CCSP study resources [updated 2022]

Passing any certification exam requires intelligent study. Wasting time on irrelevant resources or information will prevent progress. 

To avoid this problem, the International Information System Security Certification Consortium ISC2 offers many study resources to aspiring candidates for the certified cloud security professionals (CCSP) certification exam.

This article wIll review some of the available study resources, including traditional textbooks, study guides and contemporary tools, such as interactive study apps and flashcards, to help you prepare for the CCSP exam (August 1, 2022 version). You can choose one of the options below to help you learn at your own pace and spend extra time on material when needed to reinforce concepts.

What are the best books to help prep for the CCSP?

Some of the books containing in-depth information to help prepare for and achieve CCSP certification are:

Official ISC2 CCSP CBK Reference, 3rd Edition — A comprehensive resource that provides a reference to each of the six CCSP domains. This fully revised and updated book is an important resource for IT and information security leaders responsible for applying best practices to cloud security architecture, design, operations and service orchestration, says ISC2.

CCSP Certified Cloud Security Professional All-in-One Exam Guide, Third Edition — A highly effective self-study guide revised to cover the six domains of the August 2022 CCSP exam. It includes exam tips highlighting important information and practice questions that allow you to test your comprehension. It also includes real-world examples that help put knowledge in context. The book‘s new or expanded topics include cloud data security, DevOps security, threat modeling paradigms, mobile computing, regulatory and legal frameworks and best practices and standards.

What are the best study guides for the CCSP?

The official study guide can help candidates pass and avoid additional test attempts.

Official ISC2 CCSP Study Guide, Second Edition — As the only official study guide reviewed and endorsed by ISC2, this book is a valuable reference on your journey to becoming CCSP-certified. This Sybex study guide covers 100% of all exam objectives. It includes a study toolset containing pre-test assessments that help you identify what you already know and areas you need to review further. What’s more, exercises and chapter review questions help you gauge your progress along the way.

What are the best online resources to prep for the CCSP?

Several online options improve your chances of passing the certification exam. Here are a few of the options offered by ISC2 but many other interesting tools and courses are available online from reputable training providers, MOOC (massive open online courses) sites and ISC2 partners:

The ISC2 Certification Prep Kit is an educational resource that can help candidates plan for success in CCSP. Available online, it contains facts on ISC2 training and study tools and provides a sneak peek into official courseware, tips and more.

Official ISC2 CBK Training Seminars for the CCSP — Annual seminars taught directly from ISC2-authorized Instructors who are certified CCSPs and subject matter experts. They deliver relevant, up-to-date course content online and offer a comprehensive review of the six domains of the CBK. Professionals can participate in independent and group learning activities to reinforce the material and increase knowledge retention.

CCSP Study Group — This ISC2 community consists of discussion threads about users who have recently prepared for and passed the CCSP exam. This can be a great forum to meet like-minded candidates or certified CCSPs and ask or find answers to questions from other candidates.

Official CCSP Study App — This is a mobile version of the Official CCSP Study Guide that includes flashcards, study questions and practice tests covering all of the domains in the CBK.

Official CCSP Flash Cards is a unique way to test your knowledge and get immediate feedback on all six CCSP domains.

What are the best practice exams for the CCSP?

Taking a practice test can help you do better on the actual exam day. With so many resources to consider, it is better to first evaluate your strengths and weaknesses using some of these practice materials:

Official ISC2 CCSP Practice Tests, 2nd Edition — The only official CCSP practice test product endorsed by ISC2, this book incorporates over 1,000 practice questions covering all CCSP six domains. The correct answer and an explanation follow each question.

CCSP ISC2 Certified Cloud Security Professional Exam Practice Questions and Dumps by Maester Books provides actual practice exam questions and answers for the latest exam so that you can prepare well for the CCSP certification. This resource has 250+ exam questions that can help you be certified fast and easily.

ISC2 CCSP Actual Exam Questions and Answers by EXAM BOOST offers more than 250 questions and answers from previous tests. The latest version was published in 2020, so look for an updated version soon.

The journey to CCSP certification — where to start? 

As CCSP exam candidates are becoming more accustomed to the benefits of self-learning, this article provides a guide to the books and study aids that can help pursue the CCSP certification.

The starting point, however, is always the CCSP common body of knowledge (CBK). This is a comprehensive framework of all the relevant subjects a security professional should be familiar with, so preparation is a key to knowing what’s required in the field.

CBK-suggested references can be acquired or consulted to complement work and academic experience, but ISC2 does not imply nor guarantee that the study of these references will result in an examination pass.

To prepare a valuable study plan, candidates should evaluate their needs, considering time availability, study preferences and learning style. They should also spend some time assessing their strengths and weaknesses in the various topics. A number of the tools listed above can help them do that.

Official study guides and learning resources are available at 50% off for ISC2 members. Still, it is valuable to also look for other options that might help fill various knowledge gaps and address CCSP topics from different perspectives.    

For more on the CCSP certification, check out our CCSP certification hub.

Sources

• CCSP, ISC2
• ISC2 Self-Study Resources, ISC2
• CCSP Exam Outline August 2022, ISC2
• CBK Suggested References, ISC2
• CCSP Domain Refresh FAQ, ISC2
• The Ultimate Guide to the CCSP, ISC2