CISSP
Advice on passing the CISSP exam
In this guide, I will discuss the best way for you to pass the CISSP exam and what resources you should use on your journey.
Passing the CISSP exam is no easy thing and can be very overwhelming. However, if you break it down into manageable chunks and follow my advice you will be fine.
Firstly, you need to do some basic research on who ISC(2) are and what the CISSP is. You also need to understand how CAT testing works.
You can also watch my video on YouTube to give you more insight into CISSP, CAT testing and ISC(2).
Destination Certification CISSP MindMap YouTube Series
You need a high-level understanding of what is contained within the domains. You need to start mentally mapping out all the CISSP domains and topics contained within them. I think one of the best resources for this is using Destination Certification CISSP MindMap YouTube series.
It is important to note that you need to watch the whole playlist - which is 29 videos.
I would suggest watching all of these in the correct order before even buying the CISSP book (I will CISSP books later on). You will need to pay full attention but do not take any notes at this early stage. It is just about getting that bird's eye view.
Once you have watched the MindMap videos, you should have an insight in the domains and the topics you will need to tackle.
The next I recommend is reading SunFlower Notes. https://www.sunflower-cissp.com
The notes consist of around 37 pages of detailed notes on the various topics contained within the domain. It is important to constantly reference this throughout your study.
You should read all of the notes and at this stage, I do not recommend taking any notes. You just want to read them so you mentally have a note of various things you will be coming across. Doing this will begin to map things out in your head which is important at an early stage. That way when you do more detailed study and note-taking at a later stage things tend to stick more.
CISSP Mentality
It is important to understand what perspective to be answering the questions from. The CISSP is unique in the fact that you are looking for long-term solutions for security issues in the questions. You are not at an operational level fixing everything, instead, you are a security manager, director or CISO advising a company. That in a nutshell is how you need to approach each question you face.
Understanding this mentality while studying is important, it is not a memorisation exam - instead, you will use what you have learnt and understood to pick the best option.
To better understand this mentality I strongly advise you to watch Kelly Handerhans YouTube Video on the CISSP exam titled "Why you will pass the CISSP".
This video is useful as the CISSP Mindset is important to understand early on and throughout your learning journey.
Another useful content creator that helped me out a lot in my early stages is Prabh Nair. Prabh has a whole suite of videos on CISSP and other exams.
Studying - Books
You have many different resources and options you can use when studying for the CISSP exam. It can be quite confusing on which one to pick.
I personally used a combination of resources, however, I think this made my journey harder and more confusing looking back retrospectively.
I think you should pick one main resource that you use and stick with that. The resource I would recommend is the CISSP Official Study Guide and CISSP Official Practice questions.
Buying this package gives you around 1500 questions, which is an excellent starting point.
You can find them both on this link: https://amzn.to/3n8Gl5x
These are the most beginner-friendly resources and will be the best path in my opinion. I would start by reading the book chapter-by-chapter and taking notes and doing all the questions at the end of each chapter.
Alternatively, you can use the CISSP CBK.
Link to the CISSP CBK: https://amzn.to/3ndPvhm
The CISSP CBK is a very good resource however it is quite a technical read.
I have compiled all the best resources here - So click on this link and you can navigate and find the best CISSP resources: https://kit.co/CyberSalih/cissp-resources.
It is important to explore different study techniques such as diagrams, drawings, notes, visualisation, and sitting back and really thinking about the concepts.
Make sure to re-read your weaker areas.
The goal is to reach an 80-90% pass rate on the official exams. However, you are still not ready for the real thing so keep reading on!
Repetition.
Now what you have to do is go back and watch the CISSP MindMap videos (Destination Certification), then watch Kelly Handherhans YouTube video, re-read the Sunflower notes and also watch some Prabh Nair videos to help reinforce the concepts.
This time going through the first few steps with all the knowledge gained from the CISSP book will give you a different perspective.
Again take it slow, and take notes if you so wish.
Bonus Book
I think another book you should purchase (I certainly did) is the Destination CISSP book.
Link: https://amzn.to/3HlsmjX
This book gives you a very good lightweight and high-level overview. You need to start pulling these concepts together and being able to relate the different domains to each other.
BEST RESOURCE! - Luke Ahmed - Study Notes and Theory
By far the best resource in my opinion is Luke Ahmed's Study Notes and Theory. He has an amazing website which if used correctly will give you everything you need to pass the exam, he links various resources, videos and practice questions.
However, at this stage, you should be fairly confident with the content. You want to buy his monthly package about 6 weeks before your exam and use it for one month.
He has around 875 questions that each has very detailed explanations. The complexity of the questions (I believe) surpasses the actual exam. I failed almost every single one of his exams but passed the CISSP exam with top marks.
I think this resource will over-prepare you for the exam. Better to be over-prepared than underprepared though?
So make sure you read all the explanations, even if you got them wrong!
His website is: https://www.studynotesandtheory.com/
Make sure you are constantly going back and revising weak areas throughout this and other practice questions.
Questions, Questions, Questions...
After finishing all of Luke Ahmeds 875 questions, your confidence will be knocked. You will not feel ready because you will most likely score quite poorly on his questions. However that is fine if you have time to do some other questions.
Doing other questions will build your confidence because you will suddenly realise how much you have learned from Luke. When you approach normal "Official" questions you should easily score in the 90%-100% range. Ensure you practice on some other questions to give you this realisation before the exam.
One thing I did, which is quite cheap I know... I would go into the app store and sign up for a free trial on various CISSP question apps, I would then do all the questions and quickly cancel the trial before I was charged. I suggest doing something similar as you should be able to whiz through the normal questions after going through the Study Notes and Theory questions.
However, be careful. Make sure you read reviews and research what apps are good. Some apps are outdated and are not relevant for CISSP.
Good Luck
Doing all of these steps is what I believe is the best and most efficient way to self-study and pass the CISSP exam. I hope you pass, keep your head down.
FYI - Please do not underestimate how much effort this takes, I had many 4 am mornings and late nights in preparation, and I lost time out with family and friends and needed a good support structure so I could focus. I would advise if undergoing the CISSP journey you consider this carefully and have conversations with close ones so that they understand the time commitment you are making.
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