What is the difference between CISP and CISSP? Which is easy to take?

Mondo Education Updated on 2024-02-01

CISP certification and CISSP certification are both authoritative certifications in the information security industry, so what is the difference between the two? Which one is easy to take?

1. The implementing agencies are different

CISP stands for National Registered Information Security Professionals, which is managed by the China Information Security Evaluation Center, including training, examinations, registration management, textbook compilation, teacher management, etc.

CISSP stands for International Certified Information Systems Security Specialist, which is organized and managed by the International Information Systems Security Certification Association.

2. The registration conditions are different

3. The format of the examination is different

The CISP exam is in the form of an offline written test, which is organized once a month, and there are test centers in 33 cities across the country. The duration of the exam is 2 hours, and the question types are all multiple-choice questions, with a total of 100 questions, with a full score of 100 points, and a pass with more than 70 points.

The CISSP exam format is a CAT test (adaptive test). The CAT test is 4 hours long, with a total of 125-175 questions (the number of candidates may vary), with a full score of 1000 and a pass score of 700.

4. The content of the test is different

The CISP body of knowledge includes information security assurance, information security technology, information security management, information security engineering, and information security regulations and standards.

CISSP knowledge areas include Security & Risk Management, Asset Security, Security Architecture & Engineering, Communications & Cybersecurity, Identity & Access Management (IAM), Security Assessment & Testing, Security Operations, and Software Development Security.

In terms of the test format, the CISP exam lasts only 2 hours, and you can get a certificate with 100 multiple-choice questions and a score of 70 or more. The CISSP exam lasts 4 hours, and the question types are more complex and the number of questions is also larger. Therefore, CISP is better than CISP, and the CISP exam can be retaken twice for free. The CISSP exam is relatively difficult and requires a lot of knowledge points, which is suitable for those with experience in information security positions.

Copy Editor: Deng Tong.

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