Certification comparison
CISSP covers security management as a whole. CCSP goes deep into securing cloud services. CCSP is often taken after CISSP, which meets all of CCSP’s experience requirement.
Last updated
Side by side
Every figure comes from the vendor’s own pages, through our exam guides, and is checked every week.
| ISC2 CISSP | ISC2 CCSP | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | ISC2 | ISC2 |
| Exam code | CISSP | CCSP |
| Level | AdvancedISC2 calls it Professional | AdvancedISC2 calls it Professional |
| Written for | Security analyst or engineer | Security analyst or engineer |
| Questions | 100–150 | 100–150 |
| Time | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Passing score | 700 / 1000 | 700 / 1000 |
| Exam cost | $749Standard registration in the Americas; set by region | $599Standard registration in the Americas; set by region |
| Experience | 5 years in 2 or more of its 8 domainsExperience required | 5 years in IT, 3 in cybersecurity, 1 in its domainsExperience required |
| Renewal | Every 3 years: 120 CPE credits | Every 3 years: 90 CPE credits |
| Exam outline | 8 domainsLargest: Security and Risk Management (16%) | 6 domainsLargest: Cloud Data Security (20%) |
| What’s changing | A new CISSP exam outline takes effect on April 15, 2027 | No change announced |
Levels are our own rating, from the level each vendor gives its exam. How we check our facts
Exam domains
Each domain’s share of the exam, as the vendor publishes it. Where one exam has two versions on sale, this is the newer one.
Current outline · Until April 14, 2027
1Security and Risk Management
16%
2Asset Security
10%
3Security Architecture and Engineering
13%
4Communication and Network Security
13%
5Identity and Access Management
13%
6Security Assessment and Testing
12%
7Security Operations
13%
8Software Development Security
10%
CCSP
1Cloud Concepts, Architecture and Design
17%
2Cloud Data Security
20%
3Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security
17%
4Cloud Application Security
16%
5Cloud Security Operations
17%
6Legal, Risk and Compliance
13%
Which one
you’re moving into senior security roles and want the broad credential that covers the whole field.
your work is securing cloud platforms, data and applications, and you want that specialism recognized.
CISSP first for most people: it’s the broader certification, and holding it meets all of CCSP’s experience requirement. Go straight to CCSP if your work is cloud security and you already have the experience it asks for.
Beyond the numbers
CISSP spans every area of security at a management level. CCSP concentrates on the cloud: its architecture, data, platforms, applications, operations and legal questions.
CISSP suits security managers, architects and consultants. CCSP suits the people who design and run security for cloud services.
Both are ISC2 certifications, kept on the same three-year cycle. The cloud topics CISSP touches on are the ones CCSP covers in full.
FAQs
Find quick answers or contact our support team.
CISSP first for most people: it’s the broader certification, and holding it meets all of CCSP’s experience requirement. Go straight to CCSP if your work is cloud security and you already have the experience it asks for.
They sit at the same level: we rate both advanced. What differs is what they cover, so the harder one is usually the one further from your own experience.
CISSP: ISC2 requires 5 years in 2 or more of its 8 domains to certify. You can take the exam before you have it. CCSP: ISC2 requires 5 years in IT, 3 in cybersecurity, 1 in its domains to certify. You can take the exam before you have it.
CISSP costs more: $749 against $599 for one attempt.
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