ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC): exam, cost and how to get it
Certified in Cybersecurity, ISC2’s entry-level certification (CC), needs no work experience. The exam costs US$199 in the Americas, has 100–125 adaptive questions in 2 hours, and you pass at 700 out of 1000. Two things changed in 2026: a new exam outline took effect on 1 September, and the free One Million Certified in Cybersecurity program stopped taking new participants on 20 May.
- Certification
- Certified in Cybersecurity (CC), issued by ISC2ISC2 CC certification page, checked 10 October 2026
- Exam fee
- US$199 (Americas, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa); EUR 191.04 in EMEA; GBP 161.19 in the UKISC2 exam pricing, checked 10 October 2026
- Free exam
- No longer for new applicants — One Million Certified in Cybersecurity closed to new enrolments on 20 May 2026; existing codes must be used by 31 December 2026ISC2 One Million Certified in Cybersecurity page, checked 10 October 2026
- Questions
- 100–125 items, Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT)ISC2 CC Exam Outline, checked 10 October 2026
- Duration
- 2 hoursISC2 CC Exam Outline, checked 10 October 2026
- Passing score
- 700 out of 1000 pointsISC2 CC Exam Outline, checked 10 October 2026
- Delivery
- In person at a Pearson test center; English, Chinese, Japanese, German, SpanishISC2 CC page and Exam Outline, checked 10 October 2026
- Prerequisites
- No work experience requiredISC2 CC certification page, checked 10 October 2026
- Maintenance
- US$50 annual maintenance fee and 45 CPE credits per three-year cycleISC2 membership policies, checked 10 October 2026
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What is ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity?
ISC2 CC — Certified in Cybersecurity — is the entry-level certification from ISC2, the member organisation best known for the CISSP. ISC2 says it proves you have the foundational knowledge, skills and abilities for an entry- or junior-level cybersecurity role, and its headline requirement is the absence of one: no work experience is required.
ISC2 names three groups the ISC2 CC certification is built for: IT professionals, career changers moving into cybersecurity, and college students or recent graduates. It also positions CC as a first step towards its advanced certifications, because the exam format resembles theirs.
Like the CISSP and all ISC2 certifications, CC is accredited by ANAB to ISO/IEC 17024 and recognised under the US Department of Defense 8140.03 framework, according to ISC2.
One note on spelling, because searches vary: “ISC Certified in Cybersecurity” and “ICS2 Certified in Cybersecurity” refer to the same credential — the issuer is ISC2.
Source: ISC2 — Certified in Cybersecurity (CC). Checked 10 October 2026.
Is ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity free?
Not any more for new candidates. From August 2022 ISC2 ran One Million Certified in Cybersecurity, which gave participants the CC Online Self-Paced course and a CC exam for free. ISC2 stopped accepting new participants on 20 May 2026 and states that no new free exam seats will be issued.
If you already received a free code through the ISC2 One Million Certified in Cybersecurity program and it has not expired, you can still use it: all non-expired codes must be used to schedule and take the exam by 31 December 2026. Once a code expires, ISC2 says it cannot be reactivated. Course access that began before 20 May 2026 continues until it expires, and finishing the course is not required to sit the exam.
So the ISC2 CC free certification route that many older articles describe is closed to anyone starting now. For new candidates, the CC exam and training are sold like every other ISC2 exam and course.
Is there still an ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity free voucher? The free code that came with One Million Certified in Cybersecurity was the voucher most people mean, and new ones are no longer issued. ISC2’s pricing page does point to its own page on ISC2 training and exam vouchers; it describes no free CC voucher for individuals.
ISC2 says it will keep working with public- and private-sector partners, the Center for Cyber Safety and Education and government workforce programmes to reduce barriers to education and exams. If a code reaches you through such a partner, redeem it in your ISC2 account and check the final amount on Pearson’s checkout screen.
Source: ISC2 — One Million Certified in Cybersecurity (program closed). Checked 10 October 2026.
ISC2 CC certification cost
The ISC2 CC exam cost is US$199 in the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. In the EMEA price list ISC2 shows EUR 191.04 and in the United Kingdom GBP 161.19. ISC2 notes that pricing and taxes depend on where the exam is administered, and Pearson shows the details at registration.
Two other fees are part of the real cost. After you pass, you complete the application form and pay a US$50 annual maintenance fee, which then recurs every year. And if you move your appointment, ISC2 charges US$50 to reschedule and US$100 to cancel.
If you want a safety net, ISC2 sells the exam with Peace of Mind Protection: US$199 plus US$100 for two attempts, both of which must be taken within 180 days of purchase. A plain exam purchase gives one attempt, and the exam code must be scheduled and used within 365 days.
- Exam: US$199 / EUR 191.04 / GBP 161.19 depending on region
- Annual maintenance fee after passing: US$50
- Reschedule: US$50; cancel: US$100
- Optional Peace of Mind Protection: US$199 + US$100 for two attempts within 180 days
Source: ISC2 — Exam pricing. Checked 10 October 2026.
ISC2 CC exam format and passing score
The ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity exam uses Computerized Adaptive Testing for all candidates. You get 2 hours for 100 to 125 items, a mix of multiple choice and what ISC2 calls advanced item types. Because the test adapts to your answers, the number of items you see depends on how the exam is going, not on a fixed form.
ISC2 switched the CC from its original linear format to CAT before the 2026 outline, so preparation material that describes a fixed number of linear questions is out of date.
The CC exam ISC2 offers is delivered in person: its CC page says ISC2 exams are administered in-person by Pearson, and the outline lists a Pearson Testing Center. Languages are English, Chinese, Japanese, German and Spanish; Chinese is only available in select appointment windows each year.
The passing grade is 700 out of 1000 points, according to the ISC2 CC Exam Outline. ISC2 does not publish how points map to correct answers, so do not read 700 as “70% right”.
At the test center the proctor gives you an unofficial result at check-out; ISC2 then emails the official result. ISC2 states that no scores are provided. If you fail, you receive a list of proficiency levels per domain, which tells you where to focus before a retake.
Source: ISC2 — CC Certification Exam Outline (effective 1 September 2026). Checked 10 October 2026.
What is on the CC exam? The 2026 domains
The official CC syllabus is ISC2’s CC Exam Outline, and the current version took effect on 1 September 2026. ISC2 calls it the first major content update since the certification launched in August 2022. The exam keeps five domains, but several were renamed and expanded, with more weight on governance, identity, cloud security, threat intelligence and incident response. Foundational AI security concepts are woven into all five, and the current weights are listed below.
Anyone using older notes should compare. Under the 2025 outline the domains were Security Principles (26%), Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery and Incident Response Concepts (10%), Access Controls Concepts (22%), Network Security (24%) and Security Operations (18%).
The biggest shifts: Security Governance replaces the business continuity domain and now covers governance, risk and compliance, security awareness and measuring effectiveness with metrics and key risk indicators. Business continuity and disaster recovery move under “redundancy”. Incident response moves into Domain 5, which also adds threat actors, cyber threat intelligence, threat frameworks, red, blue and purple teaming, and quantum-resistant cryptography. Domain 4 adds cloud service and deployment models, the shared responsibility model and zero trust.
- Security Principles — 24%
- Security Governance — 17.3%
- Identity and Access Management (IAM) Concepts — 20%
- Networking and Cloud Security Concepts — 21.3%
- Security Operations and Incident Response — 17.3%
Source: ISC2 Insights — Inside the Updated ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity Exam. Checked 10 October 2026.
How to get Certified in Cybersecurity
There is no application before the exam and no experience to document. The path ISC2 describes has four steps:
- Buy the exam (or a training-and-exam bundle) from ISC2. An exam-only code must be scheduled and used within 365 days.
- Schedule your seat through the ISC2 Dashboard, which hands you over to Pearson VUE. Your registration name must match your ID exactly.
- Pass the exam at a Pearson test center.
- Complete the application form, agree to the ISC2 Code of Ethics and pay the US$50 annual maintenance fee. Unlike other ISC2 credentials, CC is exempt from the endorsement review.
Source: ISC2 — One Million Certified in Cybersecurity (program closed). Checked 10 October 2026.
ISC2 CC training and courses
ISC2 sells official ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity training in two forms: CC Online Self-Paced Training, with 90-day or 180-day access, and CC Online Instructor-Led Training, delivered live online by an ISC2 authorised instructor with 180 days of access to materials. Both are available with or without the exam. ISC2 also points to its training partners around the world.
Training is optional. No ISC2 CC course is required to sit the exam — ISC2 says so explicitly for the former free course. Free official resources include ISC2’s CC flash cards, a CC Knowledge Check and its downloadable Ultimate Guide to CC. For the full preparation path, see the study guide page for this certification.
Source: ISC2 — Certified in Cybersecurity (CC). Checked 10 October 2026.
How do you renew the CC certification?
The ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity certification runs on a three-year cycle. To keep it you earn 45 CPE credits per cycle, all in Group A (ISC2 suggests 15 a year), and pay the US$50 annual maintenance fee on your cycle start date and each anniversary.
ISC2 allows a 90-day grace period after the cycle ends. Miss it and your ISC2 CC certificate is suspended; after two years of suspension it is terminated, and the way back is to retake the exam.
Source: ISC2 — Membership policies (CPE and AMF). Checked 10 October 2026.
Is ISC2 CC worth it?
That depends on where you start, and this page will not decide it for you. What can be said from ISC2’s own published material: the CC needs no experience, costs US$199 plus a US$50 yearly fee, and is accredited to ISO/IEC 17024. ISC2 survey data finds that 65% of employed CC holders work in cybersecurity roles and 22% in IT roles.
On salary, ISC2 publishes no figure for CC holders. The only number on its CC page is that ISC2 members report 35% higher salaries than non-members — a statement about ISC2 members in general, most of whom hold more advanced certifications, not about the CC alone.
Source: ISC2 — One Million Certified in Cybersecurity (program closed). Checked 10 October 2026.
ISC2 CC practice questions
Certsqill’s ISC2 CC practice questions are expert-developed against the 2026 outline: every question explains each answer option, and a readiness score per domain shows whether Security Governance or Security Operations is holding you back before you pay for the exam.
What you will not find here is an exam dump. ISC2 states that discussing exam items, answers and responses with others violates the ISC2 Examination Non-Disclosure Agreement every candidate signs.
ISC2 CC questions people ask
What is ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity?
ISC2’s entry-level certification for people starting in cybersecurity. It requires no work experience. Source: ISC2 CC page, checked 10 October 2026.
How much does the ISC2 CC exam cost?
US$199 in the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa; EUR 191.04 in EMEA and GBP 161.19 in the UK. After passing you pay a US$50 annual maintenance fee. Source: ISC2 exam pricing, checked 10 October 2026.
Is the ISC2 CC certification still free?
No. One Million Certified in Cybersecurity closed to new participants on 20 May 2026. Existing, non-expired codes must be used by 31 December 2026. Source: ISC2, checked 10 October 2026.
How many questions are on the ISC2 CC exam?
100 to 125 items, delivered with Computerized Adaptive Testing, in 2 hours. Source: ISC2 CC Exam Outline, checked 10 October 2026.
What is the CC passing score?
700 out of 1000 points. Source: ISC2 CC Exam Outline, checked 10 October 2026.
What are the CC requirements?
No work experience is required. After passing you complete the application form, agree to the ISC2 Code of Ethics and pay the US$50 maintenance fee; CC has no endorsement step. Source: ISC2, checked 10 October 2026.
How often can I retake the CC exam?
After 30 test-free days following a first attempt, 60 after a second and 90 after any further attempt, with at most 4 attempts in 12 months. Source: ISC2 retake policy, checked 10 October 2026.
How long is an ISC2 CC cert valid?
It runs on a three-year cycle and stays active as long as you earn 45 CPE credits per cycle and pay the US$50 annual maintenance fee. Source: ISC2 membership policies, checked 10 October 2026.
Is ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity worth it?
ISC2 publishes no CC salary figure. It reports that 65% of employed CC holders work in cybersecurity roles and 22% in IT roles; whether that fits your plan is your call.
