Beginning June 1, 2022, additional pretest items and time will be added to the CISSP exam for the Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) format. 

The current CISSP CAT exam contains 25 pretest (unscored) items. The addition of 25 more items will bring the total count to 50 pretest items. With these added items, the minimum and maximum number of items candidates will need to respond to during the exam  will increase from 100-150 to 125-175. To allow for these additional items, the maximum exam administration time will increase from three to four hours.  

Pretest items enable (ISC)² to continue expanding our item bank to strengthen the integrity and security of the CISSP for all those who earn the certification. The additional 25 pretest items will be evaluated for inclusion as operational (scored) items in future exams. The pretest items will be indistinguishable from operational (scored) items and should be considered carefully to select the best possible answer. Responses to pretest items will not impact scores or the pass/fail result of the examination.

There are no other changes to the content of the CISSP exam. The domains and domain weights contained within the CISSP exam outline have not changed. These changes impact candidates who are scheduled for the CISSP CAT exam on or after June 1, 2022 

If you wish to change your examination date, you may do so by contacting Pearson VUE. All policies regarding exam rescheduling remain in effect.  

For more information, visit www.isc2.org/notice/CISSP-Exam-Length  or contact our Exam Administration team at examadministration@isc2.org.