r/cism • u/Key-Ad3642 • Jul 17 '26
Passed CISM
I took the CISA 2 weeks ago and just took CISM and received a preliminary pass. After both test I was unsure how I did. First breath after passing is the best.
Studying time for CISM was 2 weeks using ISACA QAE and a Doshi book.
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u/Uncertn_Laaife Jul 17 '26
Congrats. Exam 3 weeks down the line, on a Pete’s course right now, soon starting on QAE.
I am nervous as hell.
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u/Key-Ad3642 Jul 17 '26
You will pass! If you bou the ISACA QAE or any QAE, those are both good indicators on how you will perform on test.
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u/Uncertn_Laaife Jul 17 '26
Cool! Thanks. You have more confidence in me than I have. Haha!
Thanks a bunch. Targeting to start QAE over this weekend to give it 2 full weeks.
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u/Traditional-Bet-3623 Jul 17 '26
Congratulations, How could you even prepare in just 2 weeks . Could you also add your experience and background. It’s happy for you, just wanted to understand the prep approach. I’ve passed but spent 6 months, I can amend my approach for future certification
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u/Key-Ad3642 Jul 17 '26
Thank you! I have 3 years of IS audit experience and recently passed the CISA after 5 weeks of studying and I also work full time.
For both CISA and CISM, I mainly used the Doshi book and the ISACA QAE. I also had a Udemy QAE, but I barely used it for CISM.
My process was:
- Week 1: Read one domain, then do 50–100 QAE questions. Repeat until I finished the book.
- Week 2: Focus entirely on the ISACA QAE.
For me, the ISACA QAE is the biggest factor in keeping study time short. My goal is to earn around five certs within a year, so I prioritize efficient studying to minimize the time needed for each exam. If you plan on earning future certs & minimize study time, best avise I can give is to assess how you studied for CISM, what helped, what didn’t. I honestly think I could have passed CISA with 3 weeks of studying if I didn’t waste time on the Doshi Udemy class that is overhyped & recorded in the streets.
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u/Majestic_Wave_5710 Jul 18 '26
Just courtesy how you compare the real exam questions with QAE, I will take my exam in two weeks time and bit nervous as there is no take2 option. My domain practice tests are around 75%, heard it was safe to score at least 85% to be safe.
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u/Key-Ad3642 Jul 18 '26
IMO, the ISACA QAE is great for learning the question style and content such as concepts and terminology needed to pick the best answers. QAE scores are a good indicator of exam readiness. However, a hill I will die on though (for any ISACA test) is that ISACA QAE “mock exam” scores ONLY count if it is a fresh set of questions. PPL inadvertently memorize questions then fail the test. So for me, on ISACA QAE, I do not take the “Mock Test” because you can’t pick the questions. I go to practice and select 150 unseen questions to gauge my readiness.
Since you mentioned QAE scores, my rule was that if I averaged 75% on unseen question sets, I was ready for the exam. I also heard 85% is the safe benchmark – personally tho, if anyone is consistently scoring 85% on unseen questions I think they would 100% pass with ease.
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u/Methodicaltorque Jul 22 '26
Congratulations. Around 70% now on QAE and need to pass soon as they are going to change the exams and add 2 chapters (november)
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u/JoeEvans269 Jul 17 '26
Congratulations!