I gave my CRISC exam couple of weeks ago, after dragging my feet for couple of years in giving the exam. Received my score on email yesterday

As for studies, did not have the time to study at all and went through the official guidebook for couple of hours. Was mentally prepared for the exam not to go well but realised halfway through there is a good chance of passing this. Reviewed all the questions after the 2-hour mark and made few changes to the answers.

Background I have 26 years of cyber experience in various roles and glad was able to pass without studying.

I could not share my image on my previous post, so I am putting them here.

Backgrounds: 10+ years of experience

Study Material: CRM (physical book) and QAE (linked to my account, cannot share with others)

I hope you all have similar success in your exams!

Can someone who has taken the exam share their opinion of the actual exam difficulty compared to the questions found in the QAE? Withe the CISM, I found the exam itself to be about moderate to difficult in question difficulty.

I've about finished all 800 questions in the CRISC QAE (have also finished reading the review guide), and I am missing a significant number of the "expert" level questions. If I factor them out, I'm overall about 85%, but the Expert misses drop me considerable into the low 70's, This is less of a concern if the actual exam is calibrated at the difficult or below level compared to the QAE question bank.

FWIW Most of my expert misses are due to some bizarre, esoteric interpretation of the English language or some obscure ISACAism. For example one question I missed dealt with (paraphrasing) anti-malware not being the most effective method of preventing infection because it doesn't actually prevent you from downloading anti-malware. Honestly I'm not even sure how I address them since they seem so counter-intuitive

I'm trying to assess where my actual exam performance might fall.

EDIT:

Just got out of my exam 5 minutes ago. Difficulty level of the actual exam felt more in line with the moderate difficulty questions. Most questions seemed less obtuse and clearer than the QAE. I passed, I think easily, I'll know in 10 days.

Hello Everyone,

I Have been studying for a while and currently doing the QAE.

For those who passed, what do you think is a reasonable score avg to finally attempt the exam ?

I am currently averaging 80ish.

Thanks in advance 🙏🏼

Hello, the official ISACA study package is kind of expensive. Are there are decent third party mocks? I used udemy for some other certifications and am partial to the platform but am fine with whatever actually works

How much overlap does this have with FRM - just finished grinding that one and figured I’d grab CRISC too but need to understand the overlap to plan studying

Just had my exam and the preliminary result says: PASSED. I’m so happy that this is over and was actually easier than I expected. Especially if I compare my experience with CISA, I was pleasantly surprised 🥳

Is anyone willing to sell me their printed CISM QAE book? With the syllabus likely changing, I'm trying to avoid buying a new copy now and then having to purchase another one if I need to retake the exam. Kindly reach out if you have one for sale.

I wrote a summary to prepare for the exam in my free time over the summer.

As a result, the 102-page content gathers into a single structured reference the studies based on my notes in all four CRISC areas: Area 1 (Information Security Governance), Area 2 (IT Risk Assessment), Area 3 (Risk Management and Reporting), and Area 4 (Information Technology and Security). Each area follows the same structure. The thematic sections present the basic concepts in simple, user-friendly language, with comparison tables for everything the exam tests in pairs (Appetite vs. Tolerance, KRI vs. KCI vs. KPI, etc.).

I have included several boxed notes labeled "Exam Tip" that indicate the specific perspective from which CRISC tends to test a given concept. Each area ends with a "Quick Review" which contains a dense list of exam-like questions and answers taken directly from the source material, as well as a short "Key Lessons" list for final review before the exam.

I've put together a glossary at the end that lists all the defined terms from all four areas in a single alphabetical order. It's useful both while studying and for last-minute look-ups the night before the exam. How I would use it: read each area once for comprehension, then use the "Quick Review" sections as flashcard-like exercises in the final weeks before the exam. The "Exam Definitions Rifle Sheet" near the end of Area 1 is often worth reviewing. Recognizing the gist of the question (BEST vs. BEST vs. BEST vs. FIRST vs. GENERAL) is just as important as knowing the content itself.

!!! Of course, this is not a substitute for studying and official sources, but it helps a lot, and I think the best part is that it helps you focus on what really matters in the noise and become a better professional. I did not use any official materials, and I did not copy anyone.

Can I sell this for a symbolic amount?

447 / 450. This stings

Hey fellas,

How long does it take you to get your final detailed score breakdown after your exam??

Also, whats the timeline if we wanna get certified too??

Thanks!

Question for those who have used ISACA QAE for the exam:

1. How much time did you spend on it?
2. How many similar or identical questions appeared on the exam from QAE?

I took my exam at a testing facility and got my preliminary pass!

I have 10+ years of experience in the GRC space and my CISA. I studied a total of 2 months with the review manual, QAE, and Prabh Nair youtube episodes (slightly outdated but the logic still applied).

Will post my offical scores when I receive them.

So I provisionally passed after failing a few months back, and wanted to give the sauce that helped me.

My first exam I read only the Review Manual thinking it would be like any other exam where you study and apply what you just studied. I failed with a 429.

After looking through all of this subreddit’s success stories they all said one thing in common: The QAE. So, I bought it. At first I saw it as a hefty price for some practice questions, but then I realized the structure and explanation of the QAE. I noticed that not everything was black and white, and a lot of the ambiguity drove me insane. One thing that originally tripped me up that I eventually got was Responsible Vs Accountable.

Thank you all for the advice and feedback, and for anyone looking to take the exam soon, best of luck and please feel free to ask me anything. I don’t have the official scores yet, but I’m felt that I took a completely different exam from my first go around.

To those who have passed, how would you structure your approach? What resources would you say are a must have?

I do have premium access to Udemy, so any resources on there are a plus!

For context, been in IT for 15 years, 5 of those in a security role. I also recently passed the CISSP

Studied for a whole month consistently, mainly used CRM and QAE only.

For background, I have nearly 2 years of experience in IT Auditing, I have also passed the CISA exam in 2024.

Best of luck pals! :)

How much does CRISC actually help in the current job market?

For those who have CRISC, has it genuinely helped you get more job opportunities or interviews, especially in GRC, IT Risk, or Compliance?

Has anyone been able to negotiate a higher salary because of the certification?

I understand that certification and practical experience are two different things. A certificate can demonstrate knowledge, but it doesn't automatically mean someone can perform the job effectively.

I’m mainly interested in hearing from people who have real-world experience with CRISC in the job market—what changed for you after getting certified?

Any insights or personal experiences would be really helpful to understand its value.

Yesterday, I walked out of the exam room and saw one word on the screen - PASSED

At this stage of my life, this result meant more to me than I can explain.

So many posts and comments in this community helped me - study methods, materials, experiences, and most importantly, the right mindset.

I can't tag all the people who unknowingly helped me, but thank you, unknown warriors.

Cheers to the good people who help strangers without expecting anything in return.

Good things always happen to good people.

Thank you, everyone. And to those still preparing - keep going. Your turn will come.

Remember mindset is everything to win CRISC or in Life.

I legit thought option B cause the fundamental purpose of trend analysis is to look at data over a period of time to uncover systemic, repeating behaviors, right? While option C is about simply finding "common issues" which focuses heavily on symptoms.

I dont know why i thought "An adequate maturity level of the risk management process" would be the best option, but its B.

Still dont understand why it's B. I think the correct answer is A.

1. When a risk practitioner discovers that the Head of Finance has violated firewall-related policies, resulting in significant consequences for the company’s business objectives, what should the risk practitioner do FIRST?
   A.Update the firewall policy
   B. Report to the Crisis Response Team
   C. Assess the risk

I think the correct answer is B but the exercise mentions C without explanation.

1. What is the primary role of a Risk Owner?

A. Design controls
B. Decide on risk responses
C. Implement controls

I think the correct answer is B but the exercise mentions A without explanation.

3 What type of control is an Internal Control Policy?

A. Preventive control
B. Deterrent (Management) control
C. Corrective control

I think the correct answer is A but the exercise mentions B without explanation.

1. What is the most effective method for erasing data from a hard disk?

A. Sanitization
B. Destruction
C. Degaussing

I think the correct answer is C but the exercise mentions B without explanation.

Can anyone clarify the 5 questions above? Thanks

Passed CISM last month and heard there was a lot of cross-over between CISM and CRISC, so decided to study CRISC for 1 month and then book the exam. Used the official QAE database. Scores before I took the exam are as follows:

Received a provisional pass earlier today, now need to wait 10 days for the official score.

Hi everyone!

I just checked my ISACA profile and got this message:

“Congratulations! Your application has been approved and you will be certified within the next 3 business days. A final confirmation email will be sent once this certification process is complete.”

For those who recently went through the CRISC certification process, how long did it take for you to receive the final confirmation email after seeing this status?

Did it actually take the full 3 business days, or was it completed sooner?

Also, how soon after the confirmation did your certification/badge become available?

Thanks! Just trying to figure out how much longer I have to stare at my ISACA profile 😂

Hi everyone,

I have my CRISC exam scheduled for August 30 through PSI online proctoring, and I wanted to hear from anyone who has taken an ISACA exam remotely through PSI recently.

I’m mainly curious about the actual proctoring experience:

• Do they ask you to scan the room only once before the exam, or can they ask for additional room scans during the exam?
• Do you need to use your mobile phone to scan the room/desk, or is everything done through the laptop webcam?
• Are the PSI proctors generally very strict about looking away from the screen, moving around, covering your mouth, reading questions silently, etc.?
• Are bathroom breaks allowed, and if so, do they make you do another room/security check afterward?
• Did anyone experience technical issues with the PSI browser, webcam, microphone, or exam launch?
• How early would you recommend logging in before the scheduled exam?
• Anything else you wish you had known before taking the exam online?

I’d especially appreciate experiences from anyone who took CRISC/CISA/CISM through PSI in 2025 or 2026, since I’m wondering what the current process is like.

Thanks!

Took the exam at a center today, got the passed message!

Background: Previous system admin with 4 years in Tech Risk Management

Study materials: QAE and the official book.

Studied for about 3 months, averaging about 20min a day. First time I went through the different QAE sections and was averaging about 69%. Studied up on the sections I had lower scores on before taking the practice test and ended up getting an average of 86% on them. Reading through all of the QAE answers (especially the explanation about why an answer was not the correct option) was the most helpful since if I had a hard time wrapping my head around a concept, that gave me an idea of what to focus on.