ISACA is one of the world’s leading association in cybersecurity, and they provide a complex suite of testing options that assure you are qualified to manage and create security systems. They also get you a higher paying jobs as well. One of the best approaches to prepare for such career opportunities is obtaining high-level certifications such as ISACA’s CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) to give proof of both knowledge and expertise level. In this article, we have listed tips to get the best out of pursuing certification and hopeful prepare for a life-changing cert!
Why Do You Need ISACA CISM Certification?
ISACA is presenting a perfect security management program for the organizations, but the company also designed the certification for individuals who wish to become a part of this program. Applicants would pass the CISM exam to prove their reliability and professionalism. This certification will help you improve your skills in information security management, and you will be armed with complete expertise in dealing with diverse kinds of cyber attacks.
How to Become CISM Certified?
To be certified, there are three necessary steps:
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Obtain a passing grade on the CISM exam;
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Agree to ISACA’s Code of Professional Ethics to guide professional and personal conduct.
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Present verified the evidence of a minimum of five years of work experience in the information security field, with a minimum of three years of information security management work experience.
The exam fees $575 for member and $ 760 for non-member and there will be 200 objective multiple-choice questions that need to be answered in 4 hours. A minimum score of 450 out of 800 marks is required to pass the exam. ISACA uses some indefinite scale, so you will never come to know how many questions you need to get right.
It is also essential to understand that some of the exam questions are for research/updating reasons, and they do not affect the final grade. Besides, here is my very first tip for the CISM exam: There is no way of identifying with questions are not valid. Approach each one as a valid question, even the most unusual.
There are two kinds of questions:
- Fact-based: technology, infosec standards. No specific technology related questions. E.g., SAP, Oracle, SQL, etc.
- Analysis based: context and decision-oriented. These questions expect you to understand the scenario and develop your opinion/judgment.
The CISM syllabus is designed to test your understanding in four functional areas of information security:
Domain 1: Information Security Governance (24%)
Domain 2: Information Risk Management and Compliance (33%)
Domain 3: Information Security Program Development and Management (25%)
Domain 4: Information Security Incident Management (18%)
Tips for Passing ISACA CISM Certification Exam
- First of all, you must read the updated version of ISACA exam candidate guide. This guide is updated every year. The objective of this book is to present comprehensive information about CISM so applicants could prepare for the exam correctly. You can visit ISACA's official website to download the advanced version of this guide. This book is the best learning source you can use to study for the exam.
- CISM is a management-focused certification. So, you should learn to think like a manager as you are going to cope with cybersecurity systems of various organizations. You must learn appropriate skills and create a plan before taking any action.
- ISACA has launched a complete course for the individuals that are willing to take CISM certification. That course is going to benefit you a lot. The importance of practice tests is entirely undeniable, so don’t skip these tests if you want to pass the exam at the first attempt.
- ISACA administration is informed about the relevance of practice tests. Therefore, they have provided many practice tests on their site so that the applicants can use those exams to validate their skills. However, you can also use some other tools to take practice tests. Edusum.com is the best platform to take the CISM practice test. This site provides the best sets of practice questions. Taking a practice test is the best way to know what CISM entails and get busy getting ready with it. Practice Exams have a vast amount of information, but this is all intended to help you concentrate on what matters, not some of the more useless information that can be overlooked.
We have shared some concise details about the importance of CISM certification, and we are sure that you’d make use of this information to prepare well.
Earning the CISM certification is a great way to confirm a high level of dedication for your information security management skills. It will explain you have advanced information security expertise and also the essential understanding and ability for developing and maintaining a complete information security program.