CISSP and CISA Prep Advice

CISSP and CISA Prep Advice

The CISSP and CISA are the top two information security certifications. Both are well regarded throughout industry and are worth the journey for professional development. Ensure you meet the minimum requirements before studying for either exam. I recommend taking the CISSP first, followed by the CISA within one year.

CISSP Prep

I thoroughly read the CISSP Prep Guide, highlighted and took notes. Upon completion of the book, I subscribed to 1,700 on-line questions from SRV Publications.

http://www.srvbooks.com/cissp_exam_online.htm

The CISSP Prep Guide was an excellent resource and I found it enlightening. The "Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP" has since been released and is also rumored to be a good book to prepare for the exam.

The SRV questions provided a slightly different perspective and helped prepare for answering 250 questions in one sitting. The www.cccure.org site is also a great resource.

Delay scheduling the exam until you are ready to take it. I scheduled mine one week in advance. This tip is critical to success because unforeseen events may impact your studies.

I recommend sleeping overnight in a hotel close to where the exam is given. You really need to have your wits about you. Candidates are given 6 hours to complete the exam. In my opinion, that qualifies as a mental marathon. You should also stay close because no one is admitted once the exam starts. In a metropolitan area, there is the risk of being late and forfeiting the cost of the exam.

CISA Prep

Prepare for the CISA exam using the basic advice outlined above. I used the ISACA CISA Review Manual and CD-ROM, both available on their site. Many ISACA chapters offer inexpensive training using official CISA Review Course materials. I took a review course in south Florida (8 Saturdays, 8 hours per day, for $250). The combination of the book, CD-ROM and review course made studying for the exam very manageable.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards,

Gideon

Gideon T. Rasmussen
CISSP, CISA, CISM, IAM
Charlotte, NC
http://www.virtualcso.com

http://www.ussecurityawareness.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/insider-threat
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/security-awareness
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gideons-infosec-list

Posted: Sat Jan 6, 2007 2:33 am