CISSP exam format explained

The CAT engine

In CAT format you will answer between 100 and 150 questions over a maximum of three hours. The engine starts with a medium-difficulty question; each correct answer raises the difficulty estimate of your ability, each incorrect answer lowers it.

The exam ends when the engine is 95% confident of your pass or fail status, or when you reach the question or time limit. There is no penalty for guessing: never leave a question blank.

What a 700 means

CISSP results are reported on a scale of 0 to 1000 with a passing score of 700. Because the exam is adaptive, the 700 is an ability estimate, not a raw percentage of correct answers.

You receive a provisional pass or fail decision on screen at the end of the exam.

Practical pacing advice

Aim for roughly 70 to 90 seconds per question. Most questions are scenario-based: identify the BEST answer among several defensible options rather than searching for the only true statement.

• Read the question twice before reading the options.
• Watch for qualifiers: BEST, MOST, FIRST, LEAST.
• Eliminate obviously wrong options before comparing the remaining two.
• Do not get stuck: move on, the engine adapts.