Certification guide
ISSEPISC2 ISSEP: the honest guide
Everything ISC2 publishes about ISSEP, in one place: what the exam asks, how the domains are weighted, and what it takes to be ready.
This guide page is built from the registry, not written yet.
Everything below comes from ISSEP’s published exam data, and every figure links to the vendor page it came from. The researched version, with study plans and the parts nobody publishes, is still being written. This page is not submitted to search engines until it is.
See everything published on ISSEPWhat the exam actually asks you to do
Multiple choice and ISC2's advanced item types. There is no lab and no simulation, so the practice that matters is reading a scenario and choosing well.
Item formats
- Multiple choice
Nothing here needs a lab. Reading carefully and eliminating options is the whole skill. ISC2, ISSEP exam outline ↗
Domain breakdown and official weightings
From the official ISC2 exam outlines. Systems Security Engineering Foundations is the heaviest domain at 24 percent, followed by Security Planning and Engineering at 22 percent.
- Systems Security Engineering Foundations24%
- Risk Management20%
- Security Planning and Engineering22%
- Systems Security Implementation, Verification, and Validation20%
- Secure Operations, Change Management and Disposal14%
Where to focus: The ISSEP weightings are flatter than the other two ISC2 advanced exams: four domains sit between 20 and 24 percent and only Secure Operations, Change Management and Disposal drops to 14 percent. There is no single dominant domain to lean on, so plan even coverage rather than a favourite topic.
What comes after passing
ISSEP is valid for 3 years. ISC2 operates a three-year certification cycle with automatic recertification once CPE credit and annual maintenance fee requirements are met. Holders who also have a CISSP must earn 20 Group A CPE credits annually, 60 over the cycle, directly related to the ISSEP; holders without a CISSP are listed at 47 annually and 140 over the cycle. A single annual maintenance fee of U.S. $135 applies regardless of how many ISC2 certifications are held.
Costs across the full renewal cycle are on the ISSEP cost page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CISSP required before the ISSEP exam?
ISC2's ISSEP exam outline lists two routes. One is being a CISSP in good standing plus two years cumulative full-time experience in one or more of the five ISSEP domains. The other is a minimum of seven years cumulative full-time experience in two or more of the domains, with no CISSP. The ISC2 certifications page states 'CISSP + 2 Years or 7 years cumulative'.
What is the ISSEP exam format?
ISC2 publishes 3 hours, 125 items, multiple choice and advanced item types, and a passing grade of 700 out of 1000 points. The exam is offered in English at Pearson VUE testing centers.
How much does the ISSEP exam cost?
The ISC2 exam pricing page lists U.S. $599 standard registration for the ISSEP exam in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, EUR 575.04 in EMEA, and GBP 485.19 in the United Kingdom.
How often does the ISSEP need renewing?
ISC2 uses a three-year certification cycle and recertifies automatically once CPE credits and the annual maintenance fee are settled. With a CISSP, 20 Group A CPE credits a year and 60 over the cycle must relate directly to the ISSEP; without a CISSP the figures ISC2 publishes are 47 and 140. The annual maintenance fee is U.S. $135.
Keep reading
- ISSEP exam overview
The format, the domain weights and the renewal terms, sourced line by line.
- ISSEP passing score
The exact cut score, what kind of number it is, and the retake terms.
- How hard is ISSEP?
An honest difficulty read from the format, the clock and the weights.