A practical breakdown of my preparation timeline, resources, question practice, exam-day experience, and lessons learned.
Summary
I passed the CISSP on April 6, 2026, at 100 questions with around 60 minutes left.
I bought the Official Study Guide in April 2025 and studied inconsistently for several months. Focused preparation started around December 25, 2025. From then on, I studied for at least two hours on weekdays and around four to five hours on weekends.
My main approach was to study a domain or topic area, then solve questions on the same topic immediately. This made weak areas visible early and kept revision tied to actual question practice.
Quick Snapshot
- Exam date: April 6, 2026
- Result: Passed at 100 questions
- Time left: Around 60 minutes
- Focused prep start: December 25, 2025
- Study routine: ~2 hours daily, 4-5 hours on weekends
- Main book: Destination Certification CISSP
- Main practice app: LearnZapp
Why CISSP
I chose CISSP because I wanted a recognized certification aligned with my security experience. I had an Information Security / Computer Science background and professional experience in security, but no major certification that represented that experience clearly.
At the time of the exam, I had around four and a half years of experience at Infosys across network security, security assessments, security operations, compliance, and control validation. That experience helped with familiar domains, but it was not enough by itself. CISSP requires broad coverage, security judgment, and the ability to choose the best answer from several reasonable options.
Preparation Timeline
- April 2025: Bought the Official Study Guide and started preparation.
- April to December 2025: Studied inconsistently.
- December 25, 2025: Started focused preparation.
- March 7, 2026: Paid the exam fee.
- April 6, 2026: Took the exam and passed at 100 questions.
I originally wanted a slot in the last week of March, but no seats were available. I booked April 6 instead. Most of the effective preparation happened during the final three and a half months.
Study Method
The routine was simple:
- Study a focused topic.
- Solve related questions the same day.
- Review mistakes.
- Update notes.
- Repeat until the domain felt stable.
I avoided reading large blocks of material without practice. Questions exposed gaps faster than passive revision. If I missed the same concept repeatedly, I went back to the book or my notes and revised that area again.
This worked better than separating study and practice into different phases.
Resources I Used
Books
- Official Study Guide (OSG)
Good as a reference. I completed Domain 1 from it, but did not use it as my main book because it was difficult to stay engaged with for long sessions. Later, I used it mainly for deeper review when needed. - Destination Certification CISSP
My primary book. It was easier to read consistently and helped me build a clearer understanding across domains. - Prashant Mohan Memory Palace
Useful for quick revision near the exam.
Apps and Question Banks
- Destination Certification Android app
Used for additional practice. I completed around 800 questions. - CISSP LearnZapp
My main practice app. Before the exam, I had 71% readiness, completed 1,476 questions, and attempted around 6-7 full-length mock tests. - Pocket Prep
Used some free questions for extra practice. - Thor Pedersen Udemy practice tests
Used during the final two to three weeks. I completed around 8-10 mock tests and question sets with a one-month subscription.
Videos
I used videos for targeted revision and question-style exposure, not as my primary study source.
- Pete Zerger: Skimmed the full CISSP video in a day.
- Prabh Nair: Used the Coffee Shots playlist for focused revision.
- Andrew Ramdayal: Watched the hard questions video.
- IT Dojo: Used for question practice and explanations.
Community Resources
- r/cissp on Reddit: Useful for comparing preparation strategies and exam experiences.
- Cyber Security Station Discord: Useful for CISSP discussion and Stank Industries practice questions.
AI-Generated Practice
I used Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude to generate practice questions from the topics I had just studied. This was useful for narrow, topic-specific reinforcement.
Claude produced better question complexity in my use, although the free-tier limits were restrictive. I treated AI-generated questions as practice only, not as an authoritative source. For weak areas, I cross-checked with books and notes.
Prompt structure:
Click to expand the AI prompt I used
Act as a CISSP study partner. Use the study notes I provide and ask me multiple-choice questions from the relevant CISSP domain.
Make the answer choices close to each other, with more than one option sounding reasonable. The goal is to practice choosing the most correct answer from a security manager’s perspective.
Ask one question at a time. Do not move to the next question until I answer.
If my answer is wrong, explain why the correct answer is better and why the other options are weaker.
Continue with questions from the same domain until I answer 10 correctly.
Include wording patterns commonly seen in difficult questions, such as: most appropriate, most effective, most critical, least likely, not commonly, incorrect, avoid, primary goal, and best next step.
Notes and Revision
I prepared handwritten notes for all domains and filled a 100-page diary. These notes became my main revision source in the final phase.
The notes were useful because they reflected my weak areas, corrections from practice questions, and condensed explanations in my own wording. Revising from them was faster than reopening every book, app, or video.
Difficult and Easier Areas
Domain 3 was the hardest for me. The cryptography-heavy parts, key lengths, algorithms, and related details needed repeated revision.
Network Security and Risk Management were easier because of my work background. Practical exposure helped with understanding and retention.
Even in familiar domains, CISSP still required careful reading. Many questions expect a governance, risk, or management-oriented answer rather than a purely technical one.
Final Weeks
In the final phase, I focused mostly on Domains 3, 6, 7, and 8.
The final-week routine was:
- Revise handwritten notes.
- Practice questions from different sources.
- Review mistakes carefully.
- Revisit weak topics instead of adding new material.
The day before the exam, I skimmed my notes and did a small number of Udemy questions to stay in rhythm without overloading.
Exam Day
The exam center process was smooth. The staff were helpful, instructions were clear, and the environment was calm.
I reached around 8:30 AM, was allowed in around 9:15 AM, and started the exam sometime between 9:30 and 9:45. I had around six hours of sleep the previous night.
My focus during the exam was to stay calm, read carefully, eliminate weak options, and avoid overthinking.
Exam Experience
The exam felt medium to hard.
Only two or three questions felt completely unfamiliar. For most questions, I understood the concept being tested, but the final answer still required careful judgment.
The real exam did not feel like most practice tests. In many questions, I could eliminate two options quickly, but the remaining two were close. The challenge was choosing the most appropriate answer, not simply identifying a correct statement.
I did not take any breaks. The exam stopped at 100 questions with around 60 minutes left.
Recommendations
- Build a routine that is realistic to maintain.
- Study one topic and practice questions on that topic immediately.
- Track mistakes and revise the underlying concept.
- Make your own notes instead of relying only on ready-made summaries.
- Use practice questions to improve judgment, not just to measure scores.
- Do not expect the real exam to match any single app or mock test.
The most useful parts of my preparation were consistency, repeated question practice, mistake review, and handwritten notes.