Is It Possible To Get CISSP Certification Without Any Experience?

Without experience, you can still register for CISSP and pass it. Here’s where the need to get familiar with and know certain skills, such as Asset Security…

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), granted by the (ISC)², is an independent certification for information security. If you’re in the cybersecurity space, CISSP is one of the few certifications you need to accelerate your career. By earning it, you’ll be able to prove you can design, implement, and manage any world-class cybersecurity program.

Earning CISSP is not as difficult as you may have thought. One of the frequently asked questions regarding this certification is – does “getting it” require any prior knowledge of cybersecurity? This question and a few more are what the rest of this article is going to address.

What is CISSP and how can it boost your career?

As earlier mentioned, CISSP is an acronym that stands for Certified Information Systems Security Professional. Accredited under the ANSI ISO/IEC Standard 17024:2003 in 1994, CISSP has a proven track record as one of the world’s most valuable information security certifications.

Here are a few things that you need to know about CISSP:

First, you need to understand that CISSP is a certification designed by (ISC)2. This non-profit organization is one of the most sought-after organizations in the cybersecurity and information technology industry.

Another thing you need to know about CISSP is that it demands experience. At least, you need a minimum of 5 years of working experience in two or more of the total number of domains provided in the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK). There’s an exception though and that’s a one-year waiver if you hold a 4-year college degree in a similar field.

Furthermore, you need to understand that earning CISSP requires a lot of skills. For you to pass the exam, here are some of the skills you need to get familiar with and understand below:

• Security and Risk Management
• Asset Security
• Communication and Network Security
• Security Architecture and Engineering
• Identity and Access Management (IAM)
• Security Assessment and Testing
• Software Development Security
• Security Operations

In terms of recognition, CISSP is one of the most recognized certifications in the cybersecurity & IT space. It’s one of the major credentials required to work in top companies, such as Google and IBM.

The good thing about earning a CISSP certification with experience is that it’ll elevate your career. According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for a CISSP in the US is $125,470. By calculation, that’s roughly $60.32 hourly, $2,413 weekly, and $10,456 monthly.

What Happens After Passing the CISSP With Experience?

As you already know, CISSP requires at least 5 years of working experience or at least 4 years with a 4-year college certificate in IT and Cybersecurity. But here’s a question, what exactly will happen after earning the certification?

It’s simple; CISSP is a professional exam. After earning the certification, for you to use it, you need to meet certain requirements, most especially the one mentioned above – having the right working experience. Here’s what you need to expect after passing CISSP:

• After passing the exam, you’ll get a congratulatory email from (ISC)² or the International Information System Security Certification Consortium.
• Next, you’ll need to provide certain documents. The documentation process often takes up to two weeks. During this period, (ISC)² will carefully look at your documents and ensure you meet all its requirements.
• After that, the organization will send you a letter, stating you’re now officially a CISSP.
• Now is the time to start adding the title to your CV. This will boost your chances of getting a high-paying job in the IT space quickly.

Can you get CISSP certification without any experience?

Here’s one of the frequently asked questions about CISSP – can you earn the certification without any experience?

I’m sure the answer to this question is in the previous section of this post. However, if you missed out on it, here’s what you need to know below:

You need working experience to become certified as a CISSP. It’s simple; you need at least 5 years of experience in two or more of the total number of domains provided by (ISC)² for CISSP. Alternatively, you need at least 4 years of working experience in relevant fields coupled with a 4-year college certificate.

Does the requirements above rule out anybody without experience from sitting for the CISSP? The simple and direct answer is no! Without experience, you can still register for CISSP and pass it. Here’s where the need to get familiar with and know certain skills, such as Asset Security comes into the scene. You can check the previous sections of this post to see the required skills for CISSP.

After checking the required skills, do you think you have all it takes to pass CISSP? If yes, then nothing should stop you from registering for the exam. But you need to keep in mind that CISSP is experience-based, meaning you need several months of preparation to pass the exam.

Now, the assumption is you don’t have any experience in the domains provided by the (ISC)² but will be writing the exam. In case you don’t know, you can check here to see all the domains provided by the exam’s regulatory body. So, what happens after passing the exam?

• First, you’ll receive the first congratulatory email from (ISC)², stating you passed the exam.
• Next, you need to provide the necessary documents to earn CISSP. Since you don’t have any experience, the (ISC)² won’t confirm you as a CISSP. Instead, you’ll only become an associate of (ISC)² for passing CISSP.

Does that mean the end of the road for your CISSP journey? No!

Now is the time for you to secure an entry-level job in an IT or Cybersecurity company. After securing the job, you need to build your career until you meet the required working experience to become a CISSP. The interesting fact is that – as an associate of (ISC)², you have up to six years to earn the five years of the required experience.

The bottom line is you can always get CISSP certification without any prior experience. Instead of becoming a CISSP directly, you’ll only become an associate of (ISC)² for passing the exam. The regulatory body will also allow you to earn the five years of required working experience in six years. Failure to achieve the expected working experience will result in you losing your chance of becoming a CISSP.

Conclusion

Are you looking to build a career in the IT or cybersecurity space? If yes, “earning the CISSP certification” is one of the few ways to maximize your career and earning potential.

Although CISSP is experience-based, you can still enroll and get it. You won’t get certified immediately as a CISSP. Instead, you’ll become an associate of (ISC)² – if you pass the exam. This means you have up to six years to achieve the required working experience and become a CISSP.