Certification guide
ISSMPISC2 ISSMP: the honest guide
Everything ISC2 publishes about ISSMP, 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 ISSMP’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 ISSMPWhat 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, ISSMP exam outline ↗
Domain breakdown and official weightings
From the official ISC2 exam outlines. Leadership and Organizational Management is the heaviest domain at 21 percent, followed by Risk Management at 20 percent.
- Leadership and Organizational Management21%
- Systems Lifecycle Management15%
- Risk Management20%
- Security Operations18%
- Contingency Management12%
- Law, Ethics, and Security Compliance Management14%
Where to focus: The ISSMP spreads 100 percent across six domains, so no single area exceeds 21 percent and the two smallest, Contingency Management and Law, Ethics, and Security Compliance Management, still total 26 percent between them. Questions are management framed rather than technical, so read for the decision being asked about, not the control.
What comes after passing
ISSMP 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 ISSMP; 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 ISSMP cost page.
Frequently asked questions
Must I hold a CISSP to take the ISSMP exam?
ISC2's ISSMP exam outline gives two options: a CISSP in good standing plus two years cumulative full-time experience in one or more of the six ISSMP domains, or a minimum of seven years cumulative full-time experience in two or more of the domains. The ISC2 certifications page summarises the requirement as 'CISSP + 2 Years or 7 years cumulative'.
What are the ISSMP exam mechanics?
ISC2 lists 3 hours, 125 items, multiple choice and advanced item types, and 700 out of 1000 points to pass. The exam is available in English at Pearson VUE testing centers.
What is the ISSMP exam price?
ISC2's exam pricing page shows U.S. $599 standard registration for the ISSMP exam in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, EUR 575.04 in EMEA, and GBP 485.19 in the United Kingdom.
How do I keep the ISSMP current?
ISC2 works on a three-year certification cycle with automatic recertification once CPE credits and the annual maintenance fee are met. Members who also hold a CISSP need 20 Group A CPE credits a year, 60 across the cycle, tied directly to the ISSMP; members without a CISSP are listed at 47 a year and 140 across the cycle. One annual maintenance fee of U.S. $135 covers all ISC2 certifications held.
Keep reading
- ISSMP exam overview
The format, the domain weights and the renewal terms, sourced line by line.
- ISSMP passing score
The exact cut score, what kind of number it is, and the retake terms.
- How hard is ISSMP?
An honest difficulty read from the format, the clock and the weights.