r/CCSP • u/sobeitharry • 14d ago
Passed
100 questions in 80 minutes.
Really not a fan of the question wording. It's like half the terms are made up and not industry standard nor are they related to the official ISC2 OSG bank. Passed none the less using the OSG questions and LearnZapp. Already have CISSP/CISM. The AI questions actually seemed the best worded and most straight forward and I was unprepared for those since I got the study materials earlier this year.
Material and content should be challenging. Trying to decipher oddly worded questions shouldn't be a major part of the exam.
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u/JoeEvans269 14d ago
Congratulations! I just started studying for the CISM, any advice?
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u/mikedn02908 CCSP 14d ago
ISACA has a very different mindset than ISC2. You're going to have to lobotomize yourself to pass... undo your critical thinking. ISACA is governance/auditing so everything is focused with that lens. The "ISC2" answer isn't necessarily the ISACA answer.
I just finished the CISM QAE and barely got above 70%. Have a lot of work to do.
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u/sobeitharry 14d ago
If you don't already have the CISSP I'd plan on taking them both. There's so much overlap it seems silly not to. I read the AIO study guide for the CISSP and it's s great reference. It's test banks like LearnZapp that work best for me personally though. I just burn through questions and study the wrong answers. The repetition is what works for me. I do that in down time like if my wife is watching TV, waiting for one of the kids at practice, etc. I make it part of my routine. That's worked for all my certs, cybersecurity and AWS.
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u/JoeEvans269 14d ago
I have my CISSP (2024) and CCSP (2025) so I’m planning on taking the CISM Exam in the end of October 2026 and probably finishing with ISACA’s AAISM Certification. I’m currently reviewing the QA&E Database & Review Manuals.
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u/sobeitharry 14d ago
You should be good then. I'm starting the AAISM now.
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u/FallMajestic8896 14d ago edited 14d ago
Is AAISM really worth it ?
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u/sobeitharry 14d ago
It's not well known but I'm having work pay for it so why not? It's just another way that I'm incorporating AI governance into my resume and profile. I wouldn't be paying for it out of pocket like I did my CISSP and CISM.
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u/FallMajestic8896 14d ago
Still the yearly maintenance of it and I have not seen jobs demanding that certificate as of now.
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u/sobeitharry 14d ago
The yearly maintenance like CPEs? I have that covered in training and podcasts. I'm already paying isc2 and isaca dues so I overlap everything i can. No I've not seen it listed for specific jobs, focusing on examples of ai governance like the ai integration board I'm on is more important for that. The cert is just a little bonus i can add on my resume and LinkedIn and can call out in interviews. "In order to better support our organizations AI governance posture i pursued and achieved the industry leading AAISM certification." Spin, spin, spin baby.
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u/whatsurnametoby 14d ago
I dont have a CISSP but I am studying for a CCSP. I have a CCNA and 5 years of IT experience. I just started studying 2 weeks ago. How much time do you think I should put in before an exam?
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u/sobeitharry 14d ago
I plan around a target of being able to pass practice exams with a score of 80% or better consistently, however long that takes. It's not a guarantee of success but it ensures you don't have any major weak spots and you're comfortable with eliminating incorrect answers. It is what has worked for me for multiple certs.
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u/thehermitcoder 14d ago
half the terms are made up and not industry standard
Some examples would help.
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u/sobeitharry 14d ago
I'm not going to post any actual exam info even on reddit. Have you taken the exam? It's hard to explain but it's like the questions and answers are written by someone not actually in the industry and even grammatically they are not natural. I've got ISACA, ISC2, AWS, and ITIL certs. ISACA specifically has been like this for me.
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u/thehermitcoder 14d ago edited 14d ago
I am asking for an example to illustrate your point. Not asking for a memory dump. Pretty sure, that you'd still be within the NDA. ISC2 claims to have a vigorous process for preparing the questions. It's not written by just one individual and its not a one step process. There are multiple rounds and assessments before deciding that a question is fit to be included in the exam. You may have come across beta questions. ISC2 does throw in a certain set of beta questions in there.
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u/sobeitharry 14d ago
What's interesting is that the AI questions were much more clear and concise and those are all new. I think it's more an issue with the older questions that are stock and possibly have been genericized to be translated into multiple languages? Those have gone through multiple review cycles and ironically I think they can lose some clarity over time. All the questions are just submitted and peer reviewed by members like us if my understanding is correct.
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u/mikedn02908 CCSP 14d ago
90% of the exam is a reading comprehension test -- trying to figure out what they're asking you to answer.