Domains
The CISSP certification covers material from the eight topical domains. These eight domains are as follows:
Domain 1: Security and Risk Management
Domain 2: Asset Security
Domain 3: Security Architecture and Engineering
Domain 4: Communication and Network Security
Domain 5: Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Domain 6: Security Assessment and Testing
Domain 7: Security Operations
Domain 8: Software Development Security
These eight domains provide a vendor-independent overview of a common security framework. This framework is the basis for a discussion on security practices that can be supported in all types of organizations worldwide.
Prequalifications
(ISC)2 has defined the qualification requirements you must meet to become a CISSP. First, you must be a practicing security professional with at least five years’ full-time paid work experience or with four years’ experience and a recent IT or IS degree or an approved security certification (see isc2.org for details). Professional experience is defined as security work performed for salary or commission within two or more of the eight CBK domains.
Second, you must agree to adhere to a formal code of ethics. The CISSP Code of Ethics is a set of guidelines (ISC)2 wants all CISSP candidates to follow to maintain professionalism in the field of information systems security. You can find it in the Information section on the (ISC)2 website at isc2.org.
(ISC)2 also offers an entry program known as an Associate of (ISC)². This program allows someone without any or enough experience to qualify as a CISSP to take the CISSP exam anyway and then obtain experience afterward. Associates are granted six years to obtain five years of security experience. Only after providing proof of such experience, usually by means of endorsement and a résumé, can the individual be awarded CISSP certification.
Overview of the CISSP Exam
The CISSP exam focuses on security from a 30,000-foot view; it deals more with theory and concept than implementation and procedure. It is very broad but not very deep. To successfully complete this exam, you'll need to be familiar with every domain but not necessarily be a master of each domain.
The CISSP exam is in an adaptive format that (ISC)2 calls CISSP-CAT (Computerized Adaptive Testing). For complete details of this new version of exam presentation, please see www.isc2.org/certifications/CISSP/CISSP-CAT.
The CISSP-CAT exam will have a minimum of 100 questions and a maximum of 150. Not all items you are presented with count toward your score or passing status. These unscored items are called pretest questions by (ISC)², whereas the scored items are called operational items. The questions are not labeled on the exam as to whether they are scored (i.e., operational items) or unscored (i.e., pretest questions). Test candidates will receive 25 unscored items on their exam, regardless of whether they achieve a passing rank at question 100 or see all of the 150 questions.
The CISSP-CAT grants a maximum of three hours to take the exam. If you run out of time before achieving a passing rank, you will automatically fail.
The CISSP-CAT does not allow you to return to a previous question to change your answer. Your answer selection is final once you leave a question by submitting your answer selection.
The CISSP-CAT does not have a published or set score to achieve. Instead, you must demonstrate the ability to answer above the (ISC)2 bar for passing, called the passing standard (which is not disclosed), within the last 75 operational items (i.e., questions).
If the computer determines that you have a less than 5 percent chance of achieving a passing standard and you have seen 75 operational items (which will be at question 100), your test will automatically end with a failure. If the computer determines that you have a higher than 95 percent chance of achieving or maintaining a passing standard once you have seen 75 operational items (which will be at question 100), your test will automatically end with a pass. If neither of these extremes is met, then you will see another question, and your status will be evaluated again after it is answered. You are not guaranteed to see any more questions than are necessary for the computer grading system to determine with 95 percent confidence your ability to achieve a passing standard or to fail to meet the passing standard. If you do not achieve the passing standard after submitting your answer to question 150, then you fail. If you run out of time, then you fail.
If you do not pass the CISSP exam on your first attempt, you are allowed to retake the CISSP exam under the following conditions:
You can take the CISSP exam a maximum of four times per 12-month period.
You must wait 30 days after your first attempt before trying a second time.
You must wait an additional 60 days after your second attempt before trying a third time.
You must wait an additional 90 days after your third or subsequent attempts before trying again.
The exam retake policy was updated in October 2020; you can read the official policy here: www.isc2.org/Exams/After-Your-Exam.
You will need to pay full price for each additional exam attempt.
It is not possible to take the previous English paper-based or CBT (computer-based testing) flat 250-question version of the exam. CISSP is now available only in the CBT CISSP-CAT format in English through (ISC)2-authorized Pearson VUE test centers in authorized markets.
The CISSP exam is available in English, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish (Modern), Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean. These non-English versions of CISSP are still administered using the 250-question linear, fixed-form, flat exam.
For more details and the most up-to-date information on the CISSP exam direct from (ISC)2, please visit www.isc2.org/Certifications/CISSP and download the CISSP Ultimate Guide and the CISSP Exam Outline (currently located in the “2: Register and Prepare for the Exam” section). You might also find useful information on the (ISC)2 blog at blog.isc2.org/isc2_blog. For example, there is a good article posted in October 2020 titled “Why Does the CISSP Exam Change?” (blog.isc2.org/isc2_blog/2020/10/why-does-the-cissp-exam-change.html).
CISSP Exam Question Types
Most of the questions on the CISSP exam are four-option, multiple-choice questions with a single correct answer. Some are straightforward,
