Security · Comparison
CISSP vs CISA: Which Should You Take First?
CISSP and CISA are both senior information-security credentials, but they test different things. CISSP is a broad security-practitioner exam across eight domains, while CISA is an audit-focused exam built around the auditor's judgement. Which to take first depends on the direction of your career, not which exam is objectively harder.
Take CISSP first if you are heading toward architecture or broad security leadership. Take CISA first if you are heading toward audit, assurance, or IT governance.
Practise the certifications in this article
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)Practice questionsStudy guide
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)Practice questionsStudy guide
CISSP and CISA at a Glance
CISSP uses Computerised Adaptive Testing: between 100 and 150 questions over three hours at an ISC2-authorised Pearson VUE centre, with a passing score of 700 out of 1000 and a fee of USD 749. It spans eight domains, with Security and Risk Management the largest at 16 per cent, four domains at 13 per cent each, Security Assessment and Testing at 12 per cent, and Asset Security and Software Development Security at 10 per cent each.
CISA is a fixed-length exam: 150 questions over four hours, delivered at PSI testing centres or by remote proctoring, with a passing score of 450 on ISACA's 200 to 800 scaled range and a fee of USD 575 for ISACA members or USD 760 for non-members. It spans five domains, with Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience and Protection of Information Assets carrying 26 per cent each, so together they are more than half the exam.
What Each Certification Actually Tests
CISSP tests broad security-practitioner knowledge across the whole of information security: architecture, identity and access, operations, software development security, and risk management, with a reasoning style that rewards the MOST or BEST answer from a management perspective rather than the most aggressive technical fix.
CISA tests the audit lifecycle specifically: planning and executing audits, IT governance, systems acquisition and development, operations resilience, and protecting information assets, with a reasoning style that rewards the auditor's evidence-based, independent judgement over a hands-on technical fix. A CISSP holder who has never sat in an audit will still find CISA's scenarios test an unfamiliar professional lens.
Experience Requirements Compared
CISSP requires five years of cumulative paid work experience across at least two of the eight domains, reduced to four years with a qualifying degree or approved credential, plus endorsement by an existing ISC2 professional. You can pass the exam first and become an Associate of ISC2, earning the experience afterward within a defined window.
CISA requires five years of professional information systems auditing, control, or security experience, with limited substitutions available, and that experience can be submitted within five years of passing the exam. Both certifications let you sit and pass the exam before your experience is complete, so the exam itself is not gated by tenure for either.
Which Should You Take First
Take CISSP first if your career is heading toward security architecture, engineering, or broad security leadership, where the eight-domain breadth and the risk-based reasoning style map directly onto the role you want. It is also the stronger first move if you are not yet sure whether audit or architecture is your direction, since CISSP's breadth keeps more doors open.
Take CISA first if you already work in or are moving into audit, assurance, or IT governance, where the auditor's evidence-and-independence mindset is the actual skill the role demands. Practitioners sometimes hold both, since the two credentials signal different, complementary strengths rather than competing for the same job description.
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Frequently asked questions
Is CISSP harder than CISA?
They are hard in different ways. CISSP is broader, spanning eight domains with an adaptive testing format and no dominant domain. CISA concentrates more heavily on two domains, Operations and Resilience and Protection of Information Assets, which together make up more than half the exam, and rewards an auditor's evidence-based judgement over a technical fix.
Can I hold both CISSP and CISA?
Yes, and many senior practitioners do. The two are not sequential requirements for each other. They signal different strengths, architecture and broad security practice for CISSP, audit and assurance for CISA, so holding both is a genuine differentiator rather than a redundant credential.
Do I need experience for CISSP or CISA before I can sit the exam?
No, you can sit and pass either exam first. CISSP awards Associate of ISC2 status until you complete five years of experience, four with a qualifying degree; CISA lets you submit your five years of experience within five years of passing.
Which costs more, CISSP or CISA?
CISSP costs USD 749. CISA costs USD 575 for ISACA members or USD 760 for non-members, so CISA can be cheaper or similarly priced depending on membership status.
Should I take CISSP or CISA if I am not sure which career path I want?
CISSP is the safer first move if you are undecided, because its eight-domain breadth keeps architecture, engineering, and management paths open. CISA is a more committed choice toward audit and assurance specifically.
Examworthy is not affiliated with or endorsed by (ISC)2 or ISACA. This article is original commentary based on public exam blueprints and published sources. We never reproduce live exam items. All certification names and marks belong to their respective owners.