Cracking the CISSP Code: A 30-Day Study Blueprint

Introduction

While many regard the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) as one of the toughest exams to crack, with laser-focused determination, a strategic plan, and relentless pursuit, the seemingly impossible becomes achievable.

This isn’t about shortcuts or magic tricks, but a focused, determined approach that maximizes your study time and potential. Together, we’re going to unveil a blueprint that will not only guide you through the intricate world of CISSP but also empower you to face it head-on with confidence and expertise.

30 days of your best self is all it takes.

Philosophy

At the beginning of every workout program, you’re just getting to learn the exercises and techniques. With every session, you add a little more weight or reps. Eventually, you add new exercises and rinse, repeat. That’s progressive overload.

Training our mind is no different. We will begin with building good habits and add incremental challenges. We’ll identify, prioritize, and strengthen weak points to build a strong foundation. Then, we’ll prep for peak performance and express our maximal cognitive capacity.

The 30-Day CISSP Study Program

What I used:

• IT & Security Pocket Prep mobile app (iOS/Android)
• CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, Ninth Edition (Maymi and Harris, 2021)
• Eleventh Hour, CISSP 3rd Edition (Feldman, 2016)
  - Although a bit outdated, it’s a fantastic condensed reference for foundational material.

Tips:

• Highlight and write notes as you read
• You don’t need to perfect everything now, write down weak topics and come back to it
• At the end of each chapter in the CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, do the practice quiz and see how you do

Week 1: Identify weak points

If you’re starting on this journey, you’re likely to already have strengths in a few of the 8 CISSP domains. Although it can be fun to build some confidence and get those practice questions right, focus on learning the truth about your current knowledge.

Day 1 - 3: Assess and Prioritize

With the IT & Security Pocket Prep mobile app:

• Day 1: 5 x “Quick 10 Quiz” (50 practice questions total, ~ 45 minutes)
• Day 2: 5 x “Quick 10 Quiz”
• Day 3: 5 x “Quick 10 Quiz”

At the end of Day 3, Click “Stats” and note any sections < 75% accuracy.

If you have have more than 4 weak areas identified, I highly recommended modifying this to a 60 or 90 day program to give yourself more time. Getting there is the focus, not the pace!

My weaknesses were the following:

1. Communication and Network Security 
2. Security Architecture and Engineering 
3. Asset Security 
4. Security Assessment and Testing

Day 4 - 6: Build the habit

With the weaknesses identified, we begin reading page-to-page on these sections — about half of the original material. You won’t be making it far, but that’s not the goal here.

If you come across a subtopic that just didn’t click, keep a note on a list and jot it down. Move on and we’ll come back to it later. Some topics just take more iterations to stick.

• 1 hour reading every day
  - CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, Ninth Edition
• Log weak subtopics per domain
• 2 x “Quick 10 Quiz” every day
• “Question of the Day” every day

Day 7: Rest

Although you haven’t really done much yet, the whole pressure of exam stress is mentally draining. Do something fun, eat something tasty. You deserve it!

Week 2: Greasing the Groove

At this point you’ve committed. It’s not fun and it may be uncomfortable if you aren’t used to it. The material is pretty dry and we’d all rather be doing something else :)

Day 8–13: Building the Foundation

• 2 hours reading every day
  - CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, Ninth Edition
• Log weak subtopics per domain
• 1 x “Quick 10 Quiz” every day
• “Question of the Day” every day

Day 14: Rest

This is well deserved! Eat well and stay hydrated, we’re just getting started.

Week 3: Reading — nothing else matters

Your test is coming up. This is your priority right now. Stay focused. No matter what it takes you’re going to finish reading.

At this point, you may not remember every detail super well, but you probably know where to find information really well.

Here, we mix in a little variety and add a little more study time.

Day 15–19:

• 2 hours reading every day
  - CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, Ninth Edition
• Log weak subtopics per domain
• 30 minutes of Youtube at x2 speed on your weak subtopics (any order)
• 2 x “Quick 10 Quiz” every day
• “Question of the Day” every day

Day 20

At this point, you’ve read for just over 20 hours! Good work. At 2 minutes a page, that’s ~600 pages. Finish the rest today. If you’re up a little late; that’s what you signed up for when you committed to a 30-day goal.

• Reading until all 4 weak domains are complete.

Day 21: Rest

Eat, sleep and stay hydrated. Your brain needs it.

Week 4: Peak Week

This week will be hard. It will be the biggest mental push you finish off with. The harder you work here, the better you’ll perform on the big day. Do your best.

We’ll focus on reading Eleventh Hour, CISSP 3rd Edition (Feldman, 2016) and honing our weak topics. The Eleventh Hour condenses large sections as quick reference guides. They serve best as reminders, so only if you already understand the concepts would it be easily digested.

This is when we can revisit those strengths and hone in on individual subtopic weaknesses.

Day 22–24: Cram Material

• 2.5 hours reading every day
• Log weak subtopics per domain
• No Quick 10 Quizzes!
• “Question of the Day” every day

Finish reading on Day 24, no matter how much is left.

Day 25–26: Weak Subtopic review

• 2.5 hours weak subtopic review (Youtube, re-reading sections, online articles, etc) every day
• 80 x “Weakest Subject Quiz” or “Missed Questions Quiz” questions every day
• Log weak subtopics per domain

Day 27: The Last Cram

Today is the hardest day of study for the program. Push yourself as far as you can take it today. Cancel all your other plans, this is the plan.

Goal: Clear our the entire weak subtopic log. Make everything a strength.

• Recommended minimum study time: 8 hours
  - Youtube, re-reading sections, online articles, reviewing personal notes, drawing diagrams, etc
• 100 x “Weakest Subject Quiz” or “Missed Questions Quiz” questions

Day 28: Rest

Exam Day Approaching

At this point, you’ve basically done everything you can. Practice “answering like a manager” and the exam format. There’s not much new you’re going to absorb at this point. We’re going to rest and sharpen.

Day 29: Practice

• 1.5 hours of practice questions (100 minimum)
• Personal notes review

Day 30: Exam Eve

Don’t spend more than 30 minutes studying today. Anything you add will further increase stress and not allow you to recover. Eat great meals and sleep for at least 9 hours.

You’ve already clocked in over 40 hours of study. You’re ready. Let your brain do its thing — good luck tomorrow!

For myself, my stats section looked like this by end:

Personal study stats from IT & Security app (not sponsored, just a fan!)

Conclusion

Journeying through the vast realm of cybersecurity, the CISSP might feel like the insurmountable peak. But remember, every expert was once a beginner. By arming ourselves with the right tools, strategies, and an unwavering mindset, we can turn daunting challenges into celebrated milestones.

No challenge is too great when met with passion and perseverance. Whether you’re a seasoned expert or an ambitious novice, take the leap, commit to your goals, and watch yourself achieve feats you once deemed unreachable. Your CISSP journey starts today, and I believe in your ability to crack the code.

Embrace the challenge and let’s advance the industry together.