The original plan started out a while back where I had some free time during a project. I started looking through the books and course notes. I was planning on looking into learning more about management and maintenance of security, and the CISSP is an excellent path to learn those topics. Later in November, I did a little more planning and booked the exam for January. The original plan was during winter break to study, but as always, there was little time and put it off. Middle January I noticed I was not ready (and with my wife telling me I should use more time to study) I rebooked it to end of March. It’s winter anyways and the weekends are cold, so it’s perfect to study.
Study plan was:
Conrad’s Blue CISSP book - perfect for getting through the scope of material.
Shon’s "All-in-One"Book - this book is terrible, but because it so badly written and jumps over the place, it’s a good study guide. Don't use it at first.
CCure.com - This practice website is essential. The last month I just hammered each section to average at 80%
Paper - I used two full note books of paper, writing down every little note and practice question. This helps in slowing down and writing is the physical process of memorization.
Eat better - for the past two months I tried to eat as healthy as I can and also started cycling to work.
My Study plan was every Saturday I would go to the library and take a full 250 practice exam. This is essential for two parts: One it prepares you for the full exam and second is simulates the duration of studies. You should be able to complete a full exam with 80%
The actual exam is similar, obviously the questions are different. The point is that they are not like Cisco or other exams. You'll find only a handful of, “what port does POP use?” type of questions. Most are along the lines of what would be the best solution from the organization’s perspective.
