On October 1, 2025, three ISC2 certification examinations will move from linear to Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) format: Certified in Cybersecurity (CC), Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) and Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP). CAT is a more precise and efficient evaluation based on the same exam content outline as the linear, fixed form. The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) examination has been offered in all languages exclusively in the CAT format since April of 2024.
ISC2's transition to CAT format is an important investment in the future of the certification programs. The implementation of adaptive testing helps meet the critical demand for cybersecurity professionals to experience a fair, valid, reliable, and efficient exam administration process. This transition provides candidates with a more precise and efficient evaluation and enhances exam security.
Each candidate who takes a CAT exam will start with an item that is well below the passing standard. Following a candidate's response to each item, the scoring algorithm re-estimates the candidate's ability. After each item is answered, the item selection algorithm determines the next item to present to the candidate with the expectation that a candidate should have approximately a 50% chance of answering that item correctly. With each additional item answered, the estimated ability of the candidate becomes more precise. An exam will end when a candidate's ability estimate excludes the pass point with 95% statistical confidence. Therefore, the number of items each candidate receives can vary. Through this iterative process, the computer gathers as much information as possible about a candidate's true ability level more efficiently than traditional, linear exams.
| CAT Exams | Item Count | Duration |
| CC Exam Outline | 100-125 | 2 Hours |
| SSCP Exam Outline | 100-125 | 2 Hours |
| CCSP Exam Outline | 100-150 | 3 Hours |
| CISSP Exam Outline | 100-150 | 3 Hours |
For more information and a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), please visit https://www.isc2.org/certifications/computerized-adaptive-testing
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