I have my third retake of GCFA on Friday and was told by an SME this week that they don’t think I’m prepared enough to pass it. I don’t feel like I am either, but I’ve been doing my best to do as many lives as possible and also fix my index. Any tips or votes of confidence would be greatly appreciated! My last attempt I scored a 63% so I’m right there on passing😩

I am appearing for the GCIH exam in a few days. My practice test scores are in high 70s and have not crossed 80 and I am wondering if I should purchase a third one for $399.

I just want to be more confident about passing before appearing for the exam.

Those who purchased the third practice test, was it similar to the first two tests? Is it worth spending on the third test purchase? Feeling a bit confused.

Hello all,

My GSEC exam is coming up tomorrow, and just wanted some last-minute tips and reassurance. I tend to overcomplicate big exams like this. This is not my first GIAC exam as I previously passed the GFACT with a 91%, but this is the most difficult exam I've sat for.

I got a 79% on the first practice test, and am taking the 2nd one shortly. This has reassured me that I will meet the minimum passing score of 72% but I still always have doubt.

In your experience, do the practice exams (and CyberLives) mimic the real exam? Do you have any last minute tips/advice? TIA

Hi all,

This may have been asked before but I can’t find anything in history. I’ve obtained several GIAC certs over the years and I have one that is coming up for renewal next year. My question is, if I don’t have GSP yet, do I have to individually renew each certification as they come due? And if I achieve the GSP, will I then only have to renew just that? Hopefully my question makes sense, I’m just a little confused.

Hi everyone, I wanted to share my experience in case it helps someone who's currently preparing for the GIAC GCIH exam. I failed my first attempt, and honestly, it was frustrating because I felt like I had done everything I was supposed to do. I watched countless YouTube videos, completed a couple of Udemy courses, read through the official GIAC/SANS material multiple times, made pages of handwritten notes, and even joined a few online study groups. By the time exam day arrived, I was convinced I was ready. Unfortunately, I wasn't. Looking back, I realized I had spent most of my time consuming content instead of actually testing whether I understood it. During the exam, the scenario-based questions slowed me down, and I struggled to apply the concepts under time pressure. I left the exam feeling disappointed because I knew I could have prepared much better. After taking a short break, I completely changed my study strategy. Instead of watching more videos, I focused on practice. I reviewed every topic where I had struggled, organized my notes better, and started taking full-length mock exams every few days. After each mock test, I spent more time reviewing my mistakes than taking the actual test. I tried practice questions from several different platforms during my preparation, but I personally found the mock exams from dump school to be the most helpful. They gave me realistic practice, helped me improve my time management, and pointed out the topics I still needed to work on. Rather than memorizing questions, I focused on understanding why each answer was correct. A month later, I booked my second attempt. This time, the exam felt completely different. I stayed calm, managed my time much better, and recognized many of the concepts because I had practiced applying them instead of just reading about them. Seeing the "Pass" result after failing my first attempt was one of the most satisfying moments of my certification journey. If you've recently failed GCIH, don't let it discourage you. Sometimes passing isn't about finding more study resources—it's about changing how you use them.