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Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Syllabus
ISACA certification focused on information security management and governance.. The complete Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) outline — 6 subjects, 20 chapters and 68 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
3 chapters · 11 topics · 23 sub-topics
Information Security Risk Assessment3 chapters · 10 topics · 20 sub-topics
Information Security Risk Response and Reporting3 chapters · 9 topics · 18 sub-topics
Information Security Program Development and Management4 chapters · 15 topics · 30 sub-topics
Information Security Incident Management4 chapters · 14 topics · 28 sub-topics
Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance Management3 chapters · 9 topics · 18 sub-topics
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) flashcard decks
332 question-and-answer cards across 6 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- Information Security Governance — 67 cards
- Information Security Risk Assessment — 51 cards
- Information Security Risk Response and Reporting — 51 cards
- Information Security Program Development and Management — 51 cards
- Information Security Incident Management — 61 cards
- Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance Management — 51 cards
How to work through the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Information Security Program Development and Management carries 15 topics while Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance Management carries 9. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).
The ~80 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) syllabus?
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) covers 6 subjects: Information Security Governance, Information Security Risk Assessment, Information Security Risk Response and Reporting, Information Security Program Development and Management, Information Security Incident Management and Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance Management. Together they contain 20 chapters and 68 named topics.
How much do you have to study for Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)?
The full Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) outline breaks down into 20 chapters, 68 topics and 137 sub-topics. Information Security Program Development and Management is the largest single subject with 15 topics across 4 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) syllabus?
Roughly 80 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 4 weeks.
Are there Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) flashcards?
Yes — 332 question-and-answer flashcards across 6 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United States and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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