Position the CISSP as a PI-shaped exam (technical and managerial)
CISSP needs deep “technical” and “managerial” knowledge and experience. It’s comprehensive, and CISSP aspirants have to think from a variety of perspectives, such as board director, senior management, CISO, auditor, law school student, procurement staff, engineer, developer, project/program manager, end user, attacker, and so forth.
Stick to the CISSP Exam Outline
Build a conceptual-level understanding of the Common Body Knowledge (CBK) presented as the CISSP Exam Outline. Understand every single terminology in the CISSP Exam Outline and explain to or teach your friends till you are feeling confident. For example, how do you define “security“, “risk“, and “management” in the title of Domain 1?
Do at least 2500 practice questions to verify your knowledge
Mere reading is not enough. Read and do questions iteratively to build and train your body of knowledge incrementally.
Polish your test-taking skills
The CISSP exam is an exam after all; you have to cultivate the test-taking skills on purpose as the real exam questions are deliberately “designed“.
Study actively every day
Keep studying every day to develop long-term memory. Follow Dale’s “Cone of Experience” to learn effectively.
Determine to succeed in 3 months, no more than 6 months.
Passing the CISSP exam is a project with a specific scope, schedule, and budget. You have to communicate well with your stakeholders to ensure your success; say, your family, boss, ISC2, mentors, peers, study groups, or online communities.
