CISSP For Dummies
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon
Many resources are available to help the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) candidate prepare for the exam. Self-study is a major part of any study plan. Work experience is also critical to success, and you can incorporate it into your study plan. For those who learn best in a classroom or training environment, (ISC)2 offers CISSP review seminars.

Commit to an intense 60-day study plan leading up to the CISSP exam. How intense? That depends on your own personal experience and learning ability, but plan on a minimum of two hours a day for 60 days. If you're a slow learner or reader, or perhaps find yourself weak in many areas, plan on four to six hours a day — and more on the weekends. But stick to the 60-day plan.

If you feel you need 360 hours of study, you may be tempted to spread this study out over a six-month period for two hours a day. Consider, however, that committing to six months of intense study is much harder (on you, as well as your family and friends) than two months. In the end, you'll likely find yourself studying only as much as you would have in a 60-day period anyway.

Studying on your own

Self-study might include books and study references, a study group, and practice exams.

Begin by downloading the free official CISSP Candidate Information Bulletin (CIB) from the (ISC)2 website. This booklet provides a good basic outline of the exam and the subjects on which you'll be tested.

Next, take the online practice exam and review the additional study materials on the Dummies website. CISSP For Dummies is written to provide a thorough and essential review of all the topics covered on the CISSP exam. Then, read any additional study resources you can to further your knowledge and reinforce your understanding of the exam topics.

You can find several excellent study resources in the official CISSP Candidate Information Bulletin (CIB) and online at CCCure and INFOSEC. Finally, rinse and repeat: Do another quick read of CISSP For Dummies as a final review before you take the actual CISSP exam.

Don't rely on CISSP For Dummies (as awesome and comprehensive as it is!), or any other book — no matter how thick it is — as your single resource to prepare for the CISSP exam.

Joining a study group can help you stay focused and also provide a wealth of information from the broad perspectives and experiences of other security professionals. It's also an excellent networking opportunity (the talking-to-real-people type of network, not the TCP/IP type of network)! Study groups or forums can be hosted online or at a local venue. Find a group that you're comfortable with and that is flexible enough to accommodate your schedule and study needs. Or create your own study group!

Finally, answer lots of practice exam questions. There are many resources available for CISSP practice exam questions. Some practice questions are too hard, others are too easy, and some are just plain irrelevant. Don't despair! The repetition of practice questions helps reinforce important information that you need to know in order to successfully answer questions on the CISSP exam. For this reason, take as many practice exams as possible. Start with the Practice Exam on the Dummies website and try the practice questions at Clément Dupuis and Nathalie Lambert's CCCure website.

No practice exams exactly duplicate the CISSP exam (and forget about brain dumps — using or contributing to brain dumps is unethical and is a violation of the (ISC)2 non-disclosure agreement which could result in losing your CISSP certification permanently).

Getting hands-on experience

Getting hands-on experience may be easier said than done, but keep your eyes and ears open for learning opportunities while you prepare for the CISSP exam.

For example, if you're weak in networking or applications development, talk to the networking group or programmers in your company. They may be able to show you a few things that can help make sense of the volumes of information that you're trying to digest.

Your company or organization should have a security policy that's readily available to its employees. Get a copy and review its contents. Are critical elements missing? Do any supporting guidelines, standards, and procedures exist? If your company doesn't have a security policy, perhaps now is a good time for you to educate management about issues of due care and due diligence as they relate to information security. For example, review your company's plans for business continuity and disaster recovery. They don't exist? Perhaps you can lead this initiative to help both you and your company.

Attending an (ISC)2 CISSP CBK Review or Live OnLine Seminar

The (ISC)2 also administers five-day CISSP CBK Review Seminars and Live OnLine seminars to help the CISSP candidate prepare. You can find information, schedules and registration forms for the CBK Review Seminar and Live OnLine on the (ISC)2 website.

If you generally learn better in a classroom environment or find that you have knowledge or actual experience in only two or three of the domains, you might seriously consider attending a review seminar.

If it's not convenient or practical for you to travel to a seminar, Live Online provides the benefit of learning from an (ISC)2 Authorized Instructor on your computer. Live OnLine provides all the features of classroom-based seminars, real-time delivery, access to archived modules, and all official courseware.

Attending other training courses or study groups

Other reputable organizations offer high-quality training in both classroom and self-study formats. Before signing up and spending your money, we suggest that you talk to someone who has completed the course and can tell you about its quality. Usually, the quality of a classroom course depends on the instructor; for this reason, try to find out from others whether the proposed instructor is as helpful as he or she is reported to be.

Many cities have self-study groups, usually run by CISSP volunteers. You may find a study group where you live; or, if you know some CISSPs in your area, you might ask them to help you organize a self-study group.

Always confirm the quality of a study course or training seminar before committing your money and time.

Take the testing tutorial and practice exam

If you are not familiar with computer-based testing, you may want to take a practice exam. Go to the Pearson VUE website and look for the Pearson VUE Tutorial and Practice Exam.

To successfully study for the CISSP exam, you need to know your most effective learning styles. "Boot camps" are best for some people, while others learn better over longer periods of time. Furthermore, some people get more value from group discussions, while reading alone works for others. Know thyself, and use what works best for you.

Are you ready for the exam?

Are you ready for the big day? Nobody can answer this question for you. You must decide, on the basis of your individual learning factors, study habits, and professional experience, when you're ready for the exam. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for determining your chances of success or failure on the CISSP examination.

In general, a minimum of two months of focused study is recommended. Continue taking the practice exam on the Dummies website until you can consistently score 80 percent or better in all areas. CISSP For Dummies covers all the information you need to know if you want to pass the CISSP examination. Continue by reviewing other study materials (particularly in your weak areas) and actively participating in an online or local study group and take as many practice exams from as many different sources as possible.

Then, when you feel like you're ready for the big day, find a romantic spot, take a knee, and — wait, wrong big day! Find a secure Wi-Fi hot spot (or other Internet connection), take a seat, and register for the exam!

About This Article

This article can be found in the category: