CISSP Study Plan – Day 47 of 55 | Reviewing Handwritten Notes and OSI Model Practice
- Luke Ahmed
- Nov 5
- 3 min read
“Countdown to destiny!” – Luke Ahmed
Today is Day 47 of Yihenew’s CISSP study plan — a reflection and reinforcement day focused on handwritten notes and one of the most fundamental CISSP concepts: the OSI Model.
At this stage of the journey, you’re not just studying — you’re consolidating. The goal is to strengthen neural connections between concepts you’ve already learned. Reviewing your notes and testing your recall on frameworks like OSI is how you move from understanding to mastery.
Key Areas Covered in the CISSP Study Plan
Why Handwritten Notes Matter:
Writing reinforces retention — it activates deeper memory processes than typing.
Handwritten notes reveal your personal weak spots — the places where you had to slow down to explain something to yourself.
Review each page and mark areas that still feel fuzzy; that’s where your next study sprint begins.
How to Review Effectively:
Read your notes out loud like you’re teaching someone.
Turn headings into questions (e.g., “What’s the function of Layer 4?”).
Re-write key lists (like control types, frameworks, and encryption modes) from memory.
OSI Model Refresher:The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model organizes network communication into 7 layers. Each has unique responsibilities — and CISSP expects you to know them both conceptually and in context.
7 Layers of the OSI Model:
Physical – Media, cabling, and signals (e.g., hubs, NICs).
Data Link – Framing, MAC addresses (e.g., switches).
Network – Routing and addressing (e.g., IP, routers).
Transport – End-to-end delivery, segmentation, reliability (e.g., TCP/UDP).
Session – Establishes, manages, and ends connections.
Presentation – Formatting, encryption, compression.
Application – User interface, protocols (HTTP, SMTP, DNS).
Mnemonic: “Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away.”
Common CISSP Pitfall:The exam doesn’t ask “Which layer is X?” directly — it gives a scenario.Example: “A firewall operating at Layer 3 filters packets based on IP addresses.”→ That’s the Network Layer.
CISSP Exam Tie-In
By Day 47, your goal isn’t to learn new material — it’s to sharpen your recall and pattern recognition.When a question describes encryption, ports, or routing, your brain should instantly map it to the right OSI layer.
CISSP is as much about concept mapping as it is about memorization. If you can mentally place every control, protocol, and process into its correct layer or domain, you’re almost ready.
Quick CISSP Practice Question
At which layer of the OSI model does data encryption typically occur?
A. Session
B. Presentation
C. Transport
D. Application
✅ Correct Answer: B. Presentation
Explanation:The Presentation Layer handles data formatting, compression, and encryption — ensuring information is readable and secure for the receiving application.
Think Like a Manager:It’s not enough to know the OSI layers — know why each exists. Each one represents a control boundary where risk can be managed, detected, or contained.
👉 Can you take the Yani Challenge?
55 days of consistent CISSP prep, tackling one domain at a time, using only the resources below:
Course
Luke's CISSP Course (2 months access, $89.98)
One-to-one Zoom sessions with Luke Ahmed (2 weeks before exam)
Books, Notes, and Practice Questions
All-In-One Study Guide by Shon Harris (Around $45)
Sybex 10th Edition (Around $52.55)
Total Cost: approxiamately $250 depending on your geographic location. Yani is located in East Africa.
📚 Study Plan (55 Days of Dedication):
- Weekdays: 2–3 hours of focused study—late nights and early mornings (5 AM).
- Weekends: 5–6 hours of deep study sessions.
Pass CISSP in first attempt within 100 questions.
Yani's biggest expense was his time, committment, consistency, and dedication! It was worth it because he passed first attempt in 100 questions using the above resources only.
If Yihenew could do it, so can you.
All the best Future CISSP. You can feel free to contact me anytime as well.
Thank you.
Luke Ahmed
