CISSP Certification Exam Prep Course vs GRE Complete Prep: How to Score 330+ for Top Grad Schools

The course covers all eight CISSP CBK domains as defined by (ISC)²: Security and Risk Management, Asset Security, Security Architecture and Engineering, Communication and Network Security, Identity and Access Management, Security Assessment and Testing, Security Operations, and Software Development Security. Chapple structures each domain systematically, beginning with foundational concepts and building toward the scenario-based reasoning that the CISSP adaptive exam rewards. Learners consistently report that Chapple's lectures decode the conceptual density of the Official Study Guide and reframe key ideas in ways that make the most challenging domain content — particularly risk quantification, cryptography, and PKI — accessible without oversimplifying. His background as both an active security practitioner and academic means domain coverage contextualises theory within real organisational security decisions rather than presenting isolated facts. The main content gap noted by experienced candidates is the volume of built-in practice questions. The video instruction is comprehensive, but most successful CISSP candidates pair it with a dedicated practice test resource such as the Official (ISC)² CISSP Practice Tests, also co-authored by Chapple, or a third-party platform such as Boson ExSim.

Mike Chapple, Ph.D. holds the CISSP, CISM, CySA+, PenTest+, and Security+ certifications and serves as Teaching Professor of IT, Analytics and Operations at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. He co-authored the Official (ISC)² CISSP Study Guide (now in its tenth edition) and the Official (ISC)² CISSP Practice Tests, and has written more than 50 technology books and produced over 150 Udemy and LinkedIn Learning courses. His teaching style transforms dense regulatory and conceptual material into clear, structured instruction without sacrificing technical accuracy. Students consistently describe him as "calm," "methodical," "patient," and "one of the best technical instructors on any platform." His explanation of the CISSP managerial mindset — thinking as a security manager rather than a hands-on technician when selecting exam answers — is cited by numerous first-time passers as the single most valuable insight they received from any study resource. CertMike community testimonials note that his course is "far more helpful than a $2,000 boot camp."

At Udemy's standard promotional pricing of $15–25 (promotions occur near-weekly), the course represents exceptional value relative to the $749 CISSP exam fee and the $2,000–$3,500 price range of in-person boot camps. Multiple learners in Reddit's r/cissp community explicitly describe abandoning boot camp registrations in favour of Chapple's course after comparing outcomes reported by peers who used each approach. The course pairs naturally with the Official (ISC)² CISSP Study Guide that Chapple co-authored, creating an integrated study ecosystem where book and course reinforce each other at a combined cost still well below most single-day boot camp fees. For a credential with transformative career impact — median salaries for CISSP holders exceed $120,000 in the United States — the cost-to-certification-value ratio is unusually favourable.

Multiple learners report that the CISSP preparation process through Chapple's course produced a materially more comprehensive view of organisational security than their prior professional experience had provided. The eight CBK domains together constitute a breadth-first survey of enterprise security governance, and working through them systematically often surfaces gaps in candidates' understanding that were invisible from within their specialised day-to-day roles. Security professionals in roles such as security architect, CISO, security manager, and senior analyst specifically credit the course with reinforcing enterprise security governance frameworks — NIST CSF, ISO 27001, SOC 2 — in ways that improved their day-to-day security decision-making well beyond the exam context. The risk management and security assessment domains are cited as particularly rich in immediately applicable content.

Mike Chapple maintains a companion platform at certmike.com where he facilitates free 90-day CISSP study groups. These structured group programmes — featuring weekly schedules, live Q&A webinars, and community forums — are cited by multiple graduates as a significant differentiator that addresses the primary failure mode of solo CISSP self-study: losing momentum across the months-long preparation period. Within Udemy, Q&A response times are variable, a structural issue across the platform rather than specific to this course. The CertMike study group fills much of this gap. Learners seeking broader community discussion also gravitate toward r/cissp on Reddit, which frequently recommends Chapple's resources as a primary study tool. The slight fragmentation between Udemy Q&A and CertMike community is the main friction point noted by learners.

The course covers all three GRE sections — Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Analytical Writing — across 27+ hours of on-demand video, with 400+ practice questions and downloadable resources. Reviewers describe the content as systematically structured, building from foundational concepts (fractions, exponents, roots) up through advanced topics. The 2024 update added 30+ new videos reflecting GRE format revisions. The main limitation noted by critics is that content is almost entirely video-based with no dedicated offline summary PDFs and some missing quiz answer options.

Dr. Gerald Day Richardson holds both an MD and an EdM from Harvard and personally aced the GRE. Students consistently praise his calm, clear teaching voice and ability to demystify difficult concepts. Testimonials describe him as "thorough, covering so many concepts in great detail" with a "soothing instructor voice." His approach — building from absolute basics without assuming prior knowledge — is singled out repeatedly as what sets this course apart from others.

The list price sits around $84-99, but the course is almost always on Udemy sale between $15-25, with lifetime access and a 30-day money-back guarantee. At sale price, 27+ hours covering all three GRE sections with 400+ practice questions represents strong value versus Magoosh ($149+/year) or Manhattan Prep ($249+). Independent reviewers confirm Udemy GRE courses offer "incredible bang for your buck" at their typical sale price. The trade-off is that — unlike premium platforms — this course lacks full-length adaptive mock tests and vocabulary tools.

The course includes an active Q&A forum, and student reviews note the instructor responds to doubts — one reviewer specifically praised that "the tutor goes an extra mile to reply quickly to your doubts." However, support is limited to the Udemy Q&A system; there is no live tutoring, community forum outside the platform, or direct messaging. For a self-paced $15-25 course this is reasonable, but learners needing real-time feedback should consider supplementing with a dedicated GRE community like r/GRE or GregMat's Discord.

Multiple verified students report meaningful score improvements after completing the course. One student credits it with helping her "gain admission to my dream graduate program," and another says he "finally beat the 160 barrier." A non-native English speaker reports scoring "so much higher on the real exam" after completing the verbal and writing sections. The caveat from independent analysis is that the course works best as part of a broader study plan supplemented by official ETS PowerPrep practice tests — the teaching is strong, but the course alone may not be sufficient for students targeting 330+ without additional timed practice.