
- Identify concepts and technique that I don’t know
- Identify the weakest domain in this stage n strengthen it
- Summarise your previous studies
Final stage
4 days
Complete 1 entire set of practice test (~125 -150 questions)
When I got the questions wrong, I reference to CISSP All-in-one Exam Guide by Shon Harris to look for the explanation of terms/ concept mentioned in test.
I write down every concept I still not familiar with on a paper, and I read these paper in my travel time.
I got only 65% correct in each practice test.
Objective:
- To identify the weakest point
- Identify the gap you haven’t cover in previous studies
Very final stage
1 day before the exam
Search for cheat sheet available online, go through the glossary one by one each domain to ensure I understand most of them.
Identify the different between technique-technique & concept-to-Concept.
Objective:
- Recap the things you have learnt before
- To ensure all the concepts are clear
Very vely final stage, the morning in the exam
- Completed random 20 questions to warm myself up.
- Read glossary and my notes in travel time.
- Eat a huge breakfast and drink coffee 3- 4 hours before the exam.
Summary
This exam is really difficult. I don’t expect there will be a lot of people reading this blog. at least, I make it a footprint for myself. Thank you 😘
