You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
ISC2Information Systems Security Engineering Professional
The ISSEP certification validates your ability to apply systems engineering principles and processes to develop secure systems. Developed with the U.S. National Security Agency, it proves you can incorporate security into projects, applications, business processes, and all information systems. Ideal for experienced security engineers seeking to demonstrate elite expertise and advance into specialized roles.
Exam formatMultiple choice and advanced item types
Duration180 minutes
DeliveryPearson VUE
Passing score700 out of 1000
Free questions486
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Information Systems Security Engineering Professional 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
19objectives
115concepts
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 Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP) certification from ISC2 recognizes security leaders who specialize in the practical application of systems engineering principles to build secure systems. Developed in conjunction with the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), the ISSEP validates your ability to analyze organizational needs, define security requirements, design security architectures, and support system security assessment and authorization for government and industry.
Earning the ISSEP demonstrates that you can execute system security engineering processes, manage technical procurement, and integrate security into every phase of the system development lifecycle. The credential covers five domains: Systems Security Engineering Foundations, Risk Management, Security Planning and Engineering, Systems Security Implementation, Verification and Validation, and Secure Operations, Change Management and Disposal. It is a mark of excellence for professionals who want to stand out as subject matter experts in security engineering.
Who it’s for
The ISSEP is designed for experienced security professionals who apply engineering principles to develop secure systems. It is ideal for those working in roles such as Senior Systems Engineer, Information Assurance Systems Engineer, Information Assurance Officer, Information Assurance Analyst, and Senior Security Analyst. You are a great fit for the ISSEP if you are a life-long learner who craves a new challenge, have a competitive spirit, want to be seen as a subject matter expert, and are looking ahead in your career. This concentration is for those who need to move into specific security engineering roles or want to achieve a higher level of success.
Recommended experience
Candidates should have a strong background in systems security engineering, with experience applying security principles across the system development lifecycle. While not mandatory, hands-on experience in security engineering roles is highly recommended. Experience in applying systems engineering processes to develop secure systems; Knowledge of security risk management, security planning, and security architecture; Familiarity with system security implementation, verification, and validation; Understanding of secure operations, change management, and disposal processes
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
Systems Security Engineering Foundations
- Apply systems security engineering fundamentals
- Execute systems security engineering processes (e.g., hardware, software, data)
- Integrate with system development methodology
- Perform technical management
- Participate in the technology procurement management
- Resource Analysis (e.g., Cost estimation, personnel costs, probabilities and statistics (Monte Carlo))
Risk Management
- Apply security risk management principles
- Manage risk to system
- Manage risk to operations
Security Planning and Engineering
- Analyze organizational and operational environment
- Apply system security principles
- Develop system requirements
- Create system security design
Systems Security Implementation, Verification and Validation
- Implement and integrate security solutions
- Verify successful implementation
Secure Operations, Change Management and Disposal
- Develop secure operations plan
- Support secure operations
- Participate in change management
- Participate in the disposal process
On the day
The exam itself
Everything ISC2 publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
Must be a CISSP in good standing
CertificationInformation Systems Security Engineering Professional
Exam formatMultiple choice and advanced item types
Duration180 minutes
Questions125 questions
Passing score700 out of 1000
DeliveryPearson VUE
LanguagesEnglish
PricingUS $199
Certification levelProfessional
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 Information Systems Security Engineering Professional
PrerequisiteMust be a CISSP in good standing
Credential earnedInformation Systems Security Engineering Professional Professional level 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 ISSEP relate to the CISSP certification?
The ISSEP is a concentration certification that builds on the CISSP. Candidates must be a CISSP in good standing to earn the ISSEP, and the ISSEP demonstrates advanced expertise in security engineering.
Is the ISSEP exam available in languages other than English?
The ISSEP exam is currently available in English only.
Can I take the ISSEP exam without first earning the CISSP?
No. The ISSEP requires candidates to be a CISSP in good standing, or to have seven years of cumulative experience in two or more ISSEP domains, which is an alternative to the CISSP requirement.
What is the retake policy for the ISSEP exam?
ISC2 exam retake policies apply. Candidates who purchase the exam with Peace of Mind Protection receive two exam attempts with a 30-day waiting period between attempts. Standard retake policies are defined by ISC2 and should be reviewed on the registration page.
Are there any hands-on or lab components in the ISSEP exam?
The ISSEP exam consists of multiple choice and advanced item types. There is no hands-on lab component.
What job roles does the ISSEP certification map to?
The ISSEP is ideal for Senior Systems Engineers, Information Assurance Systems Engineers, Information Assurance Officers, Information Assurance Analysts, and Senior Security Analysts.
Can I recertify the ISSEP by passing a different ISC2 exam?
ISC2 certifications are renewed by earning CPE credits and paying the annual maintenance fee. Passing a different exam does not automatically renew the ISSEP.
Is the ISSEP exam available in all countries?
The ISSEP exam is delivered through Pearson VUE testing centers globally. Availability may vary by region; candidates should check with Pearson VUE for locations.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 486 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
19objectives
115concepts
104free 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
1Systems Security Engineering Foundations147 questions
Apply systems security engineering fundamentals8 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Execute systems security engineering processes (e.g., hardware, software, data)6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Integrate with system development methodology6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Perform technical management6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Participate in the technology procurement management4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Resource Analysis (e.g., Cost estimation, personnel costs, probabilities and statistics (Monte Carlo))10 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
2Risk Management84 questions
3Security Planning and Engineering104 questions
4Systems Security Implementation, Verification and Validation61 questions
5Secure Operations, Change Management and Disposal90 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.
Apply systems security engineering fundamentals5 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
25 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
486 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.
486questions
104pages
19objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Systems Security Engineering Foundations147 questions
2Risk Management84 questions
3Security Planning and Engineering104 questions
4Systems Security Implementation, Verification and Validation61 questions
5Secure Operations, Change Management and Disposal90 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.
115concepts
486free 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
115concepts 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 — 19 objectives, 115 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When ISC2 changes the outline, this page changes with it.
19objectives on the outline→115concepts written→486free 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.