WOW I #@$% provisionally passed CISSP at 100 questions on 3/2/2019. ROFL!!!! I have slayed the beast and it feels good!
Thank you to everyone and anyone that helped me along this journey.
About Me:
I have been in IT/Information Security for about 16 years. The majority of my experience centers around end point security (HIPS/HIDS/Host Firewalls/DLP etc.)
Study Materials:
Sybex 7th cover-to-cover X1
Sybex 8th cover-to-cever X1
11th Hour cover-to-cover x2
Shon Harris All-in-ONE Spot reading for clarification many many times
Various NIST/old ISO/SANS documents I skimmed these and no question they help. Anytime you can review CISSP content straight from the source I find it very useful.
ITPro-TV CISSP with Adam Gordon - The content is good but Adam is verbose and I had trouble maintaining focus during his presentations.
Sari Greene CISSP 2nd Edition X2 I really like her presentations. Easy to follow and straight to the point.
ThorTeaches CISSP video/questions Easy to understand and straight to the point. His question are also great for a refresher before the test. I like the format of his website as well.
Kelly Handerhan CISSP videos from Cybrary: These are what I used as my very first resource when studying for this test. These are an absolute must and who does not love Kelly?
Study Notes and Theory: The Covert Timing/Storage video put me on the road to success for this test. Having a visual representation of some of the CISSP concepts really helps. I highly recommend watching all of Luke's videos. Go also struggle through the questions. They put you in the mindset necessary to pass the test.
Boson Exam Environment CISSP questions: These are very good. The questions are asked in the same format as the actual test which is helpful. Read the explanations at the end of each question. That is the best part.
Sybex Offical Practice Test: These are good for finding your weak areas but not my favorite.
CISSP Practice Exams 5th Edition Shon Harris. I love the explanations in this book. Read the explanations of both right and wrong answers. The book is a much better experience than the on-line testing engine.
ITDojo on youtube: Good questions that are a little different from standard on line/off-line testing engines.
LSAT Logical Reasoning - Logical Reasoning Basics video by The LSAT Trainer. I love this video. It was a good change of pace from the slog that is studying for the CISSP exam. I think logically reasoning is an important part to taking this test.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OOM92tWVMg
McGraw-Hill Education CISSP questions: This was my favorite FREE resource for questions. I think these questions are the most like the actual test. The content is a little old but question wording is very good.
Larry Greenblatt: Video and most importantly test questions. It costs you 99 dollars for the video and test questions. The test questions are easily worth the 99$ on their own. These questions helped me to realign my brain to the CISSP mindset. They essentially taught me how to take the test.
The test:
This test mentally draining. I had maybe 5 questions that I knew the answer right away. I was certain that I was going to fail. The best advice I can give is to study hard and know every subject to the best of your ability. Contemplate the scope of each question. Determine the best answer that fits the scope of the question. Do not try and outsmart the question. Pick the best answer from the only choices you have. Take into consideration time and cost as major factors. Good luck and with hard work you CAN pass the exam