Quick Tips for CISSP Exam

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Let me say “All the best” to you, before I start giving you tips for the CISSP exam. These tips are not mandatory to follow, but will surely help you manage and crack the exam.

CISSP is a six-hour long exam that contains 250 questions. The majority of these questions are multiple-choice questions. There are a few drag-and-drop types and a few Hotspot questions asked in the exam. You have to schedule an exam through (ISC)2 website which further takes you to book the exam at the Pearson Vue website.
  • Reach the exam center approximately 45 minutes in advance before your scheduled time. This will help you to settle down. Start early so as to reach early rather than waiting on the way and thinking whether you will reach on time or not.
  • When you reach the Pearson Vue center, you will be given a set of instructions to read. These instructions are different from the NDA to be signed for the CISSP exam. In case you have any queries regarding the instructions, feel free to ask the proctors. They are friendly and helpful.
  • Your photograph and palm scans will be taken before beginning the exam.
  • Do not forget to carry two identification cards having signatures on both proofs.

Now, when your exam starts, do keep the following in mind. These tips will surely help you.
  • You will be greeted with an NDA before you begin the exam. Read the NDA – you have 5 minutes to do so.
  • Failure to accept this will forfeit your exam money and you will not be allowed to move further ahead in the exam.
  • Post the successful acceptance of the NDA, your exam begins.
  • You have a timer that shows the 360 minutes you have for the examination and a “Flag for review” option where you can flag the questions which you are unsure of at that moment for further review.
  • Try to make a strategy to solve the 250 questions. 25 questions are reserved for research purposes.
  • I followed the following strategy. It is always better to follow your own plan basis your strengths and weaknesses.
  • It is extremely important that you go through all 250 questions at least once in around 2.5 hours. I glanced through all the questions and answered around 100 questions in one go which took around 3 hours. I used the “Flag for review” option wholeheartedly. Remember, you have to be focused for six hours, so it is very important that you should not stress yourself if you don’t know the answers. Remain calm, if you do not know the answer to a lot of questions in the first go, then flag them. This is perfectly normal.
  • I used the next 2 hours to solve those questions which I had flagged for review or had left unanswered. The remaining one hour was focused on reviewing those questions which I was extremely unsure of or confused between two options as they both seemed likely.
  • There is no negative marking in the exam. So it is recommended that you answer all the questions.
  • There are no scheduled breaks in the six-hour-long exam. Try to take a break after 2-3 hours depending on your level of focus which you have at a particular point during the exam. It is perfectly normal to feel that you are not able to answer any questions even after repeatedly reading the question and taxing your brain.
  • Take a break, take long breaths, have a chocolate or a Red Bull 😁, and go back with a fresh perspective to take on the exam.
  • As soon as the time is over, the exam automatically finishes and you are greeted with a message that the time has finished. You may call the proctor in case there is any issue that you face during the exam.
  • You can collect the exam result from the main desk. Remember, you are never confident when you walk out from the exam hall to the main desk. Whatever the result, always tell yourself that at least you took this risk and tried. If you pass, like I passed on the first attempt, there is no end to happiness and a feeling of conquering the world. If you fail, don’t dishearten yourself. You can give the exam again.
  • I faced a lot of dilemmas while preparing for the exam. Always be positive and focus on your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

If you reached here, let me thank you for reading this article. If you are yet to give the exam, all the very best for your exam. If you have passed the exam and would like to share your tips with everyone, feel free to comment below. Remember “sharing is caring”!!

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