So I passed. Thank you to the community. Hardest test ever. Thought I failed; All the normal stuff you hear every day here. When my test ended, I wasn’t keeping constant track of what question number I was on. So when it ended abruptly, I was mostly in shock because I thought it was because I failed. I think I was on question 130-Something, but I don’t know exactly. I see a lot of post here saying, “I passed at 150” or “I failed at 110”. Is your memory the only thing that would tell you that? The ‘passing’ paper you get at the end only says that you passed and best I can tell, Pearson Vue tells you absolutely nothing.

I will hijack my own post to tell you my anecdote for the benefit of any lurkers. Re-taking practice tests for the benefit of maybe memorizing potential questions/answers was pointless. There was no practice test-bank that I took that used the exact questions from the ones I experienced during the actual exam. Of the questions I saw; they were all brand-new to me. So spending time re-taking practice tests to show that I could get 100% was of no benefit. In-fact, it totally shot my confidence during the exam when I did not recognize any of the questions at all. But for what it is worth, I never passed any practice exam the first time; but as I mentioned, I did pass the only one that mattered the first time. Good luck to you candidates. You can do this!

So relieved more than anything. I've had this exam on my bucket list for a few years and I've always deprioritized it for a variety of reasons. i was tired of it being a New Year's resolution, so I'm glad this under my belt.

I think what helped me the most during the exam was remembering what others in this sub had said about the exam. One thing in particular was someone questioning if they even understood English. For me, the questions were incredibly wordy. Not only were they wordy, but the language they included, and how things were phrased, really made it difficult for me to process what was being asked. My reading comprehension isn't the best either, so I had to deliberately give myself the time to slow things down (while not freaking out) in order to digest both the questions and the answers. Recalling that was said helped me stay relatively calm when I was struggling to process information.

I also kept in mind that not every question is weighted the same. So if I needed to spend additional time on a question, particularly processing what's being asked, then I made sure to do that. I did hear people mention that they went through waves of questions getting harder, then easier, etc. I just thought the whole thing was hard. There were maybe a few (like three of so) questions that were straightforward.

I can understand why people value the Quantum test bank. That was helpful, but even those questions were surprisingly quite different from the exam questions.

Study materials used:

• Quantum Exam - great for practice on answering questions

• LearnZApp - good for testing foundational knowledge, but I didn't see anything that resembled LearnZApp style questions.

• Dest Cert CISSP Course - I used this as the basis of my training and I'll probably use them again for the CCSP.

• ChatGPT. Loved using ChatGPT as a resource. If there were things I didn't understand - technical or otherwise - I used ChatGPT to break things down. I regularly had full-fledged conversations with ChatGPT about questions/answers I didn't understand, and about information I was studying.

I passed the exam yesterday at 100 questions and 90 minutes remaining. It is definitely a doable exam and requires a consistent approach to studying. Experience also helps out too.

My Experience:

• Red Team Operator, Software Security, GRC, Network Defense

Credentials:

• CISM, CISA, CEH, PenTest+, CySA+, Security+, eJPT

Education: BS and MS in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance

Resources Used:

• Destination Certification CISSP Master Class
• Destination Certification CISSP Book
• Quatum Exams
• Luke Ahmed

Timeline: October 3, 2024 - November 20, 2024

• 6 hours through the weekday
• 0 hours on the weekend: the mind need time to rest and I needed my time with my family.

My Process:

• Completed the Master Class
• Created notecards for topics I scored weak in
• Use the book for reference to review my cards
• Rotated answering questions between Quantum Exam and Luke Ahmed.
• Day before, watched Mind Maps.
• Day of, I did absolutely nothing but ease my mind.

The CISSP is required for my job so I was allowed this time to study up for it. This was VERY helpful. I went to work to live and breath CISSP! Everyone in the office has it, so everyone understood and supported my process.

I went in thinking like a manager, used John’s test taking techniques, and answered the questions like DarkHelmet preaches.

My advice:

• Stay consistent
• Review your weak areas to grasp the concept
• Listen to the messiahs
• Remember John’s test taking approach
• If you can afford it, purchase the Master Class. Hands down the BEST training series I have ever watched. This is an investment in yourself!

Happy Studies and Good Luck on your exam! You got this 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

I'm curious to see how you've studied, it's encouraging watching high talent explain their line of logic and how they've prepared for the test, however I come from a less traditional background of IT and am interested in how some non-academics have prepared.

The day has come where I can post one of these and hopefully give a little back to this community.

Facts:

My Experience: 3 years of part time interning experience as a sec analyst during college, 2 years as a full time sec engineer, 2 years as a full time prodsec engineer and I have a GCIH certification.

Total Time Studying: 169.56 hours, averaging about 2.56 hours a day for 66 days.

Total Practice Questions Answered: 4452, 3362 correct, 1090 incorrect

OSG (9th and 10th addition + 3rd + 4th edition practice tests) (5/10): 3,302 questions answered, scores averaged around 69 - 89 as I studied. My score here might be a tad misleading as I used this test bank as my backbone for identifying weak concepts and hammering in facts. That is all this bank is good for, establishing a foundation to build everything else off of.

Boson (7/10): 750 questions answered here across five practice tests, scores were: 71.3, 71.3, 72, 72.7 and 78. Overall I thought this test bank was more way technical compared to the real deal but the questions overall were still good to learn from.

Quantum Exams (9/10): 400 questions answered across four practice tests, scores were: 55, 52, 60, 56. This test bank came the closest to the actual exam but should be noted that the exam is still different, its hard to explain how thinking about them, just know that they are.

Methodology:

Basically I just did what this mad lad did but expanded it to over two months: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BZaim2uQn0&t=1s

Essentially my first 8 days were listening too and taking PHYSICAL notes from the Pete Zerger CISSP Exam Cram video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nyZhYnCNLA

And the rest of the 58 days was spent doing practice questions. All questions would get broken down (despite if I got them right or wrong) and I would write down and read relevant concepts that were incorporated in said question. Breaking questions down like this was more beneficial then straight up reading (for me) and established quickly what was important.

Test Itself:

This was a doozy for sure, but the test seemed to start off pedal to the metal in terms of difficulty. It was very difficult to decipher what questions were actually asking me and each question demanded my attention. There were three points throughout the exam where the difficulty would drop for 2 questions to a boson/wiley difficulty and then go straight back to the QE-esque questions (the test didn't seem to be targeting one domain specifically as a weak area, questions were from all over the place). As I neared 100 I was thinking to myself that there was no way I was doing well but I didn't feel like I was doing terribly, but all is well since I still had more then 80 mins left and I will have time to give it my best shot all the way through. And then the test ended and I thought "Shooooooot, I must have just Biffed this hard." But to my very pleasant surprise, the proctor handed me a congratulations letter when I got out of the testing room. I could not believe it, I guess I was answering something correctly.

Kudos + Misc. Thoughts:

Big shoutout to this subreddit as it informed much of my approach and the adoption of QE into my rotation, the author of that test bank is also awesome and very patient. My biggest piece of advice is that this test is essentially a "security gut" check, felt like I was relying more on instincts then straight knowledge and all of these practice tests act as pro-biotics for your gut. Lastly, I am fully abandoning the church of "think like a manager", long live the cult of "just answer the question".

I find this kind of question hard to study for. I thought I understood MFA (and the difference between MFA and 2FA).

I try to "just answer the question" but now I feel I need to over-analyze every question to find the gotcha. Am I overreacting? How many of you would have gotten this right?

On the LearnZapp app, I been scoring between a 65%-75% first time answering the questions I have never seen.

Once I got to the Communication and Network Security domain it was lights out. I feel like this domain is far too technical and I feel like I am studying for the CCNA not the CISSP.

Is the actual CISSP test this hard, because I am finding this domain on LearnZapp to be very difficult. The way the questions are worded and the technical jargon along with and over abundance of not spelled out acronyms is damn near impossible to pick the best answer.

Has anyone else had this experience in this domain?

Boy, that was a doozy...

I first failed this back in 2022, but I can't say I passed on the first try.
I won't talk about the test, and I won't give "advice," but I will tell you about my background and what I did to prepare.

Work Experience
Briefly, I have worked in military and DoD spaces with an emphasis on Networking/Communications.
I am just shy of the 10-year mark in IT experience, with 5 of those years in Cybersecurity.
My current role is in Incident Response and Log Review.

Learning Materials
I read maybe two pages of the OSG... (Not that it's not needed, but it's just not for me.)
I'm not that kind of reader.
I learn best through repetition with exam sims, terms and definitions (index cards), tables, visuals, and practical application (work).

I started with Boson Exam Sim.
It was okay.
It was a good starting point for familiarizing myself with concepts I wasn’t used to.

I then moved on to LearnZApp (Premium).
This did a better job of asking questions that more closely mirrored how they’re presented on the exam.
I recommend doing the 120+ question tests they provide, then identifying your lowest-scoring domains. After that, take bite-sized exams (10-25 questions) per domain in your free time.

YouTube

• Pete Zerger's Exam Cram Link to video
• Pete Zerger's Exam Cram 2024 Addendum Link to video
• Andrew Ramdayal's Think Like a Manager Link to video

I took the day before and the day of the exam off from work.
The day before, I sat in a coffee shop and watched the YouTube videos I linked, pausing when I needed to jot stuff down in my notes.

I must emphasize something about the day before...
Taking the day off, watching a movie, and taking your mind off the exam may work for you, but it doesn’t work for me.
I didn’t feel like I was cramming.
I was relaxed while refreshing myself on some small key points (filling tiny knowledge gaps) throughout the videos.

Exam Day
Eat something, preferably with carbs.
I think you want just enough "nerves" hitting you, but not too much.
The one weird thing I did was listen to a song or two that would give me frisson.
It helped calm my nerves just a bit.

Hey guys! So I sit for the exam tomorrow and I'm almost certain I'm gonna shit the bed on this one lol I purchased the peace of mind package but man; I do not want to have to take this one again 😂 I guess what I'm looking for is some encouragement I guess. I see so many people passing here and I'm definitely motivated! However, I'm terrified if I'm being honest with myself. That is all!

I felt relatively prepared going in but that test will shake your confidence. I thought for sure I was going to get all 150 questions or fail. Indescribable feeling of relief when it ended at 100. I didn't quite believe it but also didn't think I was doing so bad where it would've failed me at 100. Main point is just keep your mind focused and don't get too shaken by how bad it feels.

SSO and federation were certainly my weak point. I partially knew that going in and tried to strengthen up but their differences just weren't clicking in my head. I should have written out a better memorization chart highlighting their differences.

Did a program from Syracuse University called Onward to Opportunity to get the cert paid for. I don't think the videos helped a ton because they were very general but then again the test was very general. They had a bunch of practice questions which were more helpful. Beyond that used OSG and just a ton of practice questions, all that I could find. Drilled down on concepts I didn't understand during the questions.

Now the hardest part, waiting the long wait for them to approve my member lol

Hi cissp warriors,

I am currently preparing for domain 3 of CISSP. In this domain I see a lot of equation for cryptography (image uploaded).

Does isc2 also test on these equations? Do we have to remember them by heart and choose the equation in real exam?

Im still in disbelief, I was sure that I had failed. It turned out I had a weak spot at authentication protocols and the CAT found it :D when the test was over after 100 questions and it only said to pickup my report on the screen, I was sure I had failed. When the supervisor handed my the letter saying I provisionally passed, I could not believe it.

Resources:

I went through the essentials portion of each OSG chapter, I also watched the destination mind maps for domain 4. I got their book too, but never actually used it. In addition to scanning though the OSG, I found learnzapp to be the most helpful, though I did supplement with QE, who’s questions I believe are harder than the actual exam.

My advice would be to focus on the basics and general understanding, don’t get lost in details.

Thank you everyone 😊

Got endorsement complete today - same day - CISSP badge - Thank you all subreddit's supports and guidance by posting your thoughts , your insight

This question damaged my whole understand of due care.

I watched a video about due care vs due diligence by Mike Chapel in which he states "due care is the action that takes place in the moment, actions to carry out a plan". Due diligence is actions that are taken prior, in advance.

So by that logic, shouldn't "C" be the answer? I was already confused with due care and due diligence, this just made it worse !!

This was my first time ever taking a non-CompTIA cert. I knew the CISSP was going to be harder since you can't mark questions for review, and that the questions come at an adaptive difficulty, but man, what a rush.

When taking CompTIA exams, I would always feel like I was going to be fail and then would pass. I was watching my time to make sure I was progressing, the first dozen questions weren't too hard, but it took me almost an hour to get through 40 questions. By about question 60 I wasn't feeling good, it was like every question I was being asked was only about stuff that I didn't study too deeply on. I swear I had a half dozen questions on OAuth 2.0. I was so uncertain, I knew I was going to fail, but wondered how far past 100 I would make it, it was a good thing I took the peace of mind option to get a retake.

I hit question 100 with about 3 hours 15 minutes left (I have an accommodation that grants me double time, even though I never need that much). As soon as I hit question 100 and the test ended I was pretty disheartened that I had failed so quickly.

Imagine my surprise when I got my score report and it said I passed! Not sure how, but that test was a confidence killer. Happy regardless!

Study resources were the Destination CISSP book (great for review), the OSG (which I think was more useful), and a couple practice tests on LearnzApp (which I scored in the low 80s on). I also picked up the WGU Cyber Master's earlier this year, the CASP+, and have been doing support/operations with a security focus in a PCI environment for over a decade now.

Next up is going to be either the CCNP Enterprise or the PCI Professional.

Hopefully someone reads this, takes the test, feels like they are going to bomb it, and remembers this post and knows that all hope is not lost.

Background: 5 years of IT / 5 years of Cyber. Bachelor's in Cybersecurity Technology. ITIL, A+, NET+, SEC+ certifications.

Resources used: Coursera - CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional Specialization /// O'reilly - OSG 10th Edition w/ practice tests /// Youtube - 50 CISSP Practice Questions. Master the CISSP Mindset /// Learnzapp

Notes on the resources:

1. Coursera is free for military affiliates and their family members, this includes veterans. There is also a CISSP boot camp course on there, but I didn't use it.

2. O'Reilly is also free for Active Duty military and contains 10s of thousands of free course and study material for not just CISSP. It also has a course covering down on the 4th edition of CISSP, something I didn't use.

3. https://youtu.be/qbVY0Cg8Ntw?si=FmJ11TTYDNpO39t9 ; this youtube video is a must. If I didn't use it, I doubt I would've passed. Well worth the time to watch.

4. Compared to practice exams offered from OSG, I found learnzapp to be the best thing to run through practice questions and get into the mindset. It doesn't replicate what you'll see on the test, but it gets it close enough that you'll be properly focused. If I had to start again, knowing what I know, I'd run through the OSG practice questions/exams to remember the terminology better and then use learnzapp to get used to the types of question CISSP would ask.

Notes on self:

1. I am a very technical person. My background doesn't involve me working in a managerial role of any sort other than being a team lead. I suck at remembering terminology, and tests make me anxious. This is all to say I'm better at and prefer practical application over knowledge based.

2. I "studied" over a 3ish week period. I put quotations there because I'm currently working in an environment where I have very little personal time. Any time I could squeeze, I was listening to the Coursera course on x2 speed, doing learnzapp tests, and brushing up on missed stuff that either Coursera or learnzapp didn't cover through OSG. If I combined the totals day of which I studied, it'd be 4 days.

3. For learnzapp, I took about 5 total tests (one assessment, 3 practicals, 1 custom). Aside from the custom which I scored 88%, i averaged for all of them at 68% (which correlates well with me getting provisioned at 150).

4. It helped me to study for the exam when I actually scheduled the test and gave myself a deadline. If i didn't do it, I would've let work and the desire to procrastinate take over.

5. I walked into the test with a mix of confidence and acceptance that if I failed, I failed. Another user's post shot through and gave me the hope that the test isn't as bad as people cracked it up to be, and they were right. That's not to say it wasn't hard. It absolutely was. I started off with what I'd say were softball like questions before it ramped up in difficulty, and before I knew it, I was reading paragraphs. Some of the time, there were things I had never heard of before or knew what they were trying to ask. Again, watch the YouTube video and take the learnzapp, it'll do wonders.

6. A good portion of the exam (my version anyways), focuses heavily on using critical thinking and problem solving. If you can logically think through the problem and figure out what the desired outcome is, you'll solve the problem.

7. I can not stress this enough, if you take nothing else away from this post, WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO. It will provide major help when it comes to points 5 and 6. Still learn the required domains and all of its terminology, obviously, since there will be questions about them. But a lot of it will essentially ask, "What's the BEST approach to solve this problem?""

If I am able to do it with as little time as I had, how bad I am at tests, and how much impostor syndrome I feel while working in this field, then you'll do just fine with the amount of time and resources you're giving yourself. I know you'll be able to pass this test. Especially when you put more effort into studying than I did. Good luck.

Might seem like a dumb question but When signing up it said all information has to be exactly the same when presenting ID on exam day. Does that include addresses or just your name? I’m asking cause the address on my ID is different than my current which I used to sign up.

I’m hoping g to get my certificate the next few weeks. I’m looking for a nice frame for it. Would like something with the ISC2 Logo or CISSP logo. What all are you using? Pics would be great and if you have one with a logo please post where you got it from please.

When I passed my PMP in 2011, there wasn't a long wait to get my certificate. I agree with the verification process that is performed, but I had to get sponsored before being allowed to take the PMP exam. I think the CISSP certification should take the same approach. I'm sure others feel the same anxiousness in getting their cert and watching job opportunities pass on by.

Going to add to the community since I leaned so heavily on it but I passed my test yesterday at 100 questions in 138 minutes. I studied for at least 3 hours on the weekday and maybe a 1.5 hours max on the weekend (#kids) for 2 months. Resources:
Infosec boot camp taught by Kelly Handerhan (7/10)- Kelly is a great teacher and helped highlight what was important vs what you could glaze over.

Watched 50 hard CISSP questions (4/10)- I didnt like this too much but maybe it is because I took it early in my studying. I just didnt understand his approach.

Destination Certification mindmaps (10/10)- I lived off of these. I watched each one at least twice. For my problem areas, I may have watched those videos even more times.

CISSP Exam Cram Full Course by Pete Zerger (10/10)- This had way more than is probably necessary but was amazingly useful when coupled with the Destination Cert Videos

CISSP Exam Cram: Models, Processes, and Frameworks by Pete Zerger (8/10)- really good for just focusing on these items as sometimes they can get forgotten with all you are trying to memorize.

Master CISSP Risk Analysis Formulas (CISSP Exam Cram) (10/10)- great for just getting these concepts down. I had no problem with these after watching this video

LinkedIn Learning Mike Chappelle (5/10)- I didnt use this that much but I did use it for chapters that I was weak in. These videos were also very dry, which is probably why I didnt stick with them as much.

LearnZapp (9/10) great for learning the concepts and a well thought out interface. It made it easy to do a few questions in between chores. I wont lie, I was at 50% readiness for the longest time. It seemed like no matter how many questions I did I couldnt raise my score. Then about a week before my test I realized that my score jumped a lot when I redid the questions I got wrong. At the end I had a 68% readiness score with 1080 attempted, 902 correct. My highest percentile was 77 for Software development and the lowest wad 64% for security operations.

OSG (3/10)- this book is horrible. I tried to read it for my weak areas and couldnt even finish one chapter. I want to note, Im an avid reader. I dont have a problem reading textbooks, but this thing was terrible.

OSG questions and practice exams via Wiley online (7/10)- These helped a lot in identifying my weak areas and just with additional learning

Destination Certification app (6/10)- This is useful for learning the material but it doesnt have very many questions. I used it early on, ran through almost all of the questions then turned my attention to other resources

Quantum exams (10/10)- This is a beast. I did about 300 questions and got a max of 61/100. Best resource for the which answer is Best, Worst, Likely etc... However, it does suffer from some grammatical errors in the answers. There was one question on here where Im pretty sure the answer is incorrect but as others have said its probably the best (only?!) resource out there for getting you to think the way you need to for the test.

https://www.jalson.ca/blog/mnemonics-and-memorization-techniques-for-cissp-exam (9/10)- Someone posted this recently and I found it extremely useful. Wish I knew of it sooner.

As for the actual test. It was horrible. I think it may have actually been worse than Quantum. I often had no idea what the question was asking and wondered if I even studied for the right test. There were maybe 5 questions where I 100% knew what the question was asking and the answer. My time management was fine so I knew I would be able to get a few questions in beyond 100 but by question 35 I figured I was just going to look at this as a learning experience to understand the test for when I had to take it again. I ended up choking on the water I was drinking when I saw I passed. Thanks for all your help everyone!

Passed today at 150! Felt so nervous doing the entire exam like uhhhh am i gonna fail.

Def weird questions out there for sure. Already have some who is endorsing for me.

Work info submitted.

Now I guess I just wait for the follow to confirm or deny my app?

I thought that a datagram exists at layer 4 of the OSI model, and that it was specific to UDP. And that segments were the unit associated with TCP.

I'm watching a Dest Cert video on layer 3 and he's referring to the units as packets, but "more appropriately it should be called a datagram".

So I googled and used ChatGPT to clarify and what I'm seeing is that my initial understanding is correct, with the caveat that terminology is loosely thrown around for units at different layers. Is that what's gong on here? Or is there some kind of discrepancy here of some kind?

Hey everyone,

First of all, I would like to thank all of you who took the time and shared their advice, tips and thoughts on this subreddit. It was very helpful for me, and I'm sure for everybody else!

Background:

I have well around 4 years of security experience, mostly in azure (defender suite). Mainly working as a consultant. I have took eJPT, different microsoft security certifications and my latest was Security Operations - SC200.

Study:

I have studied for 2 weeks, around 2-3 hours daily, with a full revision day before the exam. My study was from Dest Cert book (OSG supplement), Pete Zerger exam cram, LearnZapp and Quantum Exams. (Many thanks u/DarkHelmet20 for the superb practice tests).

Exam:

I provisionally passed at 100 questions, with 60 minutes left. I honestly had no clue how I was doing BUT I tried to choose the (best?) answer. Even though it didn't make sense sometimes.
I would confidently say that this exam wasn't like how I expected, but it surely has heavily emphasized on actual understanding of the question & scenario.

Hi all,
I’m thrilled to share that I’ve finally passed the CISSP exam! 🎉

I wanted to take a moment to go into detail about my experience, share what worked for me, and provide recommendations for anyone preparing. Feel free to ask any questions—I’ll do my best to help!

First Attempt:

• For my first attempt, I relied solely on Destination Certification (Dest Cert) and their practice exam. It’s a solid course, but I feel for the price, it should include 2-3 practice exams.
• I completed the course, felt confident, but ultimately failed at 150 questions. In hindsight, my mistake was approaching the exam with the mindset of “Think like a manager,” which I now believe is overrated. I misunderstood the core requirement: to simply answer what the question is asking. I also rushed the exam hit 150 questions, with 31 minutes left.

Someone once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” So, I changed my approach.

Second Attempt:

This time, I booked my exam for five weeks later and changed my study plan:

• I added Quantum Exams (QE), Pocket Prep, OSG Practice Tests, Pete Zerger’s Exam Cram, and CertMike’s tests to my study routine.

Scores and Reviews:

Here’s how I performed on each platform and my thoughts on their usefulness:

1. OSG Practice Tests (7/10):
   • Scores ranged from 70% to 85% across domains and practice tests.
   • It’s great for a wide variety of questions, but not as exam-focused as I’d like.
2. Quantum Exams (10/10):
   • Scores ranged from 43% to 56%
   • What makes QE brilliant is that it teaches you to answer what is being asked, in a way that mirrors the actual exam. My worse result was 43%, which I think was my third attempt and I used THINK LIKE A MANAGER and was my worst result.
3. Pocket Prep (9/10):
   • Scored 85% on Pocket Prep.
   • I learned a lot of concepts through this tool. It’s excellent for identifying weaknesses but should not be used in isolation.
4. CertMike’s Tests (8/10):
   • Scored 78%.
   • The seminar review was golden for me. While not as hard as the real exam, it provides a strong benchmark.
5. Pete Zerger’s Exam Cram (10/10):
   • A fantastic course. Pete’s explanations and focus on critical concepts really made things stick
6. DEST CERT (8/10):

I do think this was a great resource but I learn the best doing questions/exams. I just felt if they had 2 or at least one more practise exam styled like the one that is currently there, this course could have had it all.

Lessons Learned:

• Think like a manager is not always the right approach. Instead, focus on the appropriate and cost-effective solution to each scenario.
• Practice tests are key, but mix them up across platforms to expose yourself to different question styles

Recommendations:

• Budget-Friendly Approach:
  1. Start with a comprehensive free course (e.g., on YouTube).
  2. Use Pete Zerger’s Exam Cram repeatedly until concepts stick.
  3. Use the free versions of LearnZapp or Pocket Prep for practice questions.
• Mid-Range Budget:
  1. Do Pete Zerger’s Exam Cram after a comprehensive course.
  2. Use Dest Cert mindmaps for concept clarity.
  3. Supplement with Pocket Prep for identifying weak areas and QE for exam-like preparation.
• If Budget Isn’t a Concern:
  1. Combine Pete Zerger’s Exam Cram, Dest Cert, QE, and Pocket Prep.
  2. Ensure you have access to multiple practice tests to diversify your prep.

Exam Day:

First Attempt:

• I had a great night’s sleep, reviewed mindmaps in the morning, and stayed calm during the exam. My mistake? I rushed through it, overthinking the “Think like a manager” advice and misreading questions.

Second Attempt:

• It was a disaster:
  • Barely slept (thanks to my daughter waking up every 30 minutes).
  • Trains were canceled, and I had to take a £70 taxi.
  • No breakfast—just Red Bull and sheer willpower.

During the exam, when I passed 100 questions, I thought I’d fail again. I took a quick break, washed my face, and told myself: “YOU WILL BE CERTIFIED.” That mindset shift helped me push through, and I passed at 130 questions.

Closing Thoughts:

This journey wasn’t easy, but the key was adapting my approach, learning from my mistakes, and persevering. If I can do it, so can you. Let me know if you have any questions—I’m happy to help!

Now, time to relax. 🏆

Failed a few years ago.
Picked back up studying around April of this year.

Currently watching Inside Cloud and Security's YT videos for simple review and catch things not solidified.

Started with Boson's exam sim, and then paid for a few months of LearnZapp for exam sim prep.
I plan to take a one of the 125 question exams tonight, and review.

Just curious for any recent test takers who passed found that LearnZapp was a good source to use.

Is provisionally passing the CISSP, legit passing?

I'm happy but shitting myself right now

Hi, ive got my exam in a few weeks. I revision is now just doing the Learnzapp CISSP questions. My overall readiness score is abkut 70%.. has any used this app before? And is it similar to the exam? In the way of how the question is worded and written.

On the way back home from the exam while I type this. Where do I start?

The actual exam experience - couldn't sleep much so was awake from 3:30 am. Reached the centre early and settled in. Overall I couldn't gauge whether I was doing well or poorly. Some questions were much easier whilst others were quite tough. I basically did a speed run because I didn't want to second guess myself too much (apart from the few questions where I spent a min or two). I did notice that CAT repeatedly probed certain topics which I am assuming I was not doing too well on. In just under 90 mins I finished q100 and the exam ended. Honestly, I was ready to get up and take a break (since I had so much time left) if the exam didn't end there but thankfully it did.

Preparation duration - 2 months (45 days on book, 15 days on tests and practice exams)

Resources used - Destination CISSP book (45 days) and Destination YouTube Mindmap Videos. Also used official practice exams and Quantum Exams (QE). QE was definitely more difficult than the actual exam. But as @darkhelmet20 says that's the entire point of QE. I have mentioned in another thread at one point QE was hindering my confidence so I stopped using it after doing 300 questions so I would say figure out how much practice you need for yourself and use other resources in combination.

My experience - 4 years in tech risk consulting, past 2 years working as Senior Manager in tech risk

Other Certs - got CISM in July 2024, CISA in 2019 (and MBA last year).

Let me know if you have any questions or info that would help you with your exam. My advice: prepare extremely well, trust yourself on exam day and DONT second guess yourself.