CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) exam is said to be one of the toughest exams to pass. But it is not impossible to crack it in the first attempt. Most CISSP experts say that CISSP is an information security managerial exam. At the same time, risk managers say it as a very technical exam, but according to techies, it is not very technical. Whatever it is, if you have enrolled your name for the best CISSP Certification Course, then you will make efforts to crack the exam in the first attempt.
Tips to Pass the CISSP exam
The key to passing the exam is to prepare smartly and not endlessly. The candidate who follows a systematic study or training schedule gets good scores in the exam. Here are some of the important tips that help you to win in your effort.
Make the preparation balanced
The biggest question before every CISSP candidate is what the best way is to get prepared. Whether to prefer self-study with online materials, join a boot camp for rigorous training or to take simulated exams online. Even though all of these choices make the best choices, it leaves something behind your preparation.
Even though online study materials are easily accessible, you may need the help of coaches to get technically intricate details. The boot camp provides rigorous training but takes your valuable time and convenience. Simulated exams only can’t help you with effective preparation.
So balance it by selecting a reputed center that provides a perfect mix of online study materials, study sessions, and mock tests. There are reputed centers to provide quality study materials for self-study, online sessions headed by experts to clarify the technical doubts, and unlimited access to mock tests.
Study materials
One book is not enough to make preparation effective. Even though you get study material online, don’t limit it with one. It is better to collect an array of resources. Make sure that you make use of up-to-date resources and books that meet the requirement of the current version of CISSP. You can search online for quality study materials and books prepared by the experts. A collection of good study materials boosts self-confidence and makes a good start to exam preparation.
How to study
Be a marathon runner instead of a sprinter. Go through each chapter slowly and steadily without missing any of the topics. Don’t make a sprint. Take your time to understand each of the important topics in detail. Take chapter-wise practice exams and make sure you score 80 to 90% before moving to the next chapter. This exam helps you access your knowledge and to know about weak areas where you have to put more attention. It is a good idea to start with the first domain and to move forward. The candidates who spend 50% of the time studying CISSP material and rest 50% on practice exams are found to make good results in the exams.
Plan the study schedule
When you are at boot camp, you need to spend hours for continuous 5 days. So, the study plan depends on how you learn. It is a good idea to enroll your name for an online course to make a flexible study plan. It helps to prepare for the exam without dedicating your usual engagements. It is good to spend at least one hour a day with fixed timings to make the study effective since consistency is the key.
Go through summary sections
It is a good idea to go through the summary sections of each of the chapters to make sure that you don’t miss any of the topics. Solve the questions given at the end of each of the chapters in the textbook. This helps you in completing each of the chapters and move to the next chapter with confidence.
Don’t Memorize
Most of the candidates try to memorize everything. But the best tip to prepare for the CISSP exam is not to memorize. Instead, understand the concepts in detail. The questions for the exams are designed to check your comprehension and not your memory power. Know the important concepts AIC (Availability, Integrity, and confidentiality) back to front and inside out.
Don’t cram
Don’t get crammed a couple of weeks before the exam since it can make you feel cluttered. Whatever you studied for the exam are subject to long-term memory. Hence don’t put everything before you in the last hours of the exam just as everyone does for different types of exams.
Take plenty of practice exams
This is one of the best tips to increase the chance of getting good scores in the exam. Practice exams are important just as the study materials. Take plenty of practice exams you can. This makes you familiar with most of the questions that can be asked in the real exam. Moreover, it helps you a lot with effective time management to cover all of the questions in the allotted time. It eradicates the exam fear and helps you build confidence. Taking several practice exams make you feel the real exam question paper just as another test paper you have practiced and make you free from unwanted tensions, fears, and frustrations.
Time management
This is one of the most important aspects to concentrate more. You have six hours to complete the exam. You should manage your time carefully. Make use of the last half an hour to recheck the answers and to see if something has missed. So try to finish the test 30 minutes before the deadline. If you don’t know the exact answers for multiple-choice questions, avoid wrong answers and leave it to attend in the end. Make a smooth start to the exam by attending the questions for which you know the sure answers. The benefits of mock tests help you with effective time management.
These are the tips followed by the CISSP experts who have gained good scores in Certified Information Systems Security Professional exam. Now start preparing for the CISSP exam with a confident heart and mind to crack the test in the first attempt.
