CISM training and courses: what ISACA offers and how to choose
CISM training prepares you for ISACA’s Certified Information Security Manager exam: 150 questions across four domains of security management. ISACA sells its own self-paced and in-person options and accredits independent training organizations. This page sets out what each one includes, what is free, and what to check before you pay.
See the CISM practice questions →
What is CISM training?
CISM training is preparation for the CISM exam, built on ISACA’s exam content outline and its four domains: Information Security Governance, Information Security Risk Management, Information Security Program, and Incident Management. It is not required — ISACA sets no training prerequisite for the exam — but most candidates use at least one structured source.
Keep in mind what the course cannot do. CISM certification needs both a passed exam and five or more years of information security management experience across at least three of the four domains. A CISM certification course prepares you for the first part only.
Source: ISACA — Earn a CISM certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
ISACA CISM training: the official options
ISACA CISM training comes in four forms, and they can be combined. All of them are written against ISACA’s own exam content outline, which makes them the reference point for judging any other CISM course.
- CISM Online Review Course — ISACA’s self-paced online course covering key concepts from all four domains, with interactive activities
- CISM Review Manual — ISACA’s reference guide for the exam, in digital and print versions
- CISM Questions, Answers & Explanations (QAE) database — a six-month subscription to a pool of 1,047 items
- ISACA Training Week — an in-person, four-day CISM workshop that includes the review manual, the QAE and the exam fee (the certification application fee is not included)
Source: ISACA — CISM certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
CISM online training and online courses
For CISM online training, ISACA’s own product is the CISM Online Review Course, which ISACA describes as an online preparation course using interactive activities. ISACA lists it in its store but does not publish the price, the number of hours or the access period on its course listing, so check those in the store before you buy.
A CISM course online from an Accredited Training Organization is the other route: ISACA’s partner directory lists partners that deliver instructor-led and virtual learning and online bootcamps. If you want CISM training online with a live instructor, that is where to look; if you prefer your own pace, the ISACA course and review manual are the self-paced route.
Source: ISACA — Online exam prep review courses. Checked 9 October 2026.
CISM bootcamps and Training Week
A CISM bootcamp compresses the four domains into a few intensive days. ISACA’s own version is Training Week, where CISM is a four-day, in-person workshop. ISACA states that each Training Week course comes with the review manual and the QAE, and that the exam fee is covered.
A CISM boot camp from an Accredited Training Organization is the alternative. ISACA says its training partners have completed a third-party verified process and deliver using Accredited Trainers and original ISACA materials. A bootcamp suits candidates who already work in security management and need structure and a deadline; it is a hard way to learn the subject from scratch.
Source: ISACA — Training Week. Checked 9 October 2026.
Accredited training partners
For any CISM training course outside ISACA itself, the first question is whether the provider is an ISACA Accredited Training Organization. ISACA describes the badge as meaning the partner “met ISACA’s high standards to deliver using Accredited Trainers, ethical practices, and original ISACA materials.”
ISACA’s directory does not say which certifications every partner covers, so ask each one directly whether it runs CISM training courses and which version of the exam content outline they teach.
Source: ISACA — Accredited training partner directory. Checked 9 October 2026.
Free CISM training
Free CISM training is limited, and it is better to know that up front. ISACA offers a free CISM practice quiz of 10 questions, and Engage CISM study groups, an online forum for ISACA members where you can work through practice questions and get expert help at no cost.
If you are searching for CISM training online free of charge, those are the official options. They are useful for a first feel of ISACA’s question style; they do not replace a structured pass through all four domains.
Source: ISACA — CISM certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
How to choose the best CISM training
We do not rank providers. What makes the best CISM training for you can be checked against a short list:
One date matters for every course right now: ISACA updates the CISM exam content outline effective 3 November 2026, and from that date the exam reflects the new outline. If your exam falls on or after that date, make sure your CISM course material is written for the new outline.
- Outline: does it state which CISM exam content outline it teaches — the current one or the one effective 3 November 2026?
- Coverage: all four domains, with the most time on Information Security Program (33%) and Incident Management (30%), the two heaviest domains in the current outline.
- Materials: does it use original ISACA materials, such as the review manual and QAE?
- Delivery: ISACA itself, an Accredited Training Organization, or an independent provider?
- Practice: does it test you on management-style questions, where the best answer considers business impact first?
Source: ISACA — CISM certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
CISM preparation material beyond a course
Most candidates combine a course with CISM preparation material they can return to: ISACA’s review manual for reference, and practice questions to find weak domains. Our CISM study guide covers the materials and a study plan in more detail.
Certsqill adds the practice layer: expert-developed CISM practice questions with an explanation for every answer option and a readiness score per domain, so you can see which of the four domains still costs you points. Paid access comes with a 7-day money-back guarantee.
CISM training & courses: questions people ask
What CISM training does ISACA offer?
A self-paced CISM Online Review Course, the CISM Review Manual, the CISM Questions, Answers & Explanations database, and a four-day in-person CISM workshop at ISACA Training Week. Source: ISACA, checked 9 October 2026.
Is CISM certification training required?
No. ISACA requires a passed exam and five or more years of information security management experience, not a course. Source: ISACA, checked 9 October 2026.
Is there free CISM training?
ISACA offers a free 10-question CISM practice quiz and member study groups on its Engage platform at no cost. A full CISM course is not free. Source: ISACA CISM page, checked 9 October 2026.
Does a CISM boot camp include the exam fee?
ISACA’s Training Week CISM workshop does: ISACA states the exam fee is covered, along with the review manual and QAE, but not the certification fee. Other bootcamps vary, so ask. Source: ISACA, checked 9 October 2026.
How long is ISACA’s CISM online course?
ISACA’s course listing does not state the number of hours or the access period. Check the product details in ISACA’s store before buying. Checked 9 October 2026.
Should my CISM training cover the new exam outline?
If your exam is on or after 3 November 2026, yes. ISACA updates the CISM exam content outline on that date. Source: ISACA, checked 9 October 2026.
