5 Mistakes
to avoid, so you don't fail the CISM exam!

Countless people study hard and feel ready, yet fail the exam. Avoid their mistakes.

Download the Free Guide

The #1 reason most first-time CISM candidates fail (despite years of experience).
Why your technical security expertise alone cannot guarantee CISM success.
What makes most candidates waste valuable study time on the wrong preparation approach (and how to study more efficiently).
Why experience-based confidence can be misleading.
How most candidates approach the exam with the wrong mindset.

PDF cover for CISM 5 mistakes to avoid - Destination Certification

Avoid 5 of the most common CISM mistakes

We'll teach you how to avoid these mistakes for FREE.

By entering your contact info above, you are requesting updates about our upcoming training and access to our newsletters. You can opt out at any time.

Image of orange quotes - Destination Certification

What our students say about our training

Sai Venkatesh

Exam pass date: Feb 15, 2025

The structured curriculum, detailed study materials, and practical insights provided in the class helped me build a stronger foundation. More importantly, the encouragement from both the instructors and fellow community members kept me focused and inspired to push through.

Patrick O'Rouke

Exam pass date: Feb 12, 2025

The interactions you had with us as students, and the enthusiasm you brought each day was paramount to my success. Thank you greatly, really appreciated everything you guys do!

M. Gogic

Exam pass date: Feb 22, 2025

My first and main study source! Passed at 100 with ease thanks to these guys!

Gowri Kanagasapabathy

Exam pass date: Feb 21, 2025

I thoroughly enjoyed learning and I passed the exam only by using destination certificate materials

Clay C.

Exam pass date: Nov 22, 2024

The Destination Certification team is so good at what they do! As a student, it's simply a matter of trusting and following the MasterClass process. I can't thank the team enough for their incredible dedication to high quality education, and for helping me get through this tough exam efficiently and on my first attempt.

Tony Twoshoes

Exam pass date: Sept 28, 2024

The way Rob and the team have structured this class is perfect. The material, weekly meetings, and amazing direct mentoring show the team's passion for ensuring you are prepared come test day. Just do what they've laid out for you, as directed, and the results will speak for themselves.

Paul H.

Exam pass date: Nov 14, 2024

Great confidence booster for the exam, replaced months of self-study that was not needed :). Really appreciate the many entertaining anecdotes used to reinforce what could be perceived as dry material!!! Thank you Rob and John!!

Willian Clements

Exam pass date: Dec 28, 2024

After checking out over a dozen training options, it was instantly obvious that Destination Certification was the best fit. Their ability to turn complex material into understandable stories and diagrams is amazing. You can watch six videos on encryption and leave more confused, or just watch Dest Cert’s and be knowledgeable within the hour. Easiest decision ever. Seriously, awesome course – the videos, the guides, the mind maps, the community. Thank you, Rob, John, and Lou!

Hi! We're Rob & John the CISM Master Instructors

John Berti

Co-founder & Master Instructor

CISM,CCSP, CISSP, SSCP

john@destcert.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jberti/

John is the other major driving force behind the Destination Certification CISM program. With over 25 years in information security leadership and extensive experience with ISACA, John helps security professionals make the critical transition from technical specialist to security leader.

John is one of Canada's leading Information Security professionals with outstanding credentials:

Over 25 years of Information Security Management experience across multiple industries.
Extensive work with ISACA developing official materials for CISM certification.
Deep involvement in creating CISM exam outlines, providing insight beyond what's publicly available.
Practical experience implementing security governance frameworks that align with business objectives.
Expertise in communicating security's value proposition to executive leadership.

John has facilitated hundreds of CISM classes worldwide with industry-leading first-attempt pass rates. His ability to make complex security governance concepts clear and practical has made him a trusted instructor for security teams at some of the world's largest organizations.

Rob Witcher

Co-founder & Master Instructor

CISM,CCSP, CISSP, SSCP, CISA, CSX-P, CIPM,
MCSE:Security, PMP

rob@destcert.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robwitcher/

Rob is one of the driving forces behind the success of the Destination Certification CISM program. He directs the creation of our integrated intelligent learning system that transforms technical security experts into effective security leaders.

Rob has over 20 years of security, governance, and risk management experience, including:

Developing information security programs that directly support business objectives.
Leading organizations through significant security incidents with a focus on management and governance.
Implementing enterprise-wide security frameworks that balance protection with business enablement.
Creating measurable security programs that demonstrate value to executive leadership.
Acting as the CIO of a global mining company, bringing real-world executive perspective to security decisions.

Rob has delivered hundreds of CISM classes globally over the last 10 years. His experience working directly with ISACA to develop certification materials gives him unique insight into what the CISM exam is truly testing.

Rob's entertaining teaching style makes complex governance concepts accessible and practical, focusing on the management mindset that's essential for both CISM success and career advancement to senior security leadership roles.

Victoria, BC, Canada

5 Mistakesto avoid, so you don't fail the CISM exam!