CISA Exam Preparation : Last ONE Month Plan

CISA Exam is on 13th December and e ha!e no "#st ONE complete month$ %rom m& o n experience and 'eedbac( 'rom m& 'riends I am )i!in) some hints 'or last month preparation$

No time 'or experiment

Do not tr& to experiment ith preparation strate)&$ Stic( to one hich &o# ha!e planned$ An& chan)e* i' &o# 'ind reall& #se'#l* implement it ith remainin) preparation onl&$ Do not tr& that 'or the topics &o# ha!e co!ered$

+se the (no led)e

,& this time &o# m#st ha!e learnt a lot b& readin) C-M* attendin) CISA -e!ie Classes 'rom ISACA Chapters or some additional st#d& material$ +se that (no led)e to its '#llest$

Moc( test is a m#st

I' &o# ha!e CISA .#estions CD 'rom ISACA* &o# can practice that .#estions ,an( to prepare Moc( /ests$ I s#))est that at least one Moc( /est on each %#ll Da& a!ailable to &o#$ It ill boost &o#r con'idence as ell )i!in) time to re!ie &o#r ea(nesses$ Do not a'raid to 'ace !er& lo mar(s in Moc( /ests$ I scored lo mar(s in m& all Moc( /ests b#t I cleared m& Exam as the lo mar(s in Moc( /ests helped me a lot in anal&0in) m& ea( points$

Do not attempt Moc( /est on consec#ti!e da&s$

I' &o# attempt &o#r next Moc( /est itho#t anal&0in) the pre!io#s one completel&* it ill not help m#ch$ So attempt next Moc( /est onl& a'ter )ettin) '#ll bene'it o' anal&sis o' pre!io#s one$

Maintain &o#r sel' con'idence

1e o'ten loose o#r con'idence beca#se o' so man& 'actors a''ectin) o#r preparation s#ch as not )ettin) eno#)h time to st#d&* or( press#re at "ob* not )ettin) lea!e* or(in) on ee(end to achie!e deadline at "ob$ All these are common to a ma"orit& o' CISA candidates$ So do not loose con'idence i' &o# cannot archi!e some o' deadline &o# ha!e 'ixed 'or &o#r CISA st#d&$ 2o# can easil& co!er all short'alls "#st ith more st#d& 'or a co#ple da&s$ So maintain &o#r sel' con'idence$ Learn 'rom So#ra! Ganguly on How to Fight Back$

Expect s#rprises
/ho#)h NO/ m#ch s#rprises are expected in CISA Exam b#t still an Exam is an Exam$ In m& Exam 3December 45567* candidates asted a lot o' time on a sin)le 8#estion 'or its printin) mista(e$ 39o e!er* later it as anno#nced d#rin) Exam it sel' that that the matter is alread& ith ISACA and candidates sho#ld not panic$7 ,#t till then candidates ha!e a bit o' their !al#able time hich the& co#ld ha!e p#t to better #se$ So anticipate some s#rprises

Do not compare &o#r st#d&

ith others

1e o'ten compare o#r st#d& : preparation ith others$ I s#))est &o# to )o 'or &o#rsel' and do not compare &o#r preparation ith &o#r 'riends$ E!er&one is #ni8#e$ It is possible that the 'riend ith hom &o# are comparin) is com'ortable ith one area and &o# are more com'ortable in another area$ So comparison ill not be #se'#l 'or both o' &o#$

+se ;ro#p St#d& to S#pplement

I' &o# are l#c(& eno#)h to ha!e )ro#p st#d& 3I as not7* #se the )ro#p to s#pplement &o#r st#d& in ea( areas$ Ens#re that the )ro#p st#d& is not red#ndant$ ,etter to #se )ro#p st#d& to clear do#bts at this sta)e$

-ate &o#rsel'
On the basis o' &o#r preparation and o#tcome o' Moc( /ests* rate &o#rsel' and accept it$ It ill help &o# in )ettin) more mar(s in next Moc( /est and e!en better mar(s in act#al Exam$

Do not start 'rom chapter one

hile re!isin)

;enerall& e start 'rom the 'irst chapter hile e start re!ision$ I s#))est &o# to start 'rom chapters ha!in) more ei)hta)e or e!en better 'rom the chapters here &o# scored less in Moc( /ests$ Also do not tr& to re!ise all that &o# (no better$ %or an Exam li(e CISA* it is better to start 'rom chapters here &o# thin( &o# ma& 'ace di''ic#lt&$

%ix priorit& in preparation

Once &o# ha!e ta(en a Moc( /est* &o# can 'ix &o#r priorities in &o#r preparation$ And please note that these priorities ill ne!er be the same 'or &o#r 'riends$ I ha!e seen man& members concentratin) more on the chapters here the& ere act#all& more com'ortable$ /his is called #ni!ersit& exam approach here e need to attempt < o#t o' = 8#estions$ /he #ni!ersit& exam approach ma& not or( in CISA Exam$

Drop all other exam preparations till 13th

I' &o# are also preparin) 'or some other exam 3e$)$ CeIS, hich is in >an#ar& 455?7* drop the preparation 'or that exam till CISA Exam$ It is li(e tr&in) to ride on t o boats$ A'ter CISA Exam &o# can concentrate on that exam$ I' &o# thin( the other exam is more important* better de'er CISA exam 'or next time$ One pro"ect at a time is (e& to s#ccess 'or pro"ect mana)ement$ Same applies to exam preparation$ Exams li(e CISA are not less than a pro"ect mana)ement$

%inishin) to#ch
1e obser!e that prices o' prod#cts mainl& depends on 'inishin) to#ch the& ha!e$ /his applies to CISA Exam also$ A better 'inishin) to#ch ill )i!e &o# more con'idence to 'ace the Exam$ In m& !ie 'inishin) to#ch means ta(in) a '#ll stoc( o' the preparation and )i!in) attention to possible ea( points to stop loosin) mar(s or concentratin) stron) points to ens#re more mar(s$

Learn to relax
A relax mind can absorb more an retain more$ So learn to relax hile preparin) 'or s#ch bi) exam$ In m& opinion better a&s to relax are the tas(s hich do not in!ol!e &o#r e&es m#ch$ I pre'er o#tdoor acti!ities as it completel& di!ert o#r mind and e relax more especiall& hile st#d&in)$ Some 'riends o#ld li(e to atch /@ b#t that #se &o#r e&es$ I #sed to !isit m& 'riends and tal(in) to them helped me more in relaxin)$

%or repeaters
I' &o# are a repeater 'or CISA Exam* learn 'rom &o#r o n experience$ ,#t remember to ta(e care o' areas here &o# sec#red more mar(s in pre!io#s attempt as &o# ma& tempt to i)nore them this time considerin) it &o#r stren)th$ Note that the areas here &o# scored more ere areas o' &o#r stren)th in &o#r pre!io#s attempt and not necessaril& &o#r areas o' stren)th this time$

9a!e %aith in ;od* Destin& and L#c(

O'' co#rse L#c( pla&s 1A 3or e!en less7 role in s#ccess* b#t it does pla&$ 9a!e 'aith in ;od* L#c( and Destin&$ All these ords are not simpl& "ar)ons$ /here is a sa&in) in 9indi that (Whether you agree or not, the destiny itself make you agree). 1ith this* I con!e& m& best ishes 'or a better preparation 'or &o#r CISA St#d&$ Please email me &o#r 'eedbac( to mukesh.pandya@yahoo.co.in. M#(esh Pand&a M,A 3I/7* CISA 13BNo!B455=
isclaimer ! "he #iews e$pressed are my own %ut & disown any lia%ility arising out of action taken on the suggestions. 'eaders are ad#ised to prepare their own strategy. "he purpose of this write(up is to share my #iews.
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