CISSP covers security across the whole organization, and CCSP covers security for cloud architecture, data, applications and operations. Both come from ISC2 and use the same exam format, but CISSP is the broader one. For most people CISSP comes first, partly because ISC2 lets an active CISSP stand in for the entire CCSP experience requirement.
What is the difference between CCSP and CISSP?
CISSP spans eight domains, from security and risk management through software development security. It's written for people who design and manage security programs across every kind of system.
CCSP narrows the lens to cloud. Its six domains cover cloud concepts and design, cloud data security, platform and infrastructure security, application security, security operations, and legal, risk and compliance. If most of your work already lives in AWS, Azure or Google Cloud, CCSP describes it more closely than CISSP does.
How do the CCSP and CISSP exams compare?
- Domains
CISSP: 8
CCSP: 6 - Heaviest domain
CISSP: Security and Risk Management, 16%
CCSP: Cloud Data Security, 20% - Exam format
CISSP: Computerized adaptive testing
CCSP: Computerized adaptive testing - Length
CISSP: 3 hours
CCSP: 3 hours - Questions
CISSP: 100 to 150
CCSP: 100 to 150 - Passing score
CISSP: 700 out of 1000
CCSP: 700 out of 1000 - Experience
CISSP: 5 years in 2 or more CISSP domains
CCSP: 5 years in IT, including 3 in cybersecurity and 1 in a CCSP domain - CPE per 3-year cycle
CISSP: 120
CCSP: 90
ISC2 published an updated CCSP exam outline that took effect August 1, 2026. Make sure your study material matches it.
What experience do you need for CCSP?
ISC2 asks for five years of cumulative work in information technology. Three of those years must be in cybersecurity, and one year must be in one or more of the six CCSP domains.
A degree or the Cloud Security Alliance's CCSK can waive one year, and only one year can be waived that way. The bigger shortcut is CISSP. ISC2 says earning CISSP can substitute for the entire CCSP experience requirement.
Should I get CCSP or CISSP first?
CISSP first, if you can. You get the broader credential, and once it's active the CCSP experience question goes away. The domains also overlap, so a lot of your CISSP study carries forward.
CCSP first makes sense when you're a cloud engineer or architect whose experience fits CCSP better than CISSP's eight domains. It's also a good choice if an employer or contract names CCSP.
Either way, if you pass before you have the experience, ISC2 lets you become an Associate of ISC2 and gives you six years to earn it.
Does holding both cost more to maintain?
Less than you'd think. As of September 2026, ISC2 charges one annual maintenance fee of US$135 no matter how many ISC2 certifications you hold. CPEs are the bigger job. CISSP needs 120 over three years and CCSP needs 90, with 40 and 30 a year suggested. There's no annual CPE minimum for full members, though ISC2 recommends spreading them out.
How can Accumentum help with CCSP and CISSP?
Our CISSP training course and CCSP training course each run 10 modules mapped to the ISC2 domains. The ISC2 training page has both, plus SSCP if you want an earlier step.
PathPay® lets you pay for an eligible course over 3 to 18 months. It's a payment plan, not a loan or insurance. PathPass® has CISSP and CCSP practice banks at $19 a month for one exam or $39 for all banks, with a free preview. It's exam prep, not a certification body, and it has no dumps.
PathLock™ keeps your renewal calendar and gives you monthly activity packs. The September ISC2 pack was mapped to CISSP, CCSP and SSCP domains for your own self-report. It isn't ISC2 pre-approval and doesn't replace your AMF. It's also unrelated to Pathlock, Inc.
Frequently asked questions
Is CCSP easier than CISSP?
The format is the same, 100 to 150 adaptive questions in 3 hours with 700 out of 1000 to pass. CCSP covers fewer domains but goes deeper on cloud, so it depends on your background.
Does CISSP count toward CCSP experience?
Yes. ISC2 says earning CISSP can substitute for the entire CCSP experience requirement.
Can I get CCSP without cloud experience?
You need one year in one or more CCSP domains, inside five years of IT work. If you don't have it yet, you can pass and become an Associate of ISC2, then earn the experience within six years.
Do I pay two annual fees if I hold CISSP and CCSP?
No. As of September 2026, ISC2 charges a single annual maintenance fee of US$135 for members, however many ISC2 certifications you hold.
How many CPEs do CISSP and CCSP need?
CISSP needs 120 CPE credits per three-year cycle and CCSP needs 90.
Sources
Official facts checked Sep 28, 2026.
- ISC2, CISSP Certification Exam Outline: https://www.isc2.org/certifications/cissp/cissp-certification-exam-outline
- ISC2, CISSP Experience Requirements: https://www.isc2.org/certifications/cissp/cissp-experience-requirements
- ISC2, CCSP Certification Exam Outline (effective August 1, 2026): https://www.isc2.org/certifications/ccsp/ccsp-certification-exam-outline
- ISC2, CCSP Experience Requirements: https://www.isc2.org/certifications/ccsp/ccsp-experience-requirements
- ISC2, Member Policies and Procedures (CPE, AMF): https://www.isc2.org/policies-procedures/member-policies
Accumentum facts come from the live CISSP and CCSP course pages, /isc2-certification-training-courses/, /pathpay/, /pathpass/ and /pathlock/ on accumentum.net.
