A breakdown of my study timeline, resources, question practice, and exam-day experience.
Intro Summary
I passed the CISSP on April 6, 2026, at 100 questions with around 60 minutes left. My prep was not perfect from the start. I bought the OSG in April 2025, studied on and off for a while, and only got serious from December 25, 2025.
From that point, I studied daily for at least two hours, and longer on weekends. My prep was built around one simple approach: study a domain, then solve questions on that same topic immediately. I used a mix of books, apps, YouTube, AI-generated quizzes, handwritten notes, Reddit, and Discord. In the end, what helped me most was consistency, lots of practice questions, and using resources that actually matched my style.
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 I Decided to Do CISSP
One of the main reasons I wanted to do CISSP was simple: I did not have any major certification. I had my Information Security / Computer Science degree, and I had already been working in security for a few years, but I wanted something more solid on paper as well. At that point, CISSP felt like the right next step.
By the time I took the exam, I had around four and a half years of experience at Infosys across roles related to network security, security assessments, security operations, compliance, and control validation. That background helped with some parts of the syllabus, but work experience alone does not cut it for this exam. You still have to sit down and study.
How the Journey Actually Started
My CISSP journey did not begin in a very disciplined way.
I bought the Official Study Guide in April 2025, but for a long time, my preparation was completely on and off. I would study a bit, stop, come back later, and repeat the cycle. The serious phase only started on December 25, 2025. That was the point when I decided I needed to stop treating it casually and prepare properly.
From then on, I studied every day for at least two hours. On weekends, it usually went up to four or five hours. Nothing fancy, just consistent effort over time.
I paid the exam fee on March 7, 2026. My original plan was to book a slot in the last week of March, but there were no seats available, so I ended up booking April 6 instead. Looking back, that extra bit of time helped.
What My Prep Looked Like
My prep style was pretty straightforward. I would first study a domain or a specific set of topics, and then test myself on the same topic that very day. That worked much better for me than reading a lot and leaving practice for later.
Along with normal question banks, I also used AI tools like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude to generate quizzes based on whatever I had just studied. That was useful. It helped me check whether I had actually understood the topic or had just read through it. Out of the AI tools I used, Claude felt better in terms of question complexity, though the free-tier rate limits were a bit restrictive.
I did not follow some perfect study plan from day one. A lot of it became clearer as I went. But one thing that stayed constant was this: study a topic, then solve questions on it immediately.
Resources I Used
If you just want the shortlist, these were the main resources I used during my prep.
Books
- Official Study Guide (OSG)
Good starting point, but I found it boring and let it go after Domain 1. Afterward, I used it only for in-depth study if I had doubts on a certain topic. - Destination Certification CISSP
This became my main book and was the most useful overall. - Prashant Mohan Memory Palace
Very useful near the exam for quick revision.
Apps and Question Banks
- Destination Certification Android app
Useful for extra practice. Completed around 800 questions. - CISSP LearnZapp
One of my main prep tools. I had 71% readiness, completed 1,476 questions, and did around 6-7 full-length mocks. - Pocket Prep
Used some free questions for additional practice. - Thor Pedersen Udemy practice tests
Took a 1-month subscription and did around 8-10 mock tests and questions, mostly in the final 2-3 weeks.
YouTube
- Prabh Nair
- Andrew Ramdayal
- Pete Zerger
- IT Dojo
I did not follow one full video course in a strict way, but these were useful for revision, scenario-based thinking, and question style.
Community Resources
- r/cissp on Reddit
Useful for reading other people’s preparation strategies and passing experiences. - Cyber Security Station Discord
Especially CISSP channel and Stank Industries questions on it.
Personal Notes
- My own handwritten notes across all domains
- Filled an entire 100-page diary
- Probably one of the most useful things I had during final revision
Books, Videos, and Practice That Helped Most
I started with the OSG and completed Domain 1 from it. It is a solid resource, but I found it a bit boring and hard to stay engaged with for long. After that, I switched to the Destination Certification CISSP book, and that became my main resource for the rest of the prep.
That book just clicked better for me. I could actually sit with it for longer without zoning out.
Closer to the exam, I also used Prashant Mohan’s Memory Palace book. That was especially useful for quick revision in the last phase.
A huge part of my prep was doing questions. A lot of them.
I used the free Destination Certification Android app, CISSP LearnZapp, some Pocket Prep questions, AI-generated quizzes, and Thor Pedersen’s practice tests on Udemy. On LearnZapp, I had 71% readiness before the exam, completed 1,476 questions, and did around 6 to 7 full-length mock tests. On Udemy, I took a one-month subscription and did around 8 to 10 mock tests, mostly during the last two to three weeks.
None of these apps matched the real exam exactly, but they got me used to the style of thinking CISSP expects. That part mattered more than getting the right answers.
I also did not rely heavily on full video courses, but I used YouTube quite a bit in a targeted way. I skimmed through Pete Zerger’s full CISSP video in a day, watched Prabh Nair’s Coffee Shots playlist, Andrew Ramdayal’s hard questions video, some scenario-based CISSP question videos, and content from IT Dojo. All of them were helpful in different ways.
I also spent time reading other people’s experiences on r/cissp, which was useful mainly because it gave me a realistic sense of what preparation looked like for different people. The Cyber Security Station Discord was another useful resource, especially the CISSP channel and the Stank Industries questions.
None of these replaced actual studying, but they filled in gaps that books alone could not.
My Own Notes Helped More Than I Expected
One of the most useful things I did was make my own notes.
I prepared notes for all domains and ended up filling an entire 100-page diary. Near the exam, those notes became one of my main revision sources. Instead of reopening everything again, I could go through my own condensed version of the content.
That saved time and helped me revise in a way that felt familiar.
If I had to pick three things that helped me the most, it would be the Destination Certification book, lots of practice questions, and my own handwritten notes.
What I Found Easy and What I Found Difficult
For me, Domain 3 was the hardest. Remembering key lengths, algorithms, and some of the crypto-heavy details was not easy. That domain needed more repetition than the others.
Network Security and Risk Management felt relatively easier because of my work background. Since I already had practical exposure in those areas, it was easier to connect the concepts and retain them.
Still, even in the domains that felt easier, the exam does not let you coast. You cannot just rely on what you already know from work.
The Final Stretch Before the Exam
In the last phase of prep, I focused mostly on Domains 3, 6, 7, and 8. I kept doing as many questions as I could from different sources and revised mainly through my notes.
I did not have some ultra-optimized final-week strategy. It was mostly simple: revise notes, solve more questions, keep the concepts fresh.
The day before the exam, I skimmed my notes and did some Udemy questions. Nothing dramatic. I just wanted to stay in rhythm without overloading myself.
Exam Day
The exam center experience was actually very smooth. The staff were helpful, the process was clear, and the environment was calm. That made a difference because there was no unnecessary stress before the exam even started.
I reached around 8:30 AM, was let in around 9:15 AM, and started the exam sometime between 9:30 and 9:45. Before submitting my belongings to the locker, I drank a little water and just tried to stay calm. I got around six hours of sleep the previous night, which was not ideal, but manageable.
More than anything, I was trying not to overthink.
My mindset going in was simple: trust the three and a half months of focused preparation and just stay steady.
What the Exam Actually Felt Like
The exam felt medium to hard.
There were maybe two or three questions where I genuinely had no clue. For most of the others, I at least knew the concept being tested, even if I was not fully confident about the final answer. In fact, I do not remember many questions where I felt 100% sure.
That was probably the biggest surprise for me.
The real exam did not feel like something where you keep marking answers with total confidence. Most of the time, I was able to eliminate two options fairly quickly, and then I had to think carefully between the remaining two.
I did not take any breaks. The exam stopped at 100 questions, and I still had around an hour left. When I got the result, it honestly felt surreal. I walked outside first, and only then did it really hit me. After that, I called my friends and family.
What Worked for Me
If I had to keep it simple, these are the things that helped me most:
- Use a main resource that actually works for your style instead of forcing yourself through one you dislike.
- Do a lot of questions from different sources.
- Make your own notes.
- Build comfort with the way CISSP questions make you think.
Closing Thoughts
There was no single magical resource. I just stayed consistent, did a lot of questions, kept my notes close, and found a way to study that I could actually stick to for three months straight.
That was my journey. Glad it worked out.