source: westfloridaisaca.org

Hello, everyone. I hope you all are doing well and staying safe. I’m humbled to share that starting this month, I officially got a CGEIT (Certified in Governance of Enterprise IT) designation. I’ve committed to always write down the tips to pass every certification exam I take as my token of gratitude and also to help every aspirant out there. So here is my version of how to pass the CGEIT exam:

(P.S.: some of them are similar to the tips to pass a CISA exam I posted previously as I believed both shared the similar kind of necessary preparations)

 

1. Recalibrate My Mindset

The one thing I realized the most from CGEIT material is that its point of view and way of thinking slightly differ from what I have. While as a practitioner I sometimes have to think practically, the CGEIT exam requires us to think strategically and ideally. So before embarking on the learning journey, I recalibrate my mindset. Besides, I prepared myself to think based on the roles given e.g. audit committee, CIO, CEO, etc, and understand the buzzwords/terms used by them.

2. Study the CGEIT Review Manual and the CGEIT Review Questions, Answers & Explanations (QAE) Manual 

As I mentioned in my post about CISA exam tips, the review and QAE manuals are two sacred references for everyone pursuing ISACA certifications. Take your time to read the books cover to cover especially the QAE Manual since it introduces us to the kinds of questions we will face. Learn the explanation of the answers suggested by the book to get the logic, perspective, and wisdom that ISACA sets out. I also identified my knowledge gaps and wrote down a note containing them. I reread it again whenever I could.

Anyway, please do make sure you study the latest version of these books. For now, the latest CGEIT Review Manual is the 8^th edition and the QAE Manual is the 5^th edition. 

 

I took note of everything I'm confused/didn't know about

 

3. Obtain Knowledge and Experience in the IT Governance Field

Having knowledge and experience in the IT governance field is certainly substantial in solving CGEIT exam questions. Regarding acquiring the needed knowledge, my advice is to read lots of references related to IT governance, discuss them with others, or join a community (or anything. Pick your favorite way of absorbing knowledge). Meanwhile, answering some CGEIT exam questions requires the candidate to be equipped with not only knowledge but also experience so real-life exposure will surely be beneficial. Experience shapes our logic, perspective, and wisdom which will make it easier for us to figure the answers out.

 

Besides, in my opinion, it's important to increase your exposure to IT terms and English (especially when IT isn't your major and English is not your first language). Familiarity with IT terms and English is advantageous!

 

4. Exposure to COBIT is Beneficial

If I have to point out one thing that helped me the most when learning the CGEIT material is that I’ve exposed myself to COBIT 5 and COBIT 2019 framework previously. The familiarity with the frameworks accelerated my learning process as CGEIT and COBIT shared the same underlying logic, principles, and way of thinking. They are heavily linked so I recommend everyone who wants to take a CGEIT exam to also read COBIT frameworks (especially the newest one i.e. COBIT 2019).

 

5. Attend CGEIT Review Training

If you want to have a more solid preparation, I suggest you attend the exam preparation training (especially the one held by a training center affiliated with ISACA). However, even if you can't sit in on the training, don’t worry. With or without training, you can still have sufficient preparation.

 

6. Practice Through the Mock Exams

Having a mock exam is essential so that we get used to sitting and thinking without interruption and distraction for hours. Work on the questions until you scored at least 80 out of 100 (the higher, the better). I tried to complete each mock exam in 2 hours to train my quick thinking and ability to finish the exam under pressure. 

 

7. Mind Our Physical and Mental State

Maintaining health and fitness for an exam is vital. Make sure you get enough sleep so that the next morning we are fit to do 150 questions in 4 hours. Also make sure we take our breakfast, arrive at the test center early, and last but not least manage our emotional and mental state. Be calm. You have prepared enough and are ready to face this test. 

8. Pray

I will always repeat this in every exam tips post I write because it is that salient. Pray that we will be at ease in working on those questions. Pray that the questions will favor our knowledge and preparation 😊

9. Miscellaneous Tips

a. First things first, read the syllabus to understand what needs to be understood and the portion of each compared to the whole exam material.

b. Scheduling the exam is one of the best ways to start studying. When I haven't booked an exam date, it feels like there is still a long time to prepare for it. However, when it is already scheduled, I suddenly felt that I had to study immediately :)

c. The knowledge we gained from experience is something to be treated wisely: sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. The knowledge that we have gained may not be in line with the standards/frameworks set by the ISACA, so we must identify the alignment of our knowledge with the ISACA's body of knowledge.

 

10. Tips During the Exam:

a. If you take the exam at the test center, pay attention to the temperature of the test room. If it is too cold to stay inside for 4 hours, wear a jacket. Also, sit as comfortable as possible. Four hours is not a short time, sweetie. 😊

b. Do it serenely. We have a relatively long time to do it. If we are calm, we’ll be more careful. On exams where there are many tricky questions and answers (and accuracy becomes the key), managing our tranquillity is a must.

c. Be careful with the “almost correct” answers. In general, CGEIT questions leave us with 2 alternative answers that both seem true. Hehe. Make sure you choose the right one, not one which looks like it.

d. Focus on the easy questions first. We can skip the difficult/long questions (don't forget to flag them). We can always come back to them later.

e. The duration of the exam allows us to review the answers. Review the answers as if we do it again from the beginning. Don't get bored just yet even though your stamina and concentration have decreased. Here’s my personal advice: if you haven't so sure about the results, use the 4 hours fully.

f. If you take the option of a proctored exam (like what a friend of mine chose), you have toilet breaks twice (10 minutes each). These breaks are also provided if you take the test in the test center. My friend suggested using the break to regain your balance after working on the questions. (for me, I took a break in the middle of the exam duration.)

g. Don't forget to fill out the post-test questionnaire.

Those are the tips I can share with everyone who wants to take the CGEIT exam. Good luck, everyone. If you have anything to ask, feel free to reach out. It's my pleasure to help you. Cheers!

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Indonesian version: Tips Ujian CGEIT