Proctoring a CISSP Exam

I thought I’d share this – some may find this interesting – today (Saturday Sept 10, 2005), I proctored a CISSP exam in Portland, OR.

Proctoring involves monitoring exam candidates both before and during the exam. Although I cannot go to heavily into details – proctors must sign a non disclosure – it is very much like being a chauffeur, making sure candidate’s needs are being taken care of during the process. The proctors report to the supervisor who administers the test. Proctoring for an exam earns 8 CPE points for the CISSP. CPE’s are ISC2′s answer to continuing education credits for certification renewal.

It was an interesting experience in terms of procedure as it is very scripted yet also an intriguing insight into behavior – how candidates manage the stress. Some are visibly nervous and agitated, anxious – I just escorted a shaking candidate to the restroom today – whereas others seem to take it in stride; one person’s strut got progressively spunky when I escorted them out for breaks.

This is my first experience proctoring. The administrator suggested that it’s not uncommon to have a candidate finish in an hour or so-they get six and one or two will actually leave without completing, giving up; harsh given the financial investment to sit for the exam. The early bird here did it today in under two hours, and one fellow stayed through the whole exam. Some seem to have a method to the process where others tackle it head on. One fellow had a dear in headlights look and keeps shaking his hands. Another fellow wanted a calculator for the ALE calcs-we had to disappoint him-all he could bring to the table is water. And this one guy kept putting cold water bottles on his neck, tucked in his collar, so it looked as if there were rocket launchers mounted on his shoulder. Finally, there was one woman who sat for her exam – it was a predominately male group.

My own experience suggested that most stay for 3 to 4 hours, and some for the duration. Myself, I found the mythology surrounding the exam mightier the dragon. The early AM drive to Seattle was tough – no sleep the day earlier, wife drove, thankfully, because I was able to clear my head. I was reviewing my notes after arriving at the testing facility – a Marriott. I had read a light book on the exam (Meyer’s CISSP Passport), the Official ISC2′S Guide, and some accumulated notes from the ‘net. Combined with my background notes I prepared, I had a binder of principals and points that I studied relentlessly for two weeks beforehand. Generally speaking, the ‘net materials were over-hyped and too broad, nearly out of scope, and made me sufficiently paranoid. The Official guide was too extensive to memorize, but accurate and thorough. The Passport book helped to focus and prioritize the official content and offer perspective. The three opinion approach worked well enough to provide clarity and contrast.

On the day, the time was intense but good test taking skills ruled the day. moving back and forth through the test gave a lay of the land and allowed some measure of confidence, spending an hour to review the material to scope out the range of questions, hitting the stuff I knew right away. I also jotted notes and difficulty rankings in the margin of the test booklets – this is permissible. I also found myself working through the math of passing the exam- x-percent needed to pass, x-questions dead right, x maybe’s, and x totally unsure. It wasn’t until my dead rights passed 80-percent that I could breathe easier and allowed me to manage my time more proactively.

Today it was difficult to say how the candidates are doing as the day progressed – as a proctor, I sat in the back and walked the room, escorting those for breaks and securing their exams when they stepped away from their table. All were focused. My fellow proctor was the chief security officer of the State of Oregon. We both take turns answering issues, handing out question comment forms, picking up tests, and naturally we’re not allowed to talk to candidates about anything material, of course, so time passes slowly and in silence.

At lunch, I walked down the block to a sandwich shop and hopped on an unsecured WAP. The sandwich was tiny and overpriced, yet, my email was deliciously free. When I had returned, the administrator had given the half time warning and about 1/3rd the candidates were gone by that time.

Like I was saying, the proctor earns 8 CPE’s for handling the exam. After proctoring for three times, the proctor can then become an administrator. The administrator is sent a serialized tote with all of the materials to conduct the exam from ISC2. After an inventory and correction process with ISC2, the administrator will arrive at the pre-booked venue and deliver the exam. Then the administrator collects the materials, performs a form inventory and checklist, then, seals the tote and FexEx’s it back to ISC2. Looked like a very organized supply chain.

I learned that as an administrator of an exam, you’ve an option of receiving the 8 CPE’s for the work you perform or a $100 honorarium – just seems easier to receive the CPE’s. I’m probably going to pursue this as delivering an exam seems an extension of my own career in education.

Anyway, it was an interesting time from the perspective of the test proctor instead of the candidate and it earned me a little CPE along the way. And everyone needs their CPE’s.

R

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