CISM certification cost and career benefits

Introduction to CISM Certification and Its Importance

Almost every company, ranging its core operations from small, medium to large, and conglomerate, is in dire need of superior Information security. And hence they prefer to have someone knowledgeable in this matter for pedagogy. As per an article by The Economist, currently, we are transitioning into more AI-related architecture.

Hence up-skilling is the new face of the revolution. Retails use 71% capacity for Predictive Analysis. Investment banking uses 63% capacity of Machine Learning. 50% of global insurance companies use virtual assistants. Through NLP, Image analysis and robotic process automation are at their genesis. Still, they are in use and development stage. 61% of APAC organizations are high adopters of AI.

CISM with a pragmatic view of security

Companies are bothered about the data generation. They seem to be unprepared till mid of 2016. Nevertheless, things are scaling up, and new heights are achieved on a daily basis. This trend has further bolstered Information security and governance to transmute with the trend. Hence experts suppose that till 2030, the paradigm would have been changed completely. Meaning this shift will foster a new era. CISM certification is one such cybersecurity certification that makes you credible to see IS through a business lens.

ISACA has designed this certification with a pragmatic view of security to emphasize business goals are aligned with the security program. At the same time, the CISM Body of Knowledge delivers the value of the program in organizational practice through its curriculum.

The ISACA has surpassed the 50,000 certification mark for CISM this year. It is making its second most sought cybersecurity certification after CISSP.

Having said this, we want to draw your attention to cybersecurity certifications, especially The CISM. In this article, we seriously discuss the CISM certification cost. Knowing the CISM certification cost in detail is important for your preparation and further to reciprocate in your career. It is an ideal certification for professionals with moderate or high degree experience in information security governance, compliance, and team building.

CISM certification benefits 

This certification is recognized among 180 nations globally; thus, having this certification would make you recognized in your peer, organization as well as nation. Most of the developing nations are deploying cybersecurity professionals in their upcoming projects. India alone is investing $4.5 billion in upscaling the current cybersecurity system.

Brazil is also making $4 billion for the cause. Developed nations like China & Gulf countries are taking on newer projects. China is investing in the construction of Silk route roads that would span from Hong Kong to England! Dubai is planning to build a city with its own atmosphere, having a protective dome over its skyline.

These trillion dollar projects are inculcating cybersecurity to its maximum to ensure data protection. Thus most of the contracting companies in APAC and BRICS nations are calling for experts. With CISM, you are capable of breaking in this ongoing progression and making your career grow. Privacy becomes the prime focus of your job & confirms commitment to your profession.

You design the enterprise security architecture and maintain& develop the security program. The certification is a pathway that leads you to perform managerial roles, technical, risk management, and system auditing positions.

This certification gives you credibility on managing disaster recovery, regulatory issues, cost-benefit analysis of risk management, security forensic, and Information Security Governance. To be eligible for the certification, an applicant has to produce work details of 5 years or more in the IS field.

CISM exam & job outlook

Basically, the exam occurs twice a year in the months of June & December. The exam is 4 hours long, with 200 question items to answer. They solely focus on four domains of Information Security, and they are:

 • Information Security governance

 • Risk Management and compliance related to Information Security

 • Program development & management for IS

 • Incident management related to IS

The exam is of 800 marks, where an applicant has to secure 450 to pass the examination.

These four domains make your job-ready to take on profiles as technical specialists, technical managers, senior executives, and C-level executives. It all depends upon your years of involvement or work experience in IS.

In entry-level roles, you will work as a systems analyst, developer, security designer trainee, security auditor trainee. These entry-level roles are the gateways to superior roles and profiles.

Conclusively, the gathered experience in these entry-level roles will make you ready to take on the roles and responsibilities of technical specialists such as security consultant, Security Auditor, Security Designer. Soon you will get promotions to handle technical, managerial roles like Account Sales Manager, Project Manager, Program Manager, Product Manager.

And later, with gaining the subsequent amount of experience, you will get a promotion to handle C-suited roles like CIO, COO, CAO, IT security director, Systems and Infrastructure consultant, et cetera.

The salary you earn here in entry-level roles is around $90000. With prior experience, the salary can go as high up to $156000.

Study material 

When you order a CISM official Review book from ISACA, the UPS will deliver it to you, and it will charge you around $135. The book consists of 4 chapters, which further divide into two sections. The first section covers the overview of the domain. In contrast, the second section gives you the in-detail contents of the domain.

They have further made it easier for you to grasp all the concepts of the domains. By adding “Domain Definitions” & “Tasks and Knowledge statements,” This gives you an analytical approach to every domain before you jumpstart your preparation. The book is 350 pages strong and covers important information to make your preparation effective. However, you can also get some reference books to supplement your preparation. Still, we would recommend you stick with the text and review book.

CISM certification cost estimate:

Investing in other study materials would increase the CISM certification cost up to 35%.

You can simply use test simulation platforms to test your knowledge and map your velocity. The practice test is one of the cornerstones for achieving excellence. You should go for ISACA’s CISM Review Questions, Answers & explanation database. This subscription for 12 months will cost you $299 if you are a member and $399 for non-members. Or you can buy a practice test from Dumpinsider.com. It will cost you around $100 with a time frame validity of 3 months.

We have listed the reasons that suffice the CISM certification cost:

CISM certification cost depends upon the region you live in. You reap more than you invest in CISM certification costs. The CISM certification cost is marked stable with less variation throughout all these years. However, the CISM certification cost is expected to ascent 20% more in the future due to increasing demand.

CISM certification cost is the total cost you incur in training, preparation, practice, and registering for the examination. It is worthwhile to get an annual membership before you buy materials or register for the exam. The annual membership of the CISM certification cost is around $170.

This annual membership comes with a variety of benefits like:

 • The CISM certification cost for maintenance of certification is only $45, while for non-members, it will be $85!

 • The membership also gives you a $185 discount on the purchase of study materials and events booking.

 • You will get a 75% discount on CISM certification cost if you register online.

 Total CISM certification cost analysis:

Membership - $170

Study material - $120

Online CISM review course by ISACA - $795         

Review database - $299

Exam registration - $575

Total cost - $1959

Thus you have to incur $1959 as the CISM certification cost. However, after achieving the certification, you will have to pay a certification maintenance fee of $135. Further, for the calculation of CPEs, the ISACA will conduct some training events. Then they will check your involvement in training events to calculate your CPEs. These training events hold 21-32CPE value, which shall cost you around $700-850.

The ISACA also has VILT or Virtual Instructor-Led Training. These training programs are for teams in organizations, as they cost a lot. But if you want to learn from the industry expert and do not want to miss any chance in clearing the certification exam. These VILT sessions would cost a member account of around $200-$1150. The cost majorly depends upon the session length and the curriculum covered. Each of these VILT imparts 4-32CPE hours if bought.

Conclusion

In this article “CISM certification cost details,” we have provided all the necessary information needed for getting CISM certification. Especially the examination cost factor. Often high-level certifications are costly. Thus experts recommend applicants to undergo these certifications with prior experience and with hefty savings.

Although the ISACA has no such age limitation in any of its credentials, still, it is advisable to have some in-hand experience. The success ratio is very stiff, as far as toughness is concerned. This certification stands synonymous with CISSP. The success rate of applicants is 25% for this examination. Meaning out of 100 applicants, only 25 could make their way to success.

That is the reason that experts encourage experience holders to undergo this certification training. Most of the rookie candidates crumble to get through the exam because the questions are tough. The CAT testing makes it more difficult for candidates to clear the examination. Most of them come unprepared and fail to manage their time during the test.

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