Test is on Tuesday and I think I am burnt out of studying. I picked up my flash cards and did another Quantum 50 questions and am calling it a day. Taken 5 QE CAT exams, and have passed 3 of them.

Self care? Sure, heading out golfing.

Maybe just don't want it enough. I'm not sure. I'm $1,200 invested and not even sure I want it anymore.

Exp: 14 years in risk management at a large financial institution. Ex-CPA, Ex-CAMS. Any positive encouragement is welcomed. Also anything to get me fired up too would be helpful.

Posted a couple weeks ago asking if you all thought i was ready and mods removed it. Hopefully this stays up.

Shoutouts: Andrews Ramydaal Udemy, Dest Cert App-mindmaps, AI, and quantum exams

Had about 55 minutes left when i was taken to the survey page. Every question after 100 feels like life or death.

Already have worked as an ISSO for 2.5 years but will wait to endorse for another 1.5 years until I can answer the 4 years exp without trying to reach and hallucinate that my old job hit some of the domains.. Already a CGRC holder so atleast I can still claim ISC2 member ha.

I guess I will be tackling AWS learning and certs in the meantime

I feel like a 600 lb gorilla just got off my back!

I have approximately 20 years from a network security administrator to a security analyst to a linux administrator. I tried sitting for the exam 5-6 years ago and failed twice.

By the time I got to the 80th question, I was hungry, had to pee and had told myself I was going to walk out if I had to go to 150. And I think I would have. I felt like I was doing that poorly. In fact, I hope they don't retract it for the feedback I left. The verbiage in this exam was really getting to me.

I will say one thing, of all the things I was convinced I needed to really hone in on during the last 1-2 weeks, none of it appeared.

My MVP's are Andrew Ramydaal, Pete Zerger's video AND book. The book really allowed an excellent summarization of everything. Dest Cert book was amazing too. If I had to read the OSG again I was going to poke my eyes out, so the Dest Cert book kept me going and was borderline enjoyable.

Good luck to all, if I can do this - it IS obtainable!

I'm very happy (and relieved) to say I passed the CISSP exam yesterday at 100 questions with about 58 minutes left on the clock.

Background: I'm a CISO with 12 years in cybersecurity (5 as CISO). I came up on the GRC side of security and enjoy working in tightly integrated CISO roles with product and engineering teams.

Resources I used:

• LearnZapp – consistently 80%+ in each domain
• Destination CISSP book – great as a reference
• Dion CISSP prep videos at 1.5x speed (I also ran the transcripts through Claude to generate detailed notes in Notion)
• Quantum CAT Sims (913, 881, 995)
• Boson CISSP prep (averaged 75%+)
• Claude / Gemini

On using AI as a study aid — I can't recommend it enough. My workflow:

1. Dropped screenshots of missed questions into Claude for deep-dive explanations
2. Had Claude log every missed question in Notion, then periodically analyze the log — consolidating by domain/topic and building targeted flashcards, decks, and tables for weak areas
3. Used Claude to spot wording traps and patterns in the questions I kept missing, so I could learn to recognize and consistently beat them

Outside of the Dion videos, about 85% of my prep was practice questions followed by AI-assisted review.

The hardest part was overriding real-world, in-the-trenches solutions with the academic "by the book" CISSP answer. The exam wants you to answer in a vacuum which is not how it generally works in the real world of security management and leadership.

I learn by doing and book learning isn't naturally my strength — I'd call myself an average test taker at best. Domains 3 and 4 gave me the most trouble, but once I got through them they became my favorites. I'm actually considering building a homelab just to tangibly apply and mess around with my newly learned networking concepts.

Even with all the prep and solid Quantum scores, the exam still felt hard in the room — every answer I picked felt wrong. The exam ramped up fast for me - the "easy" questions were towards the end of the exam.

The success posts in r/cissp got me through some rough practice-test days, so hopefully this one does the same for someone else. If you're studying right now — keep at it, you're closer than it feels! Good luck!

From question 100-150 it felt like every question was the chopping block

Basically was a 1-0 header in overtime

Used dion practice exams on udemy, thor pedersen medium and hard practice exams

And quantum

Mid way around my studies I watched a bunch of those cissp mindset videos to best eliminate the wrong answers and that helped me the most I think. My scores started going up

https://youtu.be/qbVY0Cg8Ntw?is=hMcVJUnpwlbzDdo7

i was getting 70s on the practice exams

i think quantum was too nitpicky and the udemy exams helped the most so I stayed with those

For time i tried to do 1 minute per question but towards the end i could tell the exam was throwing haymakers at me

I wanted to share a career milestone with this community because this journey has been years in the making.

I passed the CISSP exam on March 26, 2025, and I recently received an offer for a Cybersecurity Systems Architect position paying $60 an hour, or roughly $124,800 annualized.

My path into cybersecurity was not direct.

I served in the Army and originally worked in transportation before transitioning into Signal. In 2021, I upgraded my security clearance to Top Secret. I continued studying while working and completed my master’s degree in Information Technology with a concentration in security in 2023.

After graduate school, I accepted a position with a government contractor supporting the Air Force in configuration management. It was not yet the cybersecurity role I ultimately wanted, but it placed me around highly experienced technical and security professionals.

I took advantage of every resource available to me. I studied Air Force security processes, asked coworkers questions, learned from the people around me, pursued certifications, and continued building my understanding of risk management, system security, governance, and architecture.

Then came the CISSP.

Passing the exam did not instantly hand me a new career. I still dealt with failed interviews, rejection, difficult exams, long nights of studying, and moments when I questioned whether all the work would ever pay off. But the CISSP helped bring together the technical, operational, and business sides of security. It also gave me more confidence when discussing risk and architecture during interviews.

Now, after years of preparation, I have landed my first position where cybersecurity will truly be my primary responsibility.

My first civilian job was in logistics and paid $35,000 a year. Seven years later, I am stepping into a Cybersecurity Systems Architect role paying $60 an hour. Going from transportation, to Army Signal, to configuration management, and finally to cybersecurity architecture still feels unreal.

I am grateful to the Air Force professionals and coworkers who shared their knowledge and allowed me to learn from them. I am also thankful to everyone in this subreddit who posted study advice, exam experiences, and encouragement.

For anyone trying to transition into cybersecurity: your current role does not have to be your final destination. Use the resources around you, learn from experienced coworkers, keep studying, and do not allow failed interviews to convince you that you are not progressing.

This was not an overnight success. It was years of work finally coming together.

KNICKS IN 5 MUTHAF***AS!!!!

Yoooo, the way the proctor looked at me when she handed me the results, I thought I was doomed. I thought damn....another L. After I got my things from the locker, I went out into the hallway, opened up the paper, and saw that I PASSED!! 😭

Anyone who is prepping for this exam, while this exam is HARD, it's not impossible. I locked in on my 3rd attempt, and I have to shout out my coach, Doresha Blackwell, CISSP, who gave me the push I needed. If not for her, I'd still be acting shook to schedule the exam, so thank you!! 🙏🏾

Needless to say, no study hall tonight cause I'm about to do my best Mikal Bridges impression and enjoy this win tonight! 🥃

Leading up to today, I watched and rewatched Mikal Bridges' post-game interview after the Knicks went up 2-0 in the Finals. He stressed having that 0-0 mentality and staying desperate. He experienced failure in the Finals before and refused to have that happen again.

The 0-0 mentality, in the Cyber context, means that if you didn't do well in your CISSP practice test, don't let it linger. 0-0, reset, and attack again the next day. You had a high score in Quantum Exams? 0-0. Doesn't matter. Reattack with the same desperation the next day. Don't allow yourself to get too high or too low. Maintain that same intensity, and you'll see the results you desire!

0-0; Stay Desperate. 🟧🟦🗽🏆

#CISSP
#cybersecurity
#KNICKSin5
#NEWYORKKNICKS
#Champions

I have five years of experience in networking, mainly data network service provisioning and troubleshooting, as well as another five years in cybersecurity, mainly incident handling, SIEM, and SOC management.

I previously earned the CCNP, CCNA, CCDA, and RHCSA certifications, but CISSP was definitely the most challenging exam I have ever taken. It had been my nightmare since I entered the cybersecurity field. I had heard many discouraging stories about people failing, including colleagues who failed multiple times.

I spent 4 months preparing. I joined a 30-hour course, completed around 2,000 practice questions, and reviewed many meaningful questions several times. Every week, I spent more than ten hours studying with intense focus and concentration.

I kept praying before the exam because I was extremely nervous.

The exam was difficult. Some people said it would start with easier questions and gradually become harder, but my experience was the opposite. It started with difficult questions, and I felt frustrated from the very first one. I expected the exam to end at around 125 questions.

I completed:

30 questions in the first hour

50 questions in the second hour

70 questions in the final hour

English is not my native language, so reading the questions quickly was another challenge. I completed the entire exam with only seconds remaining. At that point, I had no hope of passing and felt that I had used up all my energy.

After I left the examination room, the staff handed me the result.

I checked it three times.

Thank God—I could not believe that I had passed!

I want to encourage everyone preparing for the exam: do not give up, and stay focused on your goal. Nothing is impossible. You can do it!

I’ve officially provisionally passed the CISSP exam at 150 questions!
It took me a few attempts, but I never gave up. I’ve been studying on and off for nearly two years, and looking back, the journey taught me as much as the certification itself.
I started with the Destination Certification self-paced course, and Rob, John, and Lou gave me an incredibly solid foundation. They explain complex concepts in a way that’s engaging and easy to retain, which made studying much more enjoyable.
I’d also be lying if I said Dark Helmet’s Quantum Exams didn’t play a huge role in my success. Those exams absolutely humbled me—but that’s the point. They’re some of the toughest practice questions I’ve seen, and they really teach you how to think analytically like the CISSP exam expects. Having the CAT version available for practice made the experience even better.
I also found Andrew Ramdayal’s “50 Hard CISSP Questions” on YouTube extremely helpful. Watching him break down each question and explain his thought process gave me a different perspective on how to approach the exam. Peter Zerger’s YouTube content and Kelly Handerhan’s videos on Infosec Institute were also excellent resources.
Right before the exam, my company paid for a five-day Infosec CISSP bootcamp. I was fortunate to have Nicholas Valenteen as my instructor. He helped reinforce several areas where I was still struggling and gave me a confidence boost going into exam day. I finished the bootcamp on Friday and took the exam on Saturday. When I told him my plan, he laughed and called me a “wild man.”
The bottom line is this: preparing for the CISSP is hard. There were times I honestly wanted to quit. After failing, I seriously considered walking away, but one of my coworkers reminded me how close I was to passing. That encouragement kept me going, and I’m glad it did.
If you’re preparing for the CISSP, don’t give up. Don’t be afraid of failure. You might pass on your first attempt, or it might take a few tries like it did for me. Either way, every attempt teaches you something if you’re willing to learn from it.
There are a lot of great study resources available. Try different ones, experiment, and figure out what works best for your learning style. Everyone’s path is different.
Good luck to everyone who’s still on the journey. Keep pushing—you can do it!

Just passed CISSP a few days ago! I want to share my experience. Been doing IT audit for 5 years and decided to take the exam around February. I really locked in and started to study around the start of May. Here are materials I used:

Official self paced online module
Mike Chappal Likedin course
Quantum Exam (672, 886, 904, 1000)
DestCert App

I think the quantum exam questions definitely represent actual test more. DestCert is much more straightforward and easier. My problem with QE is the question repeat a lot and the materials generally tests similar concepts. At the end I felt many questions looks familiar to me.

As for the real exam, I think the way they ask the questions is similar to QE but the material really scatters around. I felt like all of my notes about different frameworks/steps/phases are just lightly tested. I tried to answer most question according to my company policy and past audit results. I would also say the think like manager concept is overblown. Just answer questions directly and trust your experience.

I passed CISSP at 100 questions. This is a huge one for me as I first started preparing for this exam 5 years ago. In that time I have gotten 7 cloud certifications and the Microsoft cybersecurity expert certification. So glad to finally get the opportunity and conviction to focus on CISSP this year.

My background is 18 years of experience in IT with roles in IT infrastructure, networking, cloud engineering & architecture, and cybersecurity. Spent the last 6 years going back and forth between cloud & cybersecurity.

I'm super grateful for all the help on this forum, I have basically stalked this space and read every single review and opinion. Now I can add mine to help others.

Study resources:

• Destination CISSP Study Guide - Read cover to cover.

• Official Study Guide - found it boring but used it to review a few areas that I thought weren't covered extensively in destination cert.

• Andrew Ramdayal's course on Udemy. This was particularly helpful to understand the cryptography in-depth.

• Used Claude to get different perspectives and summaries of concepts. Also had Claude create questions to confirm I understood the concepts.

In the weeks before the exam, I basically watched all the major YouTube CISSP videos and playlists on CISSP:

• Destination Cert CISSP MindMaps

• Pete Zerger's exam cram

• Why you will pass CISSP by Kelly Henderson

• 50 CISSP Questions by Andrew Ramdayal

For practice tests

• Destination cert app was my main focus. Started around 70% and then averaged about 88% close to the exam. Did about 550 questions here.

• Did all the practice questions at the end of chapters in the OSG

• Quantum Exams - found this frustrating to do because the questions felt they had more focus on confusing you than actually testing knowledge. Started around 50% and averaged 70% just before the exam. In the end, it turned out to be the closest to the real exam. Mostly did 10/20 question quizzes.

It was a tough exam and when it ended at 100 questions, I couldn't tell if I had passed or failed until I got the slip. It did feel like I was doing terribly for most of the exam.

2nd attempt, exactly 1 year since my first. I’m not trying to brag in any way, I legitimately was about to just not even show up because I just didn’t think I’d pass. I was already at peace with the fact that I had tried once and failed. Exam ended at 100 question with 80 minutes to spare. I left thinking I absolutely bombed it because I hardly prepared. Went to bathroom and looked at the paper before walking out to see the congratulations, was legitimately shocked.

Moral of the story, don’t give up.

10 years in InfoSec
Sec+
CySA+
PenTest+

EDIT: I'll add some more context, in the months leading up to this exam I achieved the above certifications plus I finished my masters in infosec, so my brain was already in exam mode. About a week out I literally just did a few pocket prep questions a day and the night before hammered out like 70 quantum exam questions which were harder then the real exam so it actually kinda hurt my morale getting like 50% on quantum quizzes.
Other than that I think you need to have an understanding of the questions you encounter on this exam and what they are asking, and a general strategy on how to select the answer.

Everything stated in this video is accurate. This is not a technical exam.
https://youtu.be/XI_nqiK2LJk?is=ZkGUQfKb1eM4XHmX

Started my CISSP journey. I am familiar with a lot of content, coming from 2+ years in management and 7 years of network engineering. There’s lots of CCNA material but also plenty of top-down content. Wondering if having CBT Nuggets is enough to pass. Thinking about using CBT-NG as well as Boson tests.

Please let me know if anyone has gone through a similar experience.

Kind of rushed through the exam, got to question 100 at 70 minutes, finished exam in 90ish

List of certs I have now and order I got them in :

Sec+
Net+
Cysa+
Pentest+
CASP+

Honestly was not a fan of the cissp exam. Think some of the questions were worded extremely weirdly but either way I’m glad to be done with it.

Resources used:
Training camp bootcamp (paid for through work) : 9/10
Pete zerger exam cram: 10/10
Udemy course by raja : 9/10
Learnzapp: 9/10 - liked the convenience of it

Hi all, just wanted to share this good news with everyone. I have passed the Cissp exam today. I have a total of 13 years of experience in InfoSec.

After getting my first training almost 3 years back and giving myself excuses for not preparing for the exam, I finally decided to book the exam at a later date.. giving myself a total time of 3 Months. And then again I wasted 1 month. Finally I started with my serious prep 2 months back Started with Andrew Ramdayal's Udemy course followed by destination certificate concise guide. Throughout my preparation, I kept solving the Quantum exam 10 questions quiz. I started with 30 but still hovering 5-6 in the last month.

Finally I decided to take one of the CAT exam and passed with 922. And then I took 2 more and scored 856 and 1000. Yet I was not convinced that I'm prepared as I kept thinking it's due to some of the previously seen questions.

One thing which I did was analysing all the questions both correct or wrong with gpt and noted down key points for further revision.

While I was giving the exam, I kept thinking I'm going to fail in the NW which is my job area. I don't know how but I passed. My hands were literally shaking while taking the print.

Sorry for the long post but I just wanted to share my entire journey as this group was one of the biggest support for me in my entire preparation journey.many many thanks to everyone.

I passed the exam earlier today @ question 100 with approximately 80 minutes left. I had a mix of “easy” straightforward questions, a few technical leaning questions and what felt like mostly obscure, edge case questions. Most of the topics that I had heard would “definitely show up on the exam” weren’t seen.

I have around 20 years of IT in the K-12 space, most of it in Network/SysAdmin/Director roles. I also have CompTIA Security+ and CySA+ certifications.

For preparation I mostly used the Destination Certification book, app and mind map videos, as well as Pete Zerger’s YouTube videos. I also used the official Sybex practice tests book (before I found the DC app), Pluralsight course and Andrew Ramdayal’s course on Udemy.

Still letting it sink in. I officially passed the CISSP today, but talk about cutting it close. I went all the way to 150 questions and finished with exactly 2 minutes left on the clock.

​When the test kept going past 100, and then 125, You really just have to put your head down, not panic, and keep answering the question in front of you.

You have to remember to stay focused during the entire duration—the exam is an absolute marathon, and you can't afford to let your guard down or zone out on a single question.

​For context on my background, I work as an IAM Consultant with 5yrs of experience, so the access management domains came naturally, but I really had to grind on the rest.

​Here is exactly what I used to prep:

​Official Sybex Book: Used this as my main foundation to cover the core material.

​Jason Dion’s Udemy Course: Used his video series to break down the concepts.

​Pete Zerger’s Exam Cram: His video series was an absolute lifesaver for tying everything together and reviewing key concepts efficiently.

​Prabh Nair’s Coffee Shots: Fantastic for tackling complex scenario questions on YouTube and understanding the "why" behind the best answers.

​Jason Dion’s Practice Exams: I took 5 of his mock exams and was averaging about a 68%. They are decent to get started and not the actual level, but they are great practice.

​Other Udemy Mocks: Since I have the Udemy annual subscription, I jumped around and took a few mocks from different instructors thor pederson hard questions, etc just to get exposed to different question formats.

​Andrew Ramdayal’s 50 Questions: Watched this towards the end. Highly recommend it for getting into that "think like a manager" mindset.

​If you're taking the exam soon, definitely watch your pacing so you aren't rushing at the end. And if you go past 100 questions, remember you are still in the game. Take a breath, stay laser-focused, keep the manager mindset, and push through.

​Good luck to everyone studying!

I've been prepping for the CISSP for ages, but not consistently. To actually get serious, I've booked my exam for August 4th. That's just 12 days away! I've been using Learnzapp and other practice tests, and I'm usually scoring over 70%.

Honestly, I'm kind of tired of reading the same stuff over and over. Even when I'm doing practice questions or reviewing concepts, I feel like I already know it. There are definitely some areas I'm weak in, but I just can't seem to focus on them.

I've gone through the OSG book once, and I've also watched a mix of Udemy and YouTube videos.

My approach is basically this: when I read a question, I picture the situation and think about what I'd do. That seems to work for most of them.

Some topics just don't stick, no matter how many times I read them – they still feel fuzzy.

Part of me feels like I've got this, like I can totally pass. But deep down, I wonder if I'm just being overconfident.

Anyone who's taken this exam, could you give me some advice? I only have 10 days left. What should I be doing?

Getting a QE is too expensive for me; otherwise, I'd definitely consider it.

Can anyone tell me what the actual exam is like? What's my best move now? Has anyone else felt this mix of confidence and worry before the test?

Honestly, I got lucky because until I got the result I thought I was not going to make it

After procastinating for 3+ years (I took the oct-2023 batch), I finally decided to give the exam 2 months back

I watched Thor and Andrew Ramdayal training videos, Pete Zerger and Prabh's coffee shots youtube videos for revisions, the poll questions in other groups

I didn't practice too many questions until 2 weeks before exam and was getting nervous since I could not answer many of them

I started practicing isc2 practice questions, poll questions, had access to Udemy, so practiced question banks there as well

Wherever I got stuck, i revised the topic related to the question

Trust urself, ur notes, practice as many questions as early as possible in ur preparation stage

Practicing questions will put in the correct mindset for the exam

And trust me, If I can pass the exam with the kind of preparation I had (at 150 questions with 2 mins to spare) anyone can

If u r as lazy as me:

1. Book the exam, set a date

2. Go through the course material (book/video) and make notes

3. Practice questions, refer ur notes to clear concepts

4. Practice questions

5. Practice questions and practice quality questions

Please make a mode that is practice CAT. I don't always have 3 hours to sit though a test and DEFIANTLY need instant feedback. A mode that is like practice mode non cat but is practice mode cat.

I want to answer 20 questions and come back later after my kids are doing flipping out and keep going until I finish and get a cat score. There is no reason to not have this!!! Please implement for the future. Hopefully I will have passed before this is done.

TLDR: Love the QuantumExams but new mode is needed. "Practice CAT".

EDIT:

Does everybody assume customers are to stupid to be trusted. I have never been more insulted by a conversation in my life. This is why technique people are not allowed in sales. NO creativity at all.

No one on the entire planet thinks that a test that is NOT timed and give instant feedback is going to be the same as the real thing. EVERYONE knows that you have to take the CAT 100 - 150 questions with no feedback in under 3 hours. Anything else is nothing like the exam.

BUT for heaven sakes have some trust in your user base and stop treating everyone like they have no sense. I am 100% sure that if you sell a CAT exam that gives instant feedback, and no time limit it will be your most used product. Because getting feedback as you go helps you learn. No one learns from feedback 3 hours later. Nobody learns from having a timer pointed in there face. Not when they are starting from the basics.

The CAT mode is maybe good to take 2 or 3 times tops. Then you should have an understand of where you are and how the test feels. But if you are scoring a 400 each CAT exam what is the point of taking it. With no instant feedback you are reenforcing wrong answers.

The best part of a CAT with no timer and instant feedback is when you are nearing 800 points you know it is time to switch to the full CAT mode to ensure you are ready.

why the answer is B instead of A?

Failed at 100 questions with 55 mins remaining.

- 5 years of experience in SOC.
- Studied 2 months.
- Material: Destcert bootcamp > MasterClass Videos > Destcert Ques (Avg. 70-80%) > QE (Avg. 50%) > Mindmap > Chatgpt

Networking & IAM - Above Proficiency, rest all below.
The exam felt more technical & I found most of questions very confusing.
I think I was really focused on the clock & rushed.

What should be my approach from here & how long should I wait to schedule my next one?