CISSP Study Guide 2026-2027: the visual exam prep book
An 806-page CISSP book built to the ISC2 exam outline effective April 15, 2024 that teaches you to think like the exam: 16 illustrated modules covering all 62 objectives of the eight domains, the manager's call side by side with the technical one, worked risk math, and 490 original practice questions with every answer explained.
The paperback is in review at Amazon now; the buy buttons switch on as soon as it is live. Kindle edition coming soon.
- Paperback $39.99
- 806 pages · 6 x 9 in
- Kindle edition coming soon
What you get
Learn it visually
Diagrams, decision trees and step-by-step worked examples for SLE, ALE and safeguard value, symmetric and asymmetric key counts, MTBF, MTTR and the nines, plus how the adaptive (CAT) exam works.
Check every module
15 practice questions close each module (240 in total), every option explained, plus exam traps, memory hooks and a one-page summary sheet. Then 62 objective review cards and "what the CISSP does FIRST" decision tables.
Prove it twice
Two full 125-item practice exams weighted like the outline, answered in order with no going back, each with an answer key and a domain score sheet.
What's inside: 16 modules, 8 domains
The book follows the ISC2 CISSP exam outline effective April 15, 2024 and covers all 62 objectives, weighted like the outline. Two opening modules explain the adaptive exam and the manager's mindset before the domains.
| # | Module | Objectives |
|---|---|---|
| Part 0 · How the CISSP thinks · cross-domain | ||
| 01 | The CISSP Exam and the CAT Format What the exam certifies, how the adaptive engine picks items and decides to stop | All 8 domains |
| 02 | The Manager's Mindset BEST, FIRST and the five pillars | 1.2, 1.3, 7.4 |
| Part I · Security and Risk Management · Domain 1 · 16% | ||
| 03 | Ethics, Governance, Law and Investigations Code of ethics, governance, legal and compliance, investigations | 1.1, 1.3–1.5 |
| 04 | Risk Management and the Numbers Risk, SLE and ALE, threat modeling, the supply chain | 1.9–1.11 |
| 05 | Policy, Continuity and People Policy, business continuity, people and awareness | 1.6–1.8, 1.12 |
| Part II · Asset Security · Domain 2 · 10% | ||
| 06 | Asset Security Classify, own, handle and destroy | 2.1–2.6 |
| Part III · Security Architecture and Engineering · Domain 3 · 13% | ||
| 07 | Secure Design and Architectures Principles, models and architectures | 3.1–3.5 |
| 08 | Cryptography Choosing, running and breaking cryptography | 3.6–3.7 |
| 09 | Sites, Facilities and the Life Cycle Site design, facility controls, the information-system life cycle | 3.8–3.10 |
| Part IV · Communication and Network Security · Domain 4 · 13% | ||
| 10 | Network Architecture Layers, protocols and segmentation | 4.1 |
| 11 | Wireless, Cloud Networks and Secure Channels Wireless, cloud networks, components and secure channels | 4.1–4.3 |
| Part V · Identity and Access Management · Domain 5 · 13% | ||
| 12 | Identity and Access Management Identity, authorization and the joiner-mover-leaver life cycle | 5.1–5.6 |
| Part VI · Security Assessment and Testing · Domain 6 · 12% | ||
| 13 | Assessing, Testing and Auditing Assessments, tests, audits and reports that lead to fixes | 6.1–6.5 |
| Part VII · Security Operations · Domain 7 · 13% | ||
| 14 | Running Security Operations Investigations, monitoring, incidents, patching and change | 7.1–7.9 |
| 15 | Recovery, Continuity and Physical Security Recovery, disaster recovery, continuity, physical security and people safety | 7.10–7.15 |
| Part VIII · Software Development Security · Domain 8 · 10% | ||
| 16 | Software Development Security Building and buying secure software | 8.1–8.5 |
| Part IX · Final review · 62 objective cards | ||
| IX | 62 objective cards + what the CISSP does FIRST One card per outline objective: the rule the exam rewards, the manager's call, the two traps that cost most points | All 62 |
| Part X · Prove it · 250 questions | ||
| PE1 | Practice Exam 1 + every answer explained 125 items weighted like the outline, answer key and domain score sheet | |
| PE2 | Practice Exam 2 + every answer explained 125 more items, full explanations | |
Look inside the book
Real pages from the book, shown in color. Click any page to see it full size.
Book or Udemy course? Best: both
They do different jobs. The book teaches; the course drills. The questions in the book were written for the book, so using both gives you more practice, not repeats.
| CISSP Study Guide (book) | CISSP Practice Exams (Udemy course) | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Learning the material from the start | Timed practice in the final weeks |
| Teaching | 16 illustrated modules, worked math, 62 objective cards | Explanations inside each question |
| Practice questions | 490 (240 by module + 2 full exams) | 750 in 6 full 125-question tests |
| Format | 806-page paperback (Kindle edition coming soon) | Online, timed exam mode, any device |
| Price | Paperback $39.99 | See the current price on Udemy |
| Coming soon on Amazon | See the course → |
CISSP book FAQ
What is in the CISSP Study Guide 2026-2027?
806 pages: 16 illustrated modules covering all 62 objectives of the eight CISSP domains, 15 practice questions at the end of every module (240 in total) and 2 full 125-item practice exams, for 490 original questions with every answer explained. It also has 62 objective review cards, a formula sheet, a glossary of 300+ terms, acronyms and an index.
How much does the book cost?
The paperback is $39.99 (Amazon list prices can change). A Kindle edition is coming soon.
Is the book available yet?
The paperback is in review at Amazon. Until it is live, the buttons on this page search Amazon for the title; this page will link straight to the book once it is published. The Kindle edition is coming soon.
What are the paperback details?
6 x 9 inches, 806 pages, published by SERÁ Academy.
Should I get the book or the Udemy course?
They do different jobs. The book teaches the material, with diagrams, decision tables and worked risk math, then tests you. The course is 750 timed practice questions in 6 full 125-question tests for the final weeks. The questions in the book were written for the book. Many candidates use the book to learn and the course to drill.
Is the book current?
Yes. It follows the ISC2 CISSP exam outline effective April 15, 2024, the outline published on isc2.org, explains the computerized adaptive (CAT) format used for every CISSP exam, and marks the AI security themes ISC2 names on its outline page.
Does the book teach the manager mindset?
Yes. Module 02 is about it, and every module shows where the technically right answer and the CISSP answer differ, with a playbook for BEST, FIRST, MOST and NOT questions.
Are these real ISC2 exam questions?
No. Every question is original and written for this book from ISC2's public exam outline. Real exam content is confidential.
Is the book affiliated with ISC2?
No. It is an independent study guide by SERÁ Academy and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ISC2. CISSP and ISC2 are marks of ISC2, Inc.
Keep going: free CISSP practice questions · CISSP study plan · think like a manager · how the CAT exam works
SERÁ Academy is not affiliated with or endorsed by ISC2 and is not an ISC2 training partner. CISSP and ISC2 are marks of ISC2, Inc. All questions in the book are original, written for the book; they are not actual exam questions. The book was written with AI assistance and reviewed and edited by SERÁ Academy; diagrams and charts are generated from code. Prices are Amazon list prices and may change; as an independent publisher, SERÁ Academy earns royalties on sales.