Taking the CISSP Exam

Introduction

In June 2025, I achieved a significant milestone in my cybersecurity career: I passed the (ISC)² Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) examination. This blog post outlines my journey—from the foundational training in late 2023, through rigorous self-study and innovative revision techniques, to the tense moments in the examination centre and the eventual triumph. My hope is that sharing this experience will assist others preparing for the CISSP exam.

Date: 2025-06-27
Author: Simon Jackson

Background: Laying the Foundation

Back in November 2023, I had already enrolled in Caltech’s Postgraduate Cloud Computing Programme. This comprehensive course included mandatory modules on all three leading cloud service providers—Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform—as well as eleven elective modules, one of which covered CISSP subject matter. Over four weeks, I attended eight two-hour lessons twice weekly, completed two formal test papers (requiring a pass in at least two-thirds of each), and watched 80 per cent of the video lectures. By the fifth week, I had passed the Simplilearn variant of the CISSP course content, although I did not sit the official (ISC)² examination at that time.

My Employer’s Directive

Almost seventeen months later, my line manager emphasised the need for additional CISSP-qualified staff, and he wanted me to go for it. With the responsibility firmly on my shoulders, I resolved to convert my prior learning into formal CISSP credential.

This time, my preparation would be entirely self-directed, while balancing a full-time role as a Solutions Architect.

My Structured Revision Strategy

Revisiting Video Content
I re-watched all Simplilearn CISSP videos at 1.5× speed, completing this within a couple of days. This fast-paced review refreshed key concepts without sacrificing comprehension. I cannot show you a screenshot. as it's now expired; you're gonna have to trust that I did re-watch these.

Hunt For Practice Papers
I got the good old ISC2 Revision Cards; they were okay. Especially for the CIA Triad... but papers... everone wanted you to pay... so i moved straight to Whizlabs..

Whizlabs Premium Subscription
I invested in a premium subscription at Whizlabs. Funny story here: I claimed i just need the one course, and it wasn't available on the Basic Subscription - to my astonishment, i was given a Annual Premium subscription for £97 ($131). Not bad at all..
I had access to a lot of courses:

Over one week of background study — listening to approximately nine hours of videos.. mostly during work and in my evenings.
I challanged 50 questions, out of around 140 for: A) technical inaccuracies, B) non-sense questions, C) Biased questions and D) Questions clearly written by someone who can only read marketing material. 29x of them were accepted whereby 'questions will be revised by our exam content team, within 2 weeks'.. too late for me.. my exam was in a couple of days!!!

So I raced on... Took the 10x section-specific short-tests (passed them all) and a full-length mock exam, on which I scored 82.4 per cent. 80% is the passing boundary...

Interactive Role-Play with ChatGPT
For three consecutive evenings, I used ChatGPT’s voice mode as a rapid-fire quizmaster. My prompt was simple: “Simulate CISSP multiple-choice questions, pausing for my response before proceeding, until I say stop.” This interactive drill honed my recall speed and exposed weaker areas under timed conditions.
Some of the responses were really useful at closing my knowledge. I did around 105 questions, until i got bored... at 2am the night before the 10am exam.

Exam Day: Nerves, Procedure and Pace

On the morning of the exam, I experienced a momentary panic searching for my passport.

Once located, i necked my coffee, threw my boots on, and left my house.
A 40 min drive to the test centre; rock up, handed over personal items for storage, and posed for a photograph - I looking rather worse-for-wear after two sleepless weeks. Oh well.

The computer-based CISSP exam employs the Computerised Adaptive Testing (CAT) format. There is no back button, no flags and no review button - each question appears only once, accompanied by a timer (top-right) and a question counter just below; and the good old next button. Very minimal.

After one hour, I found myself on question 65 and feared I had answered many incorrectly. Knowing that the exam comprises a minimum of 100 questions over three hours, and may extend to 150 questions based on performance, I slowed down to focus on accuracy.

By question 100, uncertainty persisted. As question 101 appeared, I recalled a colleague’s saying: if you do not exceed 80 per cent accuracy in the first 100 questions, the CAT algorithm automatically extends the exam to 150 questions, giving you a second opportunity to bring the score up.
Realising this has just happened, i was sure i had failed.
I necked the last of my pint (bottle of water).. and pressed on..
Question 120 with 21 minutes remaining... I needed to speed up...
Arriving at question 149 with only 45 seconds remaining. Easy question...
Question 150... 41 seconds... dammit thats a hard one... read the question... i remember that one... picked the answer > Next...
A quick feedback form (timer still counting)... finally FINISH EXAM.

I had a mere six seconds left on the timer.

Awaiting the Verdict

The immediate 'you finished the exam' screen offered no summary, no result - no information except:

please to exit the exam room quietly, and speak with the exam invigilator

I left the room. Shook the hands of the security guard, who wished me luck.

I retrieved my belongings, took a quick bathroom break (three hours and 750 ml of water will do that to you), and returned to reception.

The invigilator (receptionist) was expressionless, handed me an open envelope. and said here you go...

I quickly pulled out the paper, unfolded it.... and skim-read. I found the word that makes all the effort worthwhile: “Congratulations.”
My hands were visibly shaking, and the invigilator even asked if I was comfortable with the outcome. All i could muster was a wholehearted “yes.”

Now i have to wait... It can take upto 7x days to receive the specific scoring of the exam results.
Just WOW.

Thankfully i got an email (left) giving me a nice grin on my face. Followed by an application to 'Join ISC2 as a Member'.
With an online form to fill-out; and job-history to fill in (felt like a job application).. I now have 2 weeks to wait.

Reflections and Next Steps

Passing the CISSP exam is both a professional credential and a personal victory.
The CAT format and high standards demand thorough preparation, strategic use of resources and mental resilience under pressure. Now, with the CISSP certification officially in hand, I look forward to leveraging this qualification to design and oversee robust security architectures at scale.

For those embarking on the CISSP journey, I recommend:

Structure your learning via reputable providers (I used two platforms: SimpliLearn and WhizLabs).
Go through lots of mock questions - take as many as you can (200-300 just isn't enough!)
Active recall practice, whether through peer study groups or AI-based simulations (this worked increadibly well for me).
Stress management techniques, including good sleep hygiene and exam-day logistics planning (traffic/road-works)- I cannot say i followed my own logic here!
Watch out for hidden words in the question; like customer, specific, negative, proportionate, method. They sometimes change the instinctive response from option A to option D.. that is too easy to fall for.
Personally: I read-the-question, tried to re-phrase it to myself. and read-it-again. I then had a quick think if the question is still how I first understood it to be.
I had one question with the word APPROPRIATE (in bold, and uppercase).. and i couldn't for the life of me work out why. Who knows..

With dedication, consistent effort and a calm mindset, success was thankfully within my reach.

Good luck on your CISSP adventure!

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