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 Information Security Manager
The Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification validates your expertise in information security governance, risk management, program development, and incident management. Designed for mid-to-advanced career IT professionals aspiring to senior management roles, CISM demonstrates your ability to align security programs with business goals and lead enterprise security initiatives. Earning CISM signals to employers that you can assess risks, implement effective governance, and proactively respond to incidents, making you a trusted leader in the field.
Exam formatComputer-based
DeliveryPSI
Free questions538
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Certified Information Security Manager 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
18objectives
128concepts
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 Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification is ISACA's premier credential for information security management. It affirms your ability to assess risks, implement effective governance, and proactively respond to incidents, with a focus on emerging technologies such as AI and blockchain. CISM ensures your skillset meets evolving security threats and industry requirements, addressing top-of-mind concerns like data breaches and ransomware attacks.
Earning CISM demonstrates your proficiency in managing and overseeing information security programs, from developing strategy to executing incident response. The certification is globally recognized and required by many organizations and government agencies, providing you with the credibility to advance your career and add value to your enterprise.
Who it’s for
This certification is for mid-to-advanced career IT professionals who aspire to senior management roles in IT security and control. It is ideal for those responsible for designing, implementing, and managing enterprise information security programs, including security managers, IT consultants, and aspiring CISOs. CISM is designed for professionals who want to validate their expertise in information security governance, risk management, program development, and incident management, and who are ready to take on leadership responsibilities in the field.
Recommended experience
While there are no formal prerequisites, ISACA recommends that candidates have a minimum of five years of experience in information security management, with at least three years in the specific job practice areas covered by the exam. Experience in information security governance and strategy; Experience in information security risk management; Experience in developing and managing information security programs; Experience in incident management and response
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
Domain 1: Information Security Governance
- Organizational Culture
- Legal, Regulatory and Contractual Requirements
- Organizational Structures, Roles and Responsibilities
- Information Security Strategy Development
- Information Governance Frameworks and Standards
- Strategic Planning (Budgets, Resources, Business Case)
Domain 2: Information Security Risk Management
- Emerging Risk and Threat Landscape
- Vulnerability and Control Deficiency Analysis
- Risk Assessment and Analysis
- Risk Treatment / Risk Response Options
- Risk and Control Ownership
- Risk Monitoring and Reporting
Domain 3: Information Security Program
- Program Foundation and Governance
- Program Implementation and Operations
- Program Communication and External Management
Domain 4: Incident Management
- Preparation
- Response
- Post-Incident Activity
On the day
The exam itself
Everything ISACA publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
Pass the CISM certification exam.
CertificationCertified Information Security Manager
Exam formatComputer-based
DeliveryPSI
LanguagesEnglish, Chinese Simplified, Japanese, 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 Information Security Manager
PrerequisitePass the CISM certification exam.
Credential earnedCertified Information Security Manager Certification Renewal and maintenance
CISM certification must be maintained annually by earning and reporting Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits, as outlined in ISACA's Continuing Professional Education Policy. 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 CISM exam relate to the upcoming exam content outline update?
The CISM Exam Content Outline will be updated effective 3 November 2026. Starting on that date, the exam will reflect the new outline. Updated preparation materials will be available for purchase in September 2026. Purchasing current material will not grant access to the newer material later.
Is there a higher-level certification that requires CISM as a prerequisite?
Yes, ISACA's Advanced in AI Security Management (AAISM) certification requires candidates to hold an active CISM or CISSP certification. This advanced credential focuses on AI-specific security issues and builds upon existing security management best practices.
Can I reschedule my CISM exam appointment?
Yes, you can reschedule your CISM exam anytime without penalty during your eligibility period, provided you do so at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled testing appointment. Log in to your ISACA Account and follow the rescheduling steps in the Scheduling Guide.
What are the identification requirements for the CISM exam?
You must present a valid government-issued identification that matches the name on your ISACA account. Ensure your name matches what appears on your government-issued ID when creating your account.
Is there a retake policy for the CISM exam?
ISACA has a zero-tolerance policy for fraudulent test-taking activities. Candidates involved in fraudulent activities will be subject to score nullification and/or certification revocation. Specific retake waiting periods are not published on the official page.
Are there any hands-on or lab components in the CISM exam?
The CISM exam is computer-based and consists of multiple-choice questions. There is no hands-on or lab component mentioned in the official materials.
What job roles does the CISM certification map to?
CISM is designed for mid-to-advanced career IT professionals aspiring to senior management roles in IT security and control, such as information security managers, IT consultants, and aspiring CISOs.
Can I recertify by passing a different ISACA exam?
ISACA certifications require renewal through earning CPE credits. Passing a different exam may contribute to CPE credits, but there is no automatic recertification by passing another exam.
Is the CISM exam available in all countries?
The CISM exam is administered at authorized PSI testing centers globally or as remotely proctored exams. However, some regions may have restrictions on remote proctoring; for example, the AAISM exam is exclusively available at testing centers in India, Mainland China, and Hong Kong.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 538 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
18objectives
128concepts
114free 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
1Domain 1: Information Security Governance156 questions
Organizational Culture4 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Legal, Regulatory and Contractual Requirements5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Organizational Structures, Roles and Responsibilities5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Information Security Strategy Development12 concepts · 8 pagesOpen →Information Governance Frameworks and Standards4 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Strategic Planning (Budgets, Resources, Business Case)6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
2Domain 2: Information Security Risk Management194 questions
Emerging Risk and Threat Landscape8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Vulnerability and Control Deficiency Analysis6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Risk Assessment and Analysis8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Risk Treatment / Risk Response Options10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Risk and Control Ownership6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Risk Monitoring and Reporting9 concepts · 8 pagesOpen →
3Domain 3: Information Security Program99 questions
4Domain 4: Incident Management89 questions
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.
Organizational Culture6 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
27 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
538 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.
538questions
114pages
18objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Domain 1: Information Security Governance156 questions
2Domain 2: Information Security Risk Management194 questions
3Domain 3: Information Security Program99 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.
128concepts
538free 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
128concepts 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 — 18 objectives, 128 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When ISACA changes the outline, this page changes with it.
18objectives on the outline→128concepts written→538free 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.