CCSP Exam Fees and Total Cost

Standard CCSP exam price

ISC2’s pricing table lists the standard CCSP exam at US $599 for the Americas, Asia Pacific and other regions not separately listed. EMEA is listed at EUR 575.04 and the United Kingdom at GBP 485.19. Price and taxes depend on the location where the exam is administered; Pearson displays the total during registration. Use the checkout amount for the center you select rather than assuming one worldwide total.

The exam fee pays for an exam attempt. It does not include every course, the certification application, endorsement, or ongoing maintenance. A training bundle may include the exam or extra attempts, but check the specific product before adding costs. An exam voucher from an employer or provider can have its own region and expiration rules.

Budget beyond the exam attempt

A candidate who earns CCSP should include maintenance. The annual AMF for an ISC2 member who holds CCSP is currently US $135. The first AMF is due after passing and approval of the certification application before the credential is granted. The annual amount is separate from exam purchase. Candidates should also plan the CPE work: 90 CPE credits in each three-year cycle: at least 60 Group A, with the remaining 30 in Group A or Group B under current member policy.

Over three years, the recurring AMF at the current rate totals US $405. This illustration assumes the rate remains unchanged and does not include the first AMF at award, exam fee, training or tax. The CPE requirement may lead to optional learning costs, although qualifying activities can also include relevant work, reading, webinars or volunteering under the handbook rules.

The exam experience prerequisite itself has no application fee listed separately in the standard exam price, but successful candidates still must complete the experience and endorsement application. An Associate of ISC2 who has passed but lacks experience has a separate maintenance category and timeline. Do not budget the Associate route as though it were already the certified CCSP membership fee without checking current ISC2 rules.

Retake and bundle costs

A separately purchased retake is another exam attempt at the current regional price. ISC2’s wait rules are 30 test-free days after the first attempt, 60 after the second and 90 after the third or later attempt; up to four attempts are permitted in a 12-month period. A product with Peace of Mind Protection can include a second attempt, but it has its own purchase price and may require both attempts within 180 days. Compare the package total and deadlines before purchase.

A candidate who fails on the first attempt and bought an exam-only registration should expect another exam fee if retaking. A candidate using a two-attempt package should confirm that the first sitting leaves at least the required wait plus appointment availability before package expiration. The second attempt is not unlimited or transferable to another certification.

The calculations are examples in US dollars for the listed regions. The first AMF is due before the credential is granted and may be billed at a time different from the exam attempt. Tax, currency and optional study costs change the amount. They help separate the exam price from maintaining a certified credential.

Rescheduling and cancellation charges

ISC2 lists Pearson fees of US $50 to reschedule and US $100 to cancel. Appointments cannot be rescheduled within 24 hours of the start time. The exact process and applicable currency appear in the Pearson appointment flow. A late arrival or no-show can forfeit the exam fee. If plans change, act early and check the fee before confirming.

Rescheduling and cancellation are not interchangeable. Rescheduling moves the appointment and carries the lower listed fee; cancellation ends the appointment and may leave the exam code subject to its original validity. If a voucher expires soon, confirm whether a new date still fits its period. The appointment change fee does not extend an expired exam entitlement.

Training and study expense

Official ISC2 CCSP training is offered in self-paced and instructor-led formats. Access periods may be 90 or 180 days, and bundles may include one or two exam attempts. An exam-only product is generally valid for 365 days; Peace of Mind exam products may provide two attempts over 180 days. Check the current product terms, and distinguish course access from exam validity.

Independent books, practice tools and training providers can add cost. They are optional. Compare coverage of the August 2026 outline, quality of explanations, access period and whether a product includes an exam before buying. Do not pay for a package whose access begins before you can study or whose exam deadline is too close.

Regional and employer budgets

Candidates outside the Americas or Asia Pacific may see euros or pounds, and local taxes are based on the testing location. If the nearest appointment is in another city, include transport, lodging and time away from work. An employer may reimburse exam and training but not annual maintenance or CPE learning. Confirm the reimbursement categories and retain receipts.

A reasonable budget lists the exam product, tax, training, expected first AMF, ongoing annual AMFs and optional CPE activities separately. If you are not sure whether you will meet the work requirement, include the possibility of an Associate route and investigate its current dues and CPE rules rather than presuming the certified fee applies immediately.

Build a realistic CCSP budget

A useful estimate keeps each cost in its own line: one exam attempt, any training you choose, local tax, the certification application and first Annual Maintenance Fee after a pass, then recurring maintenance. Add travel only if the available Pearson center requires it. This makes the comparison honest. A low exam-only price can be the right choice for a well-prepared candidate, while a course bundle may make sense when its instruction and access period fit a defined study plan.

For a candidate booking in the Americas or Asia Pacific, the standard exam entry is US $599 before any location-specific tax. In EMEA, the listed amount is EUR 575.04; in the United Kingdom, GBP 485.19. Pearson calculates the actual checkout total based on where the exam is administered. A candidate who lives near a border or travels for an appointment should compare the final local totals, transport and timing rather than converting a displayed foreign-currency figure and assuming it is the amount charged.

The three-year illustration uses three annual AMF payments at the current US $135 rate. If the count starts when the credential is awarded, it includes the initial AMF and two later annual payments. The exact billing dates follow the member account. This is a planning example, not a price guarantee: ISC2 can change fees, tax depends on the location, and the calculation excludes training, materials, travel and optional CPE activity costs.

Separate certification and Associate costs

Passing the test and receiving the credential are separate steps. A candidate who meets the experience requirement submits the certification application, obtains endorsement and pays the first AMF when ISC2 requests it. The annual maintenance fee keeps an awarded credential active. The exam purchase does not pay several future years of maintenance in advance.

A candidate who passes before completing the experience requirement may choose Associate of ISC2 status. That status has its own annual fee and continuing obligations, so do not apply the CCSP member rate automatically to an Associate budget. The six-year experience window can be useful, but it creates a long-term deadline to track. If you already hold CISSP and qualify for the full experience substitution, the experience path differs; the standard exam charge remains a separate purchase.

Choose between exam-only and training bundles

An exam-only product is suitable when you already have a credible route through the current outline and want to choose books or classes separately. Official ISC2 training bundles can package instruction with an exam attempt or Peace of Mind Protection. Compare the displayed bundle price, course format, access length, included attempt count and the period in which you must use the exam. A second attempt included in a bundle has a deadline; it is not a general voucher for later use.

A practical example: a candidate who can study four evenings a week may finish a self-paced course within its access period and value having instruction and the exam together. A candidate whose work schedule is unpredictable might be better served by a longer access period or by buying the exam separately after preparation. In either case, read the exact package terms before paying. Do not count an included retake as useful unless there is enough time for the waiting period, targeted study and a new appointment before expiry.

Estimate the cost of changing plans

The standard fee to reschedule is US $50, while cancellation is US $100. They describe different actions. Rescheduling moves an appointment and must occur outside the 24-hour cutoff; cancellation ends that appointment and can leave a voucher subject to its original expiration. A no-show or late arrival can lead to forfeiting the exam fee. A candidate working across time zones should verify the appointment’s displayed local time and make any change early.

If you are not ready, compare the change fee with the cost of losing a voucher or attempting the exam prematurely. For a product that includes two attempts, map the earliest retake date against the package’s 180-day use period. The 30-, 60- and 90-day test-free intervals are minimum waiting periods after successive failures, not a recommended study schedule. Plan for both the rule and real appointment availability.

Keep preparation and CPE costs optional and transparent

Books, practice products, independent courses and travel are not included in the standard exam fee unless the chosen package says so. They are choices rather than ISC2 certification charges. Before buying a resource, compare its coverage with the outline effective August 1, 2026, its explanation quality and how long you can access it. A large question count is less useful if the material follows an older outline or teaches answer recall without cloud-security reasoning.

Maintaining CCSP requires 90 total CPE credits during each three-year cycle, including at least 60 Group A; up to 30 of the total may be Group B. The CPE Handbook recognizes multiple ways to earn qualifying credits, so a paid conference or course is not automatically required. Keep evidence of completed activities and plan across the cycle. The annual AMF and CPE requirement are separate: paying the fee does not earn credits, and earning credits does not satisfy the fee.

For an employer reimbursement request, list the exam, any selected training package, taxes, travel, first AMF and recurring AMFs separately. Ask whether the employer covers membership maintenance or only the initial exam. That avoids presenting optional preparation as a mandatory fee or treating a one-time exam purchase as the total cost of holding the credential.

The standard price is US $599 in the Americas and Asia Pacific regions shown by ISC2. EMEA and UK use local prices; taxes depend on exam location.

The current CCSP AMF is US $135 annually under ISC2’s member policy. Check the account for the amount applicable to your membership status.

A separate retake is another paid attempt at the current regional price unless your product explicitly includes another attempt.

The published fees are US $50 to reschedule and US $100 to cancel. Changes are not allowed within 24 hours of the start.