CISM™ Certification Online - FAQ
Q. Do I have to start the course on a fixed date?
A. No, you can join pretty much anytime as long as it's at least five weeks before your exam. Each of the five weekly topics is treated independently of the others, and once we have covered all five we will start again at the first. So while our debut course, for example, had a scheduled start of October 22, you could join in Week 2 (October 29), Week 3 (November 5) and so on. Those who started on October 29 would cover the Week 1 topic in the week beginning November 26, and those starting on November 5 would do Week 1 and 2 between November 26 and the exam.
Q. How much time should I plan on for taking the course?
A. Each of the five weekly sections are broken down into approximately six to eight segments that can normally be completed in about one to two hours each, depending on familiarity with the topic.
Q. Can I access the course material after the course is complete up until my CISM exam?
A. Absolutely. You'll have access to the online material, the forums, and the instructor right up until the exam.
Q. What if I have difficulty with a particular area, how available is the instructor to help?
A. There are several ways participants can receive additional assistance. Each segment tracks with the CISM review manual if more in-depth information is required. The on-line discussion board can be used to ask specific questions which will normally be answered within half a day. Finally, the instructor is available during the live session at the end of each week.
Q. How closely will the sample questions be to the actual examination?
A. The examination is proctored by an independent testing agency with the questions randomly selected from a pool. The instructor is very familiar with the types of questions and the sample quiz will be quite similar in style and nature to the actual examination. It should be understood that virtually all questions on the exam are designed to test judgment and understanding of security concepts and fundamentals, not memorized facts.
Q. When will the live webinars take place?
A. They will be scheduled during the day or early evening, depending on your time zone. There will be an introductory session at the start of the course and then a mid-week session each week.
Q. What will be covered in the webinars?
A. The primary topic will be the wrong answers to the sample quizzes. It is important to understand how to evaluate the questions and why the preferred answer is the best choice as well as why the other answers are not as good. Discussion questions posted for each week will also be discussed as well as an introduction to the next section.
Q. What is the exam pass rate?
A. It varies to some extent by region but overall, it is about 60%
Q. How much will my chances improve by taking this course?
A. Individuals achieving about 85% on the sample exams generally pass. The exam is difficult and success can’t be guaranteed but completing the course will maximize your chances. The course can be repeated for no additional cost in the unlikely event that you do not pass the exam.
Q. How long do I have to complete the exam?
A. There are 200 questions to be completed in 4 hours which is normally more than enough time. You should time the sample exam at the end of each chapter and allow about a minute for each question on average. The general suggestion is to answer the ones that you have no difficulty with first and then go back to those that are more difficult.
Next course commences April 2008. Register now.
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