ISACA Certification Exam Prep

ISACA's certifications follow the jobs around IT governance and security. CISA is for IT audit, CISM for information security management, CRISC for IT risk, CGEIT for governance and CDPSE for privacy engineering. Newer additions include CCOA for cybersecurity operations and three advanced AI certifications for professionals who already hold a core credential: AAIA for AI audit, AAISM for AI security management and AAIR for AI risk.

CISM is the management-track credential. It needs five years of information security management experience covering at least three of its four domains, gained within the ten years before you apply, and up to two years can be waived. You can pass the exam first and then have five years to apply for certification.

To stay certified you report at least 20 continuing professional education (CPE) hours a year and 120 over each three-year period, and pay an annual maintenance fee. ISACA exams are delivered by PSI, at a test centre or with remote proctoring, and you can book as soon as 48 hours after registering.

MindMesh Academy currently prepares you for CISM: a study guide written from first principles, a practice-exam bank and spaced-repetition flashcards, with a free sample to start. CISM questions ask what a security manager should do first or best, so practise choosing the answer that serves the business, not the most technical one.