Question 1Security audits
Last year an internal auditor helped design the change management process at a hospital. She has now been assigned to audit that same process. What is the MAIN concern with this assignment?
The CISSP passing score
ISC2 sets the passing standard at 700 out of 1000 scaled points. But candidates never see a number: the report says pass or fail, and failing candidates get a proficiency level for each domain.
| Format | Computerized adaptive test |
|---|---|
| Items | 100 to 150, 25 of them unscored |
| Time | Up to 3 hours |
| Passing standard | 700 out of 1000 scaled points |
| Score report | Pass or fail, no numerical score |
How the adaptive exam decides
- After at least 100 items, the exam ends as soon as your ability estimate is above or below the pass point with 95% confidence.
- If that never happens, your final estimate at 150 items is compared with the passing standard.
- If time runs out first, your estimate at that point is compared with the standard; fewer than 75 scored and 25 pretest items answered is an automatic fail.
Why a percentage is a guess
The scale is not a percentage of items right, and each candidate sees different items at different difficulty. Any percentage quoted online as the CISSP pass mark is not ISC2's figure. Judge readiness by how you do across all eight domains.
How to judge your readiness
- Sit full timed practice exams: 150 questions in 3 hours, spread across the eight domains by weight.
- Fix the heaviest weak domain first. Security and Risk Management carries 16%.
- Keep to about 72 seconds an item, and decide each one before moving on.
Try 3 questions
Question 2Recovery strategies
A coastal engineering firm keeps its only backup copies in a fireproof safe in the same building as its servers. What is the PRIMARY weakness of this arrangement?
Question 3Site and facility controls
Environmental monitoring shows that relative humidity in a server room has dropped to 20 percent during winter heating. What is the MAIN risk to the equipment?
Next step
Questions people ask
What score do you need to pass the CISSP?
700 out of 1000 scaled points, per ISC2's exam outline.
Do you get your CISSP score?
No. Candidates receive pass or fail with no numerical score. Failing candidates also get a proficiency level for each domain.
Does getting more than 100 items mean you are failing?
No. ISC2 says more items give a candidate more chances to show proficiency in other domains; the item count alone does not tell you the result.