Just got back from taking the test. Scored a 94.6% with 20 min left. Test was 150 questions with a 3-ish hour time limit (I forget if it was 3 or 3.5 hr). The study plan was to get a 91%, so I’m pleasantly surprised. The minimum passing score is somewhere in the mid 70’s, but I wanted plenty of wiggle room with the lab portion of the exam, and what GSE would want to pass with the bare minimum? The first half hour of the test was the most stressful. After that, I hit my stride and methodically worked through it, checking my time remaining at every checkpoint to make sure I wasn’t taking too long looking up items to verify my answers. If you have ever taken a GIAC test, you know that you get checkpoint scores every so often. . .

At any rate, you now know the materials I used to study, what I brought with me and how I created my index for the written portion of the SANS GSE.  Good luck to you!

Now the real preparation begins – for the GSE lab, hopefully in March 🙂