I've done finally done it...

I've finally moved out of my folks place and getting settled in my own place. Granted living with my folks wasn't the worst thing in the world, I got along with my parents really well but it has its moments where it was....challenging. Yea that's the right word. Part of my challenge is that I work at the same company as my dad and when I'd do dinner with them (most nights) the topic would inevitably shift towards work. So it never felt like I left work. Neither of us had the discipline to make that topic off limits despite swearing to do so.

But now I'm on my own. The first week or so took some getting used to, especially making sure I got up and got out at a decent hour to make sure I didn't have to fight too much traffic. I find that I need a pretty rigid routine in the morning or I start getting distracted and getting late. Stupid ADD! 

I don't know the area super well, so I'm looking forward to when it warms up so I can take my longer runs to explore the neighborhood. two birds with one stone...

my CISSP prep strategy

It is said that test taking is a skill that can be learned. This is something that I feel is true. But you need a certain amount of preparation to ensure a successful exam. I think the knowledge of the material will get you a certain number of points but test taking skills may net you a few more points. This can make the difference between a pass and a fail. I think lots of practice exams helps build this mind set.

Materials used
 cccure.org
Shon Harris CISSP All in One book+CD

Comments
 I skimmed through the CISSP book. After going through the ginormous book, I used the CD's practice problems. I found these questions to be much deeper in detail than the exam itself so it wasn't very representative. Also I felt that there wasn't enough detail around explaining why the question wasn't correct. After that, I spent a lot of time on cccure.org's questions. I found the explanations to be very helpful. Also there are lots of questions in their question bank.

CISSP results

I got my results for the CISSP exam several weeks ago. Now I'm just waiting to put my endorsement paperwork in because I'm right on the borderline for the amount of experience... :(

I also took the CISA exam this December, so I was busy studying for that. There is a ton of overlap in material, but there's more of an emphasis on governance and audit.Hopefully I have good news at the end of January.It seems it takes then 6 weeks for results.

A lot of my colleagues have asked me how I had studied for the CISSP like what study materials did I use, what practice questions did I use, and were the practice questions similar to the the exam. Perhaps I should put together a couple of posts on that....:)

CISSP results and reward

I got my CISSP results yesterday.....drumroll please....And I passed! I promised myself that I'd reward myself with an iPad that I'd use as an e-book for me to study for the CISA this winter and for all the other stuff that people use the iPad for.

CISSP results....still waiting

I'm still waiting on my results for my CISSP exam. It's been just more than 4 weeks and I should be getting them any day now. Hopefully I will have something to celebrate.

I'm Free!

Took the CISSP exam on Saturday. It took me 4 hours with probably 45 minutes of review time.  But now I can actually do more interesting/enjoyable things with my time.

Exam certs are like marathons

With my CISSP exam coming up this weekend, I was thinking about the exam. I realized that preparing for the exam itself is very similar to training for a marathon. Granted I've only done one marathon but the experience has stayed with me (for better or for worse)

• A marathon training plan is typically 18 weeks ~4.5 months with a decent amount of conditioning.
  Exam prep takes 18+ weeks of consistent studying.
• With a marathon, never ever ignore your long run. It is what helps you get ready for the full race distance.
  With the exam, taking multiple full length exams will help you get a feel for the types of questions and the amount of questions and help you ration your time.
• Most marathon training plans have the last 2 weeks as taper weeks with low mileage. My last two weeks before the exam have been relatively light so as to not stress myself out too much.
• Commitment-Both obviously take lots of commitment to do well with.
• Relief-once you're done you feel so relieved.

If I go any further, I'll just be stretching the analogy.