Choosing a training provider for CISSP certification training is a tough decision. Our aim is to inform you on some of the common misconceptions about CISSP training so you are empowered to make better choices.

Misconception #1: CISSP Exam Pass Guarantees

We guarantee you will pass the CISSP exam.

There is no way to guarantee you will pass the CISSP Exam. It’s not like the training organization can go take the test for you – that would be illegal an unethical. It is ultimately up to you to prepare for and sit the exam. A CISSP training provider can help you prepare, but there’s no real way to guarantee you will ever pass the CISSP Exam.

Misconception #2: High CISSP Exam Pass Rates

We have a 99.9% pass rate.

There is no real way for a CISSP training provider to know their true CISSP certification exam pass rate. A person that takes CISSP training is not obligated to share their exam results with the training provider. And, the training provider does not have visibility into exam results. This would be a violation of privacy, confidentiality, etc.

Misconception #3: Live Online CISSP Training

We offer “On-Demand” Live Online training.

Live Online training should be just that – a live course with live students and a live trainer. Be careful of asynchronous “Live Online” training. On-demand = pre-recorded training. Other buzzwords you may hear for recorded training are “asynchronous” or “self-faced”. Real live online training allows you to interact with fellow students, the trainer, etc., in real-time.

Misconception #4: All-Inclusive CISSP Training

We offer an all-inclusive CISSP Bootcamp.

The term “all-inclusive” can be misleading. Does this mean the CISSP course includes the exam fee, materials, study questions, snacks, beverages, lunch, etc.? Be sure to get clarity on this topic. If you need the exam fee ($699) included, check on the CISSP training provider’s definition of all-inclusive.

Misconception #5: Official (ISC)² CISSP Training Providers

You have to take an official (ISC)² training provider CISSP course to get CISSP-certified.

This is not true. You can do whatever you want to prepare for the CISSP Exam. You can form your own Meetup group, study with coworkers, watch YouTube videos, take a course from anyone you want, etc. You can even sign up for the CISSP test with zero preparation. It’s entirely up to you. If you choose a CISSP training provider, the quality of the training and your overall experience is dependent on the training provider. There’s no guarantee you will get quality training from an “official” provider or any other provider. Read reviews, talk to the provider, talk to trainers, etc.

Common questions about Alpine Security’s CISSP training, related to the misconceptions:

Do you offer an Exam Pass Guarantee?

We guarantee to help you pass the exam as much as we can, for as long as we can. We do this by allowing you to retake our CISSP Bootcamp as many times as you want before or after you take the CISSP exam. We will also work with you one-on-one to maximize the probability of you passing the CISSP exam. We cannot take the exam for you though.

What is the pass rate of your CISSP students?

We do not know for sure. Our trainers ask their attendees to let them know the results, but not every student tells us if they passed or failed. Based on the feedback we received, we estimate our pass rate to be around 85-90%. This is just an estimate though.

What is your Live Online CISSP training?

Our Live Online CISSP training is where you remotely attend a Live In-Person class. We offer hybrid CISSP courses, where we have a combination of live online and in-person students. We use Zoom for our courses – you can see the trainer in video, hear the trainer, see the slides, and interact with fellow students, as if you were in the classroom.

Is your CISSP training all-inclusive?

Yes, we include the following in our all-inclusive CISSP training: CISSP exam fee ($699), 30 days access to CISSP test prep questions, print and digital materials, snacks, drinks, & lunch, and an awesome experience.

Are you an official (ISC)² CISSP training provider?

No, we are not an official (ISC)² CISSP provider. We considered becoming an official provider, but the cost, requirements, and constraints didn’t make sense for us. We are not handcuffed and provide better CISSP training because of this decision.

Christian at the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park

Author Bio

Christian Espinosa is Alpine Security’s CEO/Founder and a Cybersecurity Professor at Maryville University. He holds over 25 certifications, including the CISSP, CCISO, and PMP. Christian is a US Air Force veteran with a BS in Engineering from the US Air Force Academy and MBA from Webster University. Christian holds multiple patents on cybersecurity attack and defense. Major recent projects include penetration testing and assessments of commercial aircraft, medical device penetration testing, and numerous incident response projects. When Christian isn’t protecting us from cybercriminals, he climbs mountains, travels the world, teaches outdoor wilderness survival, and competes in Ironman triathlons.