Failing the CISSP and retaking the exam
The causes of CISSP failure found in candidate accounts, how long candidates wait before retaking, the cost of an attempt and the recovery plan.
Failing the CISSP is not a dead end: of the fifty accounts selected for this theme, thirty-four report at least one failure experienced by their author, and most of them end in a pass. This theme looks at what actually caused candidates to fail, then at what they changed before retaking: how long they waited before re-registering, the cost of a new attempt, the choice of study materials and time management on exam day. These pages are based on public candidate accounts — see our method and sources.
2 article(s) in this topic
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Why do people fail the CISSP?
Preparation that is too technical, mindset-only study, unsuitable materials, poor time management: the eight causes of CISSP failure found in candidate.
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Retaking the CISSP after a failure
How long candidates wait before a new attempt, the amounts they report paying, and what the twenty-three candidates who failed and then passed actually changed.
More in this stage
- Endorsement Five years of experience, Associate status, four to six weeks of endorsement: the answers candidates reported between 2023 and 2026.
- Candidate experiences What 200 pass reports published by candidates say about the profiles that get through, how the exam feels while you sit it.