You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
ISC2Certified in Cybersecurity
The Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) from ISC2 is the entry-level credential for anyone starting a career in cybersecurity — no prior experience required. It validates foundational knowledge across security principles, network security, access controls, and security operations. Earning the CC demonstrates to employers that you have the core skills and passion to succeed in an entry- or junior-level cybersecurity role, and it opens a clear pathway to advanced ISC2 certifications like the CISSP.
Exam formatMultiple choice and advanced item types
Duration120 minutes
DeliveryPearson VUE
Passing score700 out of 1000
Free questions417
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Certified in Cybersecurity 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.
5domains
17objectives
99concepts
US $199exam 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 in Cybersecurity (CC) credential from ISC2, the world's leading cybersecurity professional organization, is designed for individuals who are new to the field or transitioning from other careers. It proves you have the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for an entry- or junior-level cybersecurity role, without requiring any prior work experience.
The CC exam covers five domains: Security Principles, Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) & Incident Response Concepts, Access Controls Concepts, Network Security, and Security Operations. It also integrates foundational AI security concepts across all domains, ensuring that even entry-level professionals understand the security implications of AI. As an ISC2 certification, the CC is backed by a global community of certified professionals and is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17024 standard, recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD 8140.03), and aligned with leading workforce frameworks.
Who it’s for
The Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) is ideal for IT professionals looking to move into cybersecurity, career changers seeking a new path, and college students or recent graduates who want to enter the field. It is also well-suited for problem solvers, creative thinkers, and analytical individuals who are excited by the opportunity to learn. No prior experience is required — just the passion and drive to start a rewarding career in a field that offers limitless opportunities globally.
Recommended experience
No prior work experience is required. A basic understanding of IT concepts and a strong interest in cybersecurity are recommended. Familiarity with fundamental IT concepts such as networking, operating systems, and basic security principles; Curiosity and a willingness to learn about cybersecurity topics; Problem-solving and analytical thinking skills
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective ISC2 measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official ISC2 exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Security Principles
- 1.1 - Understand the security concepts of information assurance
- 1.2 - Understand the risk management process
- 1.3 - Understand security controls
- 1.4 - Understand ISC2 Code of Ethics
- 1.5 - Understand governance processes
Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) & Incident Response Concepts
- 2.1 - Understand business continuity (BC)
- 2.2 - Understand disaster recovery (DR)
- 2.3 - Understand incident response
Access Controls Concepts
- 3.1 - Understand physical access controls
- 3.2 - Understand logical access controls
Network Security
- 4.1 - Understand computer networking
- 4.2 - Understand network threats and attacks
- 4.3 - Understand network security infrastructure
Security Operations
- 5.1 - Understand data security
- 5.2 - Understand system hardening
- 5.3 - Understand best practice security policies
- 5.4 - Understand security awareness training
On the day
The exam itself
Everything ISC2 publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
No mandatory prerequisites — this certification has no required predecessor exam or credential.
CertificationCertified in Cybersecurity
Exam formatMultiple choice and advanced item types
Duration120 minutes
Questions100–125 questions
Passing score700 out of 1000
DeliveryPearson VUE
LanguagesEnglish, Chinese, Japanese, German, Spanish
PricingUS $199
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path ISC2 lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to Certified in Cybersecurity
Credential earnedCertified in Cybersecurity Certification Renewal and maintenance
ISC2 certifications are time-limited and must be renewed on a regular three-year cycle. Certification holders maintain their credentials by earning continuing professional education (CPE) credits and complying with ISC2 policies and ethical standards. ISC2 members are also responsible for an annual maintenance fee (AMF). Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. ISC2 maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by ISC2
Exam registration
Register for the exam through Pearson VUE, ISC2’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official ISC2 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 CC exam relate to the CISSP?
The CC is an entry-level certification that builds a strong foundation for advanced ISC2 certifications like the CISSP. It familiarizes candidates with exam formats and core security concepts, making it a natural stepping stone to the CISSP.
Do I need to earn the CC before taking the CISSP?
No. The CC is not a prerequisite for the CISSP. The CISSP requires 5+ years of work experience, while the CC has no experience requirement. You can pursue either based on your experience and career goals.
Is there a hands-on or lab component in the CC exam?
No. The CC exam consists of multiple choice and advanced item types only. There is no hands-on lab component.
What is the retake policy for the CC exam?
ISC2's Peace of Mind Protection option includes two exam attempts with a 30-day waiting period between attempts. Standard retake policies may apply; candidates should review ISC2's exam policies and procedures before registering.
What job roles does the CC credential map to?
The CC is designed for entry- or junior-level cybersecurity roles such as security analyst, IT support specialist, or junior cybersecurity technician. It validates foundational knowledge for roles that require a solid grasp of security concepts.
Can I recertify by passing a different ISC2 exam?
Earning a higher-level ISC2 certification, such as the CISSP, may satisfy continuing education requirements, but the CC still requires earning CPE credits and paying the AMF to maintain the credential. Check ISC2's renewal policies for details.
Are there regional restrictions for taking the CC exam?
The CC exam is available globally through Pearson VUE testing centers. However, Chinese language exams are only offered during specific appointment windows each year.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 417 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept ISC2 measures — each one written out.
5domains
17objectives
99concepts
90free 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 ISC2 exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Security Principles103 questions
1.1 - Understand the security concepts of information assurance7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →1.2 - Understand the risk management process6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →1.3 - Understand security controls3 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →1.4 - Understand ISC2 Code of Ethics4 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →1.5 - Understand governance processes4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →
2Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) & Incident Response Concepts67 questions
3Access Controls Concepts42 questions
4Network Security91 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.
1.1 - Understand the security concepts of information assurance6 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
26 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
417 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.
417questions
90pages
17objectives
Freealways
Start anywhere1.1 - Understand the security concepts of information assurance 26 questions · 6 pages
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Security Principles103 questions
2Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) & Incident Response Concepts67 questions
3Access Controls Concepts42 questions
4Network Security91 questions
5Security Operations114 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.
99concepts
417free 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 ISC2
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
3official links
99concepts mapped
The source
ISC2’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 ISC2 outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 17 objectives, 99 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When ISC2 changes the outline, this page changes with it.
17objectives on the outline→99concepts written→417free 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.