CISSP Exam Cost and the Experience Requirement: What (ISC)2 Really Requires
The CISSP exam costs $749 in the Americas, per (ISC)2. Here is the full cost, the 5-year experience requirement, and the Associate of ISC2 path if you lack it.
The CISSP exam costs $749 in the Americas, per (ISC)2, and that fee covers one attempt. But cost is only half the question people are really asking. The other half is the experience requirement: to actually hold the CISSP, (ISC)2 requires five years of relevant paid work experience, and passing the exam without it makes you an Associate, not a full CISSP.
This is the complete picture, the exam fee, the experience rule, the Associate path if you do not yet qualify, the endorsement step, and the ongoing fees, so you can budget both the money and the eligibility before you register.
Quick takeaways
- The CISSP exam fee is $749 in the Americas, per (ISC)2, and covers a single attempt with no free retake.
- To certify, you need 5 years of cumulative paid experience in at least 2 of the 8 CISSP domains. A degree or approved cert waives 1 year.
- No experience yet? You can pass and become an Associate of ISC2, then earn the 5 years within six years.
- After passing you must be endorsed by an active (ISC)2 member within 9 months, then pay a $135 annual maintenance fee.
- Reschedule costs $50 and cancellation costs $100, per (ISC)2, so book only when you are ready.
- PrepClubs is independent prep material and is not affiliated with or endorsed by (ISC)2.
The exam fee, and the fees around it
The headline number is the exam registration fee: $749 in the Americas and Asia Pacific, with regional pricing elsewhere, per (ISC)2. That buys one sitting of the adaptive exam. There is no free retake, so a second attempt is another full $749.
Two smaller fees catch people out. Rescheduling your exam costs $50, and cancelling costs $100, per (ISC)2. Both are avoidable by only booking your test date once you are genuinely ready, which is another reason a realistic diagnostic matters before you pay.
| Cost item | Approximate amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Exam registration (Americas) | $749 | One attempt, per (ISC)2 |
| Retake | $749 each | No free retake |
| Reschedule fee | $50 | Per (ISC)2 |
| Cancellation fee | $100 | Per (ISC)2 |
| Annual Maintenance Fee | $135/year | Begins after you certify |
The five-year experience requirement, plainly
This is the part that trips up buyers who think the fee is the only barrier. To become CISSP-certified, (ISC)2 requires five years of cumulative, full-time paid work experience in at least two of the eight domains of the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge.
You can reduce that by one year in one of two ways: a four-year (or higher) college degree, or an additional credential from (ISC)2's approved list. Only one waiver applies, regardless of how many degrees or certs you hold. So the practical minimum is four years of experience plus a qualifying degree.
Note the timing: this is the requirement to certify, not to sit the exam. You are allowed to take the exam before you have the experience.
The Associate of ISC2 path (if you do not qualify yet)
If you pass the exam but do not yet have the five years, (ISC)2 does not turn you away. You become an Associate of ISC2, and you then have up to six years to earn the required experience and convert to full CISSP. Associates pay a reduced annual fee (commonly around $50) until they qualify.
This is genuinely useful. If you are a year or two short, you can lock in the exam while it is fresh, hold the Associate title on your resume, and certify fully the moment you cross five years. It is why "I do not have the experience" is not a reason to write off the CISSP, only a reason to plan the sequence.
Endorsement and staying certified
Passing and meeting the experience rule is not the final step. Within nine months of passing, you must be endorsed by an active (ISC)2-certified professional in good standing who can attest to your experience. If you cannot find an endorser, (ISC)2 can act as the endorser directly. The endorsement itself is free but takes documentation and time.
Once certified, you keep it active with the $135 annual maintenance fee and 120 CPE (continuing professional education) credits per three-year cycle. Budget for the AMF as a recurring cost, not a one-off.
Budgeting the true total
Add it up honestly. A self-study candidate who passes on the first attempt is realistically looking at the $749 fee, some practice material, and the first-year $135 AMF, landing somewhere around the high hundreds to just over a thousand dollars. Add a bootcamp or the official review course and it climbs. Add a retake and you have added another $749.
The single biggest lever on total cost is not a discount code; it is passing the first time. A $749 resit dwarfs any saving, which is exactly why serious preparation is the cheapest strategy.
FAQ
How much does the CISSP exam cost?
The CISSP exam registration fee is $749 in the Americas and Asia Pacific, per (ISC)2, covering one attempt. Regional pricing applies elsewhere. There is no free retake, so each additional attempt is another full fee.
What is the CISSP experience requirement?
Five years of cumulative, full-time paid work experience in at least two of the eight CISSP domains, per (ISC)2. A four-year degree or an approved additional credential can waive one year, making the minimum four years plus a qualifying waiver.
Can I take the CISSP without experience?
Yes. You can pass the exam without the experience and become an Associate of ISC2, then earn the five years within six years to convert to full CISSP. Associates pay a reduced annual fee until they qualify.
What is the CISSP annual maintenance fee?
$135 per year, beginning once you are certified, per (ISC)2. You must also earn 120 CPE credits per three-year cycle to keep the certification active.
Is there a fee to reschedule the CISSP?
Yes. Rescheduling costs $50 and cancelling costs $100, per (ISC)2. Both are avoidable by booking your test date only when you are confident you are ready.
What is the total cost to get CISSP certified?
For a first-time pass with self-study, budget roughly the $749 fee plus study materials plus the first-year $135 AMF, commonly landing in the high hundreds to low thousands. A retake or a paid bootcamp raises it significantly.
Related on PrepClubs
- Is CISSP worth it?: the ROI read by career stage.
- How hard is the CISSP?: what you are paying to attempt.
- CISSP test track: prep built for a first-time pass.
Make the $749 count once
The cheapest CISSP is the one you pass on the first attempt, because a retake is another $749 with no free do-over, per (ISC)2. PrepClubs' CISSP track is built to protect that first attempt: a free diagnostic to place you across the eight domains, then a paid bank of scenario questions with written rationales that train the manager-level judgment the adaptive exam rewards. It is a one-time purchase with 30 days of access, not a subscription. If you prepare with PrepClubs and do not pass your real test, we extend your access at no extra cost. No fine print. PrepClubs has helped more than 1,600 students prepare for cognitive and certification assessments. Start with the free CISSP diagnostic.
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