Try ISC2 SSCP
Get a taste before you commit — no account needed. Then a free account unlocks 25 questions with readiness tracking, no card required.
Get full access to ISC2 SSCP
All questions, timed exams, flashcards, PDF study guide download & progress tracking.
This course
$9.99
one-time
Monthly
$12.99
per month · all courses
Takes 30 seconds — create a free account, then straight to checkout. Already have an account? Sign in
ISC2 · Exam reference
About the ISC2 SSCP exam
The SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner) is ISC2's hands-on security credential for the people who actually run the controls — SOC analysts, systems and network administrators, and security engineers. This course covers all seven domains of the exam outline effective 1 October 2025, with practice questions, flashcards and a full study guide.
10
Sample questions
120 min
Exam time limit
70%
Passing score
$249
Exam voucher
The SSCP is the certification for people who operate security rather than write policy about it. Where the CISSP asks how you would design a security programme, the SSCP asks whether you can configure the access control, read the log, contain the incident and get the system back. That makes it the natural next step after CompTIA Security+ and the natural proof of competence for a SOC analyst, systems administrator, network administrator, database administrator or security engineer who has been doing the work for a year or more. ISC2 rewrote how the exam is delivered on 1 October 2025. It is now Computerized Adaptive Testing, the same engine as the CISSP: between 100 and 125 items in two hours, each one selected based on how you answered the last, until the engine is statistically confident about you. You cannot skip, flag or return to a question. Passing is a scaled 700 out of 1000, and the seven domains carry different weights — Security Concepts and Practices and Network and Communications Security at 16% each, Cryptography at just 9%. Adaptive delivery punishes shallow coverage in a specific way. A linear exam lets a weak domain hide in the average; a CAT exam keeps probing where you are uncertain until it has measured exactly how uncertain you are. Cryptography being the smallest domain is not permission to skip it. This course covers all seven domains at their real weights so the thin ones get the attention the engine will give them.
Exam Domains Covered
Exam Format & Details
Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) since 1 October 2025: 100-125 items in 2 hours, drawn adaptively from all seven domains. Item formats are multiple choice plus advanced item types (drag-and-drop and ordering). Passing score is a scaled 700 out of 1000 points. Booked through Pearson VUE test centres at $249 USD, available in English, Japanese and Spanish. Certification requires one year of cumulative paid work experience in at least one domain; without it you pass as an Associate of ISC2 and have two years to earn the experience. Annual maintenance fee is $135 with 60 CPE credits over the three-year cycle.
Why Practice Questions Matter
SSCP questions are written at the practitioner level: not "what is least privilege" but "which of these four changes enforces least privilege in this situation". Reading about a control does not tell you whether you can pick it out under time pressure, and the adaptive engine gives you no chance to come back to a question once you have answered it. Working through several hundred scenario questions at the real domain weights builds the reflex the exam actually measures, and shows you which of the seven domains is quietly weak before the CAT engine finds it for you.
Sample Practice Questions
The following questions are a preview of the type of syllabus-aligned questions you will practise in CertCrush. They reflect the format and reasoning style of the ISC2 SSCP exam — not actual exam content.
Q1.A team deploys a system with no production purpose so that attackers will interact with it and be observed. Which statement about it is correct?
- A.It removes the need for detection sensors on production segments
- B.It blocks attacks before they can reach production systems
- C.Because it holds nothing valuable it needs no monitoring of its own
- D.Any interaction is high-quality signal, but it must be isolated because it can be compromised
Domain: Network and Communications Security
Q2.A wireless assessment recommends dropping two settings the team has been treating as security controls. Which two provide no real protection? Choose two.
- A.Requiring 802.1X authentication to a RADIUS server
- B.Hiding the network name from beacon frames
- C.Filtering client associations by MAC address
- D.Enabling protected management frames
Domain: Network and Communications Security
Q3.Two branch offices need permanent protected connectivity between their networks with no software installed on any user device. Which design fits?
- A.A remote-access VPN client deployed to every workstation
- B.A clientless TLS portal published to users in both offices
- C.Split tunnelling configured on each branch router
- D.A site-to-site IPsec tunnel between the two gateways
Domain: Network and Communications Security
Q4.Under the shared responsibility model, who is accountable for the rules configured in a cloud security group?
- A.The provider, because it owns and operates the network fabric
- B.Neither party, because default rules are managed automatically
- C.The customer, because the provider supplies the control and the customer configures it
- D.The provider for infrastructure services and the customer for software services
Domain: Network and Communications Security
Q5.A subnet-level network access control list permits inbound TCP 443 to a web tier, but replies never reach the clients. What is the most likely cause?
- A.The list evaluates every rule instead of stopping at the first match
- B.The instance security group is stateless and needs a matching rule
- C.Network lists accept allow rules only, so a deny must be removed
- D.The list is stateless, so an outbound rule for the return traffic is also required
Domain: Network and Communications Security
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in the free ISC2 SSCP sample?
The free sample includes 10 syllabus-aligned practice questions, sample flashcards, and a preview chapter from the study guide. No account or payment is required to try the sample.
How many questions are in the full ISC2 SSCP course?
The full course includes a comprehensive question bank covering all exam domains. You can see the total question count on the ISC2 SSCP course page.
Are these official ISC2 exam questions?
No. CertCrush questions are independently written and syllabus-aligned — they mirror the format, difficulty, and reasoning style of the official exam. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by ISC2.
Which domains does the ISC2 SSCP course cover?
The course covers 7 exam domains: Security Concepts and Practices, Access Controls, Risk Identification, Monitoring and Analysis, Incident Response and Recovery, Cryptography, Network and Communications Security, Systems and Application Security.
Can I study on mobile?
Yes. CertCrush is fully responsive and works on phones, tablets, and desktops. The timed exam, flashcards, and study guide all work on mobile without installing an app.
What happens when I create an account?
Creating a free account lets you access full courses, track your weak areas by domain, and resume practice sessions across devices. No credit card is required to register.