I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve successfully failed my ISC2 Certified In Cyber Security exam. Yes, you read that right – I’m thrilled about failing. Why? Because I believe that failure is a bitter but significant component of success. In this post, I’ll share my story of how I failed, what I learned from it, and how I plan to come back stronger.
The Day of the Exam
I remember this like it was yesterday, On January 11th 2024 was the day I took the ISC2 Certified In Cyber Security exam. I had been preparing for it, but as it turned out, my preparation was not enough. I walked out of the exam room feeling disappointed, but also relieved that it was over. As I reflected on my performance, I realized that there were two main reasons why I failed: lack of preparation and poor organization during the exam.
The Preparation Pitfalls
Looking back, I can identify two reasons why my preparation fell short:
Excessive overconfidence: I had been studying for the exam, but I didn’t put in enough effort to truly master the material. I thought I knew more than I actually did, and that overconfidence led me to underestimate the difficulty of the exam.
Mental state: My mental state was not ideal on the day of the exam. I was stressed, anxious, and not in the right mindset to focus on the questions.
The Organization Oops
During the exam, I made two critical mistakes that affected my performance:
Jumping into all tasks at once: I tried to tackle all the questions at the same time, which left me feeling overwhelmed and confused. I didn’t prioritize my tasks, and that led to a complete mess in my head.
Lack of rest: I underestimated the importance of rest and sleep. I had only slept for 2 hours the night before, and that lack of rest affected my ability to focus and think clearly during the exam.
The Consequences of Not Seeing the Big Picture
One of the biggest challenges I faced during the exam was not being able to see the big picture. I was getting many findings, but I couldn’t put everything together and bring it to a logical conclusion. This was partly due to my lack of preparation and partly due to my poor organization during the exam.
Lessons Learned
Failing the exam was a tough pill to swallow, but it taught me some valuable lessons:
Do more labs and keep detailed documentation: I realized that I need to do more hands-on labs and keep detailed documentation of my work. This will not only help me prepare for the exam but also in my everyday work as a cybersecurity professional.
Take breaks regularly and sleep well: I learned the importance of taking breaks and getting enough sleep. I need to prioritize my physical and mental well-being to perform at my best.
Start the exam with the AD block: I realized that starting the exam with the AD block would help me avoid information overflow caused by the other three targets.
The Road to Redemption
Failing the exam was a setback, but it’s not the end of the road. I’m more determined than ever to pass the exam and become an ISC2 Certified In Cyber Security professional. I’ll take the lessons I learned from my failure and use them to improve my preparation and performance.
The Final Word
Failing is not the end of the world. In fact, it’s often a stepping stone to success. I’m grateful for the experience, and I’m excited to take on the challenge again. To my fellow cybersecurity professionals, I say: don’t be afraid to fail. Use your failures as an opportunity to learn and grow, and you’ll be unstoppable.
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