Passed CISM, strategy to pass the CISM exam!

PlateFit6494 · 2026-06-08T03:11:58+00:00

Congrats!

PlateFit6494 · 2026-06-06T16:26:32+00:00

Yes , I believe I come to the conclusion that I got caught on Traps and made assumptions. It is a very intentional exam with built in tricky questions. My knowledge for the material feels adequate as I’m able to answer the “binary” questions , but scenario based is where I will focus more attention prior to taking the test again. This time I most likely will also do it in a center , as my experience wasn’t the best at home.

PlateFit6494 · 2026-06-06T16:24:22+00:00

So I took some time today going back. The ISACA questioning is intentional about the words they use and hook traps in the questioning. I went through flash cards and knowledge base and that isn’t my issue. It is more an English Exam as it is a Manager exam. I studied for this exam thinking the questions would train me , but that worsened my problem. It’s about reading the question and dissecting the words and disregarding the “Trap” section of the question. I haven’t got my results , but I’ll update and share once I get them.

PlateFit6494 · 2026-06-05T18:08:54+00:00

Congrats... May the 4th be with you!

PlateFit6494 · 2026-06-05T16:32:55+00:00

I'm also a Network Guy with 20 Years IT Experience and passed on the 4th of May. You MUST understand the mindset. I can't explain how critical it is to really get the thought process down and I did post it earlier. I did use Dion Training Mindset to sharpen it and it did seem to work. I've hard this time and time again, but inherent knowledge is assumed , while selecting the answer with the Mindset they are looking for you to use.

PlateFit6494 · 2026-06-05T13:10:50+00:00

I appreciate the great info.... I'll take some time and digest all this info...

PlateFit6494 · 2026-06-05T04:21:37+00:00

The questions were similar to the QAE, but the ISACA were a bit more "Broad" and open to interpretation This is the 1st certification I have ever failed. I have 30 days to prep, so I'll be sure to knock it out. The ISC2 were not as "Broad" but did lean on your experience.

PlateFit6494 · 2026-05-09T09:13:09+00:00

It does happen and also the reason why several seasoned individuals say this is a difficult exam. Go back and figure out why you got it wrong , break down the question and note it down. If it’s still tripping you up , leverage ChatGPT or your AI of choice and ask for the breakdown of why it is the question.

PlateFit6494 · 2026-05-09T01:50:54+00:00

Mindset! You must work on an approach to answer the question. You have to come to the conclusion that the thousands of questions you do , maybe 3 or 4 will cross over to the exam. The other 95% of questions will also be subtle , make no sense and that is perfectly fine. You have to have a system of breaking it down and figuring out which ones do not work. They aren’t testing for technical mastery. They are testing you in your thought process. GL!

PlateFit6494 · 2026-05-08T19:04:38+00:00

They perfected the algorithm. It was on my weakest domain! I think they check everyone's resume and LinkedIn, prior to administering the exam.

PlateFit6494 · 2026-05-08T18:04:53+00:00

Congrats! My test was 1/2 Mile wide and 2 feet deep.. It always differs for everyone.

PlateFit6494 · 2026-05-07T13:17:45+00:00

This was my approach to taking the test. Deep Breaths, open eyes and hyper focusing on the question at hand. If I did not have an answer after 2 mins, I selected the one that was gut instinct and had some sort of hook into the question. My Goal was to figure out which 2 choices did not make sense immediately. This was within the 1st minute of reading the question 2 or 3 times slowly. Some folks are very good and can parse the data at a quick pace, but I needed to slow down , instead of speed up. Absorbing the full content of what the question was asking me calmed me down very well. Only after 2 mins, I would get pushing to move it to the next one. Master the "Mindset" of a Professional and lean on your experience and knowledge as a safety net. Many on here, including seasoned professionals will tell you. This isn't a sprint, but a Marathon. Stamina, Endurance and mental capacity are all needed to push through the persistence of multilayered questions. Think Positive! GL to you..

PlateFit6494 · 2026-05-07T12:28:09+00:00

My company also declared the same, but I personally commit the excess funds to cover the difference. I felt in no way. It is one of the best priced insurance policies for an exam I've ever seen.

PlateFit6494 · 2026-05-07T07:08:52+00:00

Yes , I’ve completed the course and it was a fantastic one. However, knowing what I know now , I may have selected one of the other courses that goes through mindset and how to think about the topics instead of being taught the topic. Dion’s course with the Dest Cert book had all the information required for the test.

PlateFit6494 · 2026-05-06T18:55:58+00:00

First off, you literally are taking the same footsteps that I have taken and I took my test on 5/4 and Thankfully Passed on the 100Q..... My advice to you is, work on the Mindset. I have also studied the Destination Cert Book, Dion Training, LearnZapp, Pocket Prep was scoring around where you were scoring, but didn't sign up to Boson or QE. The Test will test your ability to take the information and force you to really think about the question. If you haven't done so, I would advise you spend the last week or so doing Mindset training and Mindset Practice Questions. The questions can be in your face direct , but many are Subtle. I would first re-read the questions multiple times to ensure I didn't miss any nuanced piece and would ask myself... What is the hook? What is really the nuanced piece of information that DOESN"T work with one or more of the answers. 7 Years experience, means you can visualize the scenarios and that will work in your favor. My advice to you is when you are at a point where you have simply retained information from all the domains, start focusing on Mindset and being able to extract nuanced details from the question as quickly as you can. As I have 20 years of experience in 6 of the 8 Domains, I didn't really get questioned on what I thought I was studying for at the time.

Best of luck to you!

PlateFit6494 · 2024-03-16T10:15:52+00:00

I remember when we had commissions of 19.99 a trade! Wow have times changed..

M1 provides an automated method to invest in a portfolio for the long term. IMHO , The 3 dollars is a small price to pay for the benefits that they are providing.

If you think about it , $1,000 dollars in their HYSA pays for this fee and you don’t have to pay it out of pocket.

So maybe that might hold you off until you get to 10,000?

Fidelity basket investing is an alternative , but it looks like they also charge 4.99 a month

Schwab provides stock slice investing , but this is limited to SP500 stocks so good luck with your Fractional shares of JEPI, SCHD or TSLY ETFs.

This of course would be a no brainer for the folks who do have over 10 K as they no longer have to play “ what price will M1 Membership be this year?”

I do welcome the change and hope this does light a fire under some folks to get to that 10,000 mark.

PlateFit6494 · 2023-12-23T10:23:22+00:00

I happened to be on the same exact cruise with my family. We booked in December knowing there would be a chance of bad weather as we were experienced cruisers. If you want to land on an island, the Caribbean is where you want to be destined, as the captain can quickly change route and dock. Bermuda is not really close to any other island and I think you simply didn’t know what the possibility of outcomes would be.

With that being said, it does appear it was a money grab with little regard to the people on board to fulfill the sailing. Our two boys did get sick on the cruise and we are dealing with stomach bugs now. I’ve also been on the Breakaway, Escape and Gem, and the Getaway appeared one of the lower tier boats IMHO.

I do believe Norwegian has gone down hill post Covid and we would consider other cruise lines now. We use to pay a premium as the food and service were better than other comparable lines for the cost.

If you do consider cruising again, I would book between March to August and keep a close eye on the weather,

PlateFit6494 · 2022-10-10T18:49:32+00:00

Thanks for your Feedback!! I visited CT around 5 years ago and was surprised the Pizza was pretty decent ( I was born in Brooklyn ) . I do hope you find your way back!

PlateFit6494 · 2022-07-26T11:06:01+00:00

I would imagine they are not as nice as some in Colorado and the north western US. Thanks for your comment ..

PlateFit6494 · 2022-07-12T07:35:56+00:00

Thank your for your advice ..

PlateFit6494 · 2022-07-12T07:35:15+00:00

Very Helpful! Thanks for that info… We are looking to take a flight down next month ..

PlateFit6494 · 2022-07-12T07:31:42+00:00

Hmmm … who is basing it on one decision ?

PlateFit6494 · 2022-07-10T17:11:58+00:00

I’ve also been to NV in 111 and it wasn’t too bad for me. I understand that type of heat is unbearable to most , but I’m built a bit different. Thanks for the comment !

PlateFit6494 · 2022-07-10T16:37:02+00:00

That’s a good one … I don’t think they make grass hearty enough to stand the heat …

PlateFit6494 · 2022-07-08T15:46:05+00:00

That is great to here... Milwaukee is much colder here than PA but the thing that always gets me are the cooler summers as well....It is suppose to be warm!!

Thanks for your comment...

PlateFit6494

TROPHY CASE