Saturday Flex: The Anomaly That Wasn't

When the algorithm fails you, don't let your conviction fail with it.

Last Saturday, my ISC2 CC exam terminated at 90 questions.

If you know anything about CAT-based (Computer Adaptive Test) exams, you know 90 is below the minimum threshold for a pass/fail determination. For the ISC2 CC exam the minimum threshold is 100, with 25 beta questions embedded throughout the exam. The system didn't make a decision—it just stopped. ISC2 issued a retake.

Here's what I did in the 24 hours after receiving those results:

• I questioned everything.

• I shed a tear.

• I sat with the weight of feeling like a failure—like all that preparation meant nothing.

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But here's what I didn't do: I didn't accept it.

I knew something didn't add up. I knew what I put into that exam. I showed up, and when I got still enough to think clearly, I realized those results didn't make sense.

So I went digging—and found out the truth.

The exam stopped. For a CAT exam, that means the algorithm didn't have enough statistical confidence to decide—so it spat out bogus results rather than a proper outcome.

That's a very different thing.

Moving forward: My retake is August 15th. The study plan is built. I'm going back in with the same energy I came in with the first time—plus a sharper focus on the questions that trip most people up.

The ones asking for the best answer, the least harmful action, the most effective control.

Those are the ones that require you to think like a security professional, not just recall a definition. That's where the real distinction lives.

The results were not a reflection of my performance.

I'm going to prove it.

If you're mid-transition and something knocks you down—it's okay to feel it.

At many times, there is a hurdle on the path (other times, it can be a hurdle of a hurdle). Cry if you need to. Question everything. Then sit up and realize this, too, shall pass.

Just don't let that hurdle be the end of your story.

Stay curious. Go find the truth. Then get back to work.

If you're facing a similar hurdle this week: Drop a comment below—what's the one thing that's knocked you down lately, and how are you planning to get back up? Let's hold each other accountable.

P.S. — I'll be documenting my study journey between now and August 15th. Follow along if you want to see exactly how I'm sharpening my focus on those tricky "best answer" questions. We're going in together. 🖤