You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
ISACACertified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer
The ISACA Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) certification validates your ability to implement privacy-by-design principles into existing and future systems, networks, and applications. It is for technical professionals who work cross-functionally to engineer ethical, human-centered privacy solutions. Earning CDPSE proves you can help your organization meet modern privacy compliance demands while enabling secure, efficient technology operations.
Exam formatComputer-based
DeliveryPSI
Free questions841
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
4domains
27objectives
224concepts
US $575exam fee
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The ISACA Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) certification validates your expertise in implementing privacy-by-design principles into existing and future systems, networks, and applications. In today's rapidly evolving data privacy field, CDPSE holders work cross-functionally to engineer effective privacy solutions that are ethical and human-centered, bridging the gap between privacy compliance and technical implementation.
Earning the CDPSE demonstrates your proficiency in four key domains: Privacy Governance, Privacy Risk Management and Compliance, Data Life Cycle Management, and Privacy Engineering. It empowers security professionals to understand how their work supports privacy initiatives and equips them to handle the challenges and responsibilities of a modern technical data privacy expert, making them valuable assets for organizations navigating complex privacy regulations.
Who it’s for
The CDPSE certification is designed for IT professionals—including software developers, system and network engineers, application and database administrators, and project managers—who are responsible for building data privacy and protection measures into new and existing technology environments. It is ideal for those who partner with privacy professionals to operationalize privacy by design and by default, ensuring that technical systems and processes align with legal, regulatory, and organizational privacy requirements.
Recommended experience
ISACA recommends that candidates have experience in privacy governance, risk management, data life cycle management, and privacy engineering, typically gained through roles that involve implementing technical privacy solutions. Experience implementing privacy-by-design principles into systems and applications; Knowledge of privacy laws, regulations, and frameworks; Experience conducting privacy impact assessments (PIAs); Understanding of data life cycle management, including collection, storage, and destruction; Familiarity with privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) and security controls
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective ISACA measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official ISACA exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Privacy Governance
- Personal Information
- Privacy Principles (Privacy by Design, Consent, Transparency)
- Privacy Laws and Regulations
- Privacy Documentation (Policies, Guidelines)
- Organizational Culture, Structure, and Responsibilities
- Vendor and Supply Chain Management
- Incident Management
- Data Subject Rights, Requests, and Notification
Privacy Risk Management and Compliance
- Risk Management Process and Policies
- Privacy-Focused Assessment (Privacy Impact Assessment)
- Privacy Training and Awareness
- Threats and Vulnerabilities
- Risk Response
- Privacy Frameworks
- Evidence and Artifacts
- Program Monitoring and Metrics
Data Life Cycle Management
- Data Inventory, Dataflow Diagram, and Classification
- Data Quality (Accuracy)
- Data Use Limitation
- Data Analytics (Aggregation, AI, Data Warehouse)
- Data Minimization
- Data Disclosure and Transfer
- Data Storage, Retention, and Archiving
- Data Destruction
Privacy Engineering
- Data Infrastructure and Technology
- Security and Access Controls
- Privacy-Enhancing Technologies
On the day
The exam itself
Everything ISACA publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
Pass the CDPSE certification exam.
CertificationCertified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer
Exam formatComputer-based
Questions120 questions
DeliveryPSI
LanguagesEnglish, Chinese Simplified, German, Spanish
PricingUS $575
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path ISACA lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer
PrerequisitePass the CDPSE certification exam.
Credential earnedCertified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer Certification Renewal and maintenance
ISACA certifications require renewal through earning Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits. CDPSE holders must adhere to the Continuing Professional Education Policy to maintain their certification. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. ISACA maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by ISACA
Exam registration
Register for the exam through PSI, ISACA’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official ISACA certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How does the CDPSE certification relate to other ISACA credentials like CISA or CISM?
CDPSE is a distinct certification focused on technical privacy implementation, while CISA focuses on IT auditing and CISM on information security management. They are separate credentials, and holding one is not a prerequisite for the others.
Is there a hands-on or lab-based component to the CDPSE exam?
The CDPSE exam is computer-based and consists of 120 questions covering four domains. The official material does not mention a separate hands-on or lab-based component.
What is the retake policy if I fail the CDPSE exam?
The provided official material does not specify a retake policy or waiting periods between attempts. Please refer to the ISACA Terms of Use for Exams or contact ISACA support for detailed information.
What job roles does the CDPSE certification map to?
The CDPSE certification is for technical professionals who implement privacy solutions, including software developers, system and network engineers, application and database administrators, and project managers who partner with privacy professionals.
Can I recertify by passing a different ISACA exam?
ISACA certifications require renewal through earning Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits. The provided material does not specify whether passing another exam can fulfill this requirement.
How soon after passing the exam can I apply for certification?
Candidates have five years from passing the exam to apply for CDPSE certification. The application process includes paying a US$50 fee and demonstrating experience requirements.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 841 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept ISACA measures — each one written out.
4domains
27objectives
224concepts
180free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official ISACA exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Privacy Governance235 questions
Personal Information6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Privacy Principles (Privacy by Design, Consent, Transparency)9 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Privacy Laws and Regulations6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Privacy Documentation (Policies, Guidelines)7 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Organizational Culture, Structure, and Responsibilities6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Vendor and Supply Chain Management8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Incident Management8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Data Subject Rights, Requests, and Notification7 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →
2Privacy Risk Management and Compliance240 questions
Risk Management Process and Policies10 concepts · 8 pagesOpen →Privacy-Focused Assessment (Privacy Impact Assessment)9 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Privacy Training and Awareness8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Threats and Vulnerabilities5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Risk Response4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Privacy Frameworks6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Evidence and Artifacts9 concepts · 8 pagesOpen →Program Monitoring and Metrics5 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
3Data Life Cycle Management246 questions
Data Inventory, Dataflow Diagram, and Classification9 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Data Quality (Accuracy)6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Data Use Limitation10 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Data Analytics (Aggregation, AI, Data Warehouse)10 concepts · 8 pagesOpen →Data Minimization10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Data Disclosure and Transfer6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Data Storage, Retention, and Archiving10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Data Destruction10 concepts · 8 pagesOpen →
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
Personal Information6 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
30 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
841 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
841questions
180pages
27objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Privacy Governance235 questions
2Privacy Risk Management and Compliance240 questions
3Data Life Cycle Management246 questions
4Privacy Engineering120 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
224concepts
841free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from ISACA
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
2official links
224concepts mapped
The source
ISACA’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official ISACA outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 27 objectives, 224 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When ISACA changes the outline, this page changes with it.
27objectives on the outline→224concepts written→841free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.