How I Passed the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity Certification Exam 2025

The ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity certification has emerged as one of the most popular entry-level cybersecurity credentials in 2025. After months of preparation and commitment, I successfully passed this exam, and I’d like to share my entire experience with you.

In this complete guide, I will share my step-by-step planning, resources, and techniques that helped me pass the exam on the first attempt. Whether you’re new to cybersecurity or want to solidify your fundamental knowledge, this article will help you prepare effectively and confidently for the CC exam.

Before that, I’ll share some basic cybersecurity concepts and resources with you if you’re new to the cybersecurity domain or considering a career switch. This will help you understand the topics covered in the CC certification.

Table of Contents

1. Understand the Basics of Cybersecurity

Start by learning fundamental concepts such as:

What cybersecurity is and why it matters.
The CIA Triad: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability—the core principles of security.
Common cyber threats (malware, phishing, ransomware, and DDoS attacks), as well as Common attack vectors and defenses.
Basics of encryption, passwords, and security best practices.
Operating systems (Windows, Linux basics).
Networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, OSI, Subnetting, VLANs, Firewalls, VPNs).
Risk management basics.

Recommended Resources:

Simplilearn’s Cybersecurity for Beginners Guide: Article and Video.
Pre-Security from TryHackMe: Link
IT and Cybersecurity Foundations from Cybrary: Link

Professor Messer’s Security+ course: YouTube Video

2. Step-by-Step Study Plan for ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity

The exam covers five core domains, each with specific focus topics. Here’s a structured study plan and recommended resources to help you prepare effectively.

Step 1: Registration and Exam Logistics

ISC2’s “One Million Certified in Cybersecurity” initiative offered free exam registration and self-paced training, making the process accessible. I created an ISC2 account, registered for the CC exam, and scheduled my test at a local Pearson VUE center.

Tip: Double-check your ID requirements and exam location details ahead of time to avoid last-minute stress.

Official ISC2 CC Page: CC Certified in Cybersecurity Certification | ISC2

Certified in Cybersecurity Examination Information

Length of exam	2 hours
Number of items	100
Item format	Multiple choice
Passing grade	700 out of 1000 points
Exam language availability	English, Chinese, Japanese, German, Spanish
Testing center	Pearson VUE Testing Center

Step 2: Reviewing the Official Exam Outline

Before diving into study materials, I thoroughly reviewed the official exam outline provided by ISC2. This helped me understand the weighting and key topics for each domain, ensuring my study plan was focused and efficient.

Certified in Cybersecurity Examination Weights

Domains	Average Weight
1. Security Principles	26%
2. Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) & Incident Response Concepts	10%
3. Access Controls Concepts	22%
4. Network Security	24%
5. Security Operations	18%
Total	100%

Domains

Domain 1: Security Principles

1.1 – Understand the security concepts of information assurance
Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability
Authentication (e.g., methods of authentication, multi-factor authentication (MFA))
Non-repudiation
Privacy
1.2 – Understand the risk management process
Risk management (e.g., risk priorities, risk tolerance)
Risk identification, assessment, and treatment
1.3 – Understand security controls
Technical controls
Administrative controls
Physical controls
1.4 – Understand ISC2 Code of Ethics
Professional code of conduct
1.5 – Understand governance processes
Policies
Procedures
Standards
Regulations and laws

Domain 2: Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) & Incident Response Concepts

2.1 – Understand business continuity (BC)
Purpose
Importance
Components
2.2 – Understand disaster recovery (DR)
Purpose
Importance
Components
2.3 – Understand incident response
Purpose
Importance
Components

Domain 3: Access Controls Concepts

3.1 – Understand physical access controls
Physical security controls (e.g., badge systems, gate entry, environmental design)
Monitoring (e.g., security guards, closed-circuit television (CCTV), alarm systems, logs)
Authorized versus unauthorized personnel
3.2 – Understand logical access controls
Principle of least privilege
Segregation of duties
Discretionary access control (DAC)
Mandatory access control (MAC)
Role-based access control (RBAC)

Domain 4: Network Security

4.1 – Understand computer networking
Networks (e.g., Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) model, Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), WiFi)
Ports
Applications
4.2 – Understand network threats and attacks
Types of threats (e.g., distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), virus, worm, Trojan, man-in-the-middle (MITM), side-channel)
Identification (e.g., intrusion detection system (IDS), host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS), network intrusion detection system (NIDS))
Prevention (e.g., antivirus, scans, firewalls, intrusion prevention system (IPS))
4.3 – Understand network security infrastructure
On-premises (e.g., power, data center/closets, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), environmental, fire suppression, redundancy, memorandum of understanding (MOU)/memorandum of agreement (MOA))
Design (e.g., network segmentation (demilitarized zone (DMZ), virtual local area network (VLAN), virtual private network (VPN), micro-segmentation), defense in depth, Network Access Control (NAC) (segmentation for embedded systems, Internet of Things (IoT))
Cloud (e.g., service-level agreement (SLA), managed service provider (MSP), Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), hybrid)

Domain 5: Security Operations

5.1 – Understand data security
Encryption (e.g., symmetric, asymmetric, hashing)
Data handling (e.g., destruction, retention, classification, labeling)
Logging and monitoring security events
5.2 – Understand system hardening
Configuration management (e.g., baselines, updates, patches)
5.3 – Understand best practice security policies
Data handling policy
Password policy
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
Bring your own device (BYOD) policy
Change management policy (e.g., documentation, approval, rollback)
Privacy policy
5.4 – Understand security awareness training
Purpose/concepts (e.g., social engineering, password protection)
Importance

Step 3: Study Resources and Preparation

Official ISC2 Training

I began with the free self-paced training from ISC2. While it provided a solid foundation, I quickly realized that the official content alone was not sufficient for the actual exam.

[Consider ISC2’s free self-paced training, which includes pre- and post-assessments.]

Supplemental Courses

To deepen my understanding, I used:

LinkedIn Learning: Mike Chapple’s CC course provides a concise overview of all exam topics.
Pluralsight: (ISC)2 Certification Prep
Udemy Courses: Thor Pedersen’s and Paulo Carrieria/Andree Miranda’s courses are highly recommended for in-depth understanding and realistic practice exams.
YouTube Playlists: Prabh Nair, Thor Teaches and Cloud Guru Amit offer free videos explaining key concepts and exam-style questions.
Practice Questions: InfoSecTrain, Udemy – ISC2 CC Certified in Cybersecurity – Practice Test 2025
Free and Community Study Guides: Use curated study material repositories like [cyberfascinate/ISC2-CC-Study-Material] and [NP558565/ISC2-CC-Cybersecurity-Study-Material] on GitHub for comprehensive, domain-wise notes and practice questions.

Step 4: Mastering Key Domains

Here’s how I tackled each domain:

Security Principles: Focused on the CIA Triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability), authentication methods (something you know/have/are), and ISC2 Code of Ethics. Understanding risk management and security controls was crucial. Learn risk assessment terminology (likelihood, impact, threat, vulnerability)
Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery & Incident Response: Learned the basics of business continuity planning, disaster recovery, and incident response processes. Reviewed real-world examples to solidify concepts.
Access Controls: Studied physical vs. logical controls and access models like DAC, MAC, and RBAC. Know the principle of least privilege thoroughly. Practiced scenario-based questions to apply these concepts.
Network Security: Reviewed networking fundamentals (Understand OSI and TCP/IP models), Know common ports (HTTP:80, HTTPS:443, SSH:22, etc.). common threats, and security infrastructure. Focused on identifying and mitigating attacks.
Security Operations: Covered data security, system hardening, and security awareness best practices. Know data classification levels (public, internal, confidential, restricted)

Step 5: Practice Exams and Review

Practice exams were vital. I completed Udemy tests, aiming for consistent scores above 80%. These tests highlighted areas needing further review and familiarized me with the question style.

Tip: Don’t rely solely on ISC2’s pre- and post-assessments, as their questions differ significantly from the actual exam. Use third-party practice tests for realistic preparation.

Step 6: Exam Day Strategy

On exam day, I arrived early at the Pearson VUE center with two forms of ID. The check-in process was smooth, and I had plenty of time to complete the exam—finishing in about 1.15 Hr.

Key Strategies

Read each question carefully, eliminating obviously incorrect answers.
Flag uncertain questions and return to them after completing the rest.
Stay calm and manage your time; 120 minutes is more than enough for 100 questions.

Post-Exam: Next Steps

After passing, ISC2 provided instructions for claiming my digital badge and maintaining certification.

My Top Tips for Success

Start with the official ISC2 outline to understand what’s tested.
Use multiple study resources—don’t rely solely on the free ISC2 course.
Take plenty of practice exams to build confidence and identify gaps.
Focus on understanding concepts, not just memorizing facts.
Join online communities for support and up-to-date advice.

Conclusion

Passing the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity exam in 2025 is achievable with the right preparation and mindset. By leveraging a mix of official materials, third-party courses, and practice exams, you can build a strong foundation and succeed on your first attempt. This certification is a valuable stepping stone for anyone starting a cybersecurity career.

Good luck on your journey to becoming Certified in Cybersecurity!