(ISC)2 CISSP certification now recognised as equivalent to Master’s

This announcement from (ISC)2 comes following the conclusion of a benchmarking study by UK NARIC, which determined that the consortium’s CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) qualification was equivalent to Level 7 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) in the UK.

The study by the national guidance agency for qualifications worldwide reviewed core qualification components, and compared the skills assessed during a candidate’s CISSP computerised adaptive testing (CAT) to those examined by the RQF.

It was then determined by UK NARIC that the (ISC)2 qualification’s emphasis on assessing cyber security knowledge, as well as problem solving, decision making, and understanding of industry standards and policies made it comparable to a Master’s degree.

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“Recognising the CISSP as comparable to Masters level qualifications further underlines the robust educational and operational value of the certification within Europe,” said Deshini Newman, managing director EMEA at (ISC)2. “It will support our members in their career progression as they embark on opportunities both within their own organisations and externally when applying for roles with degree entry criteria.”

Additionally, because the eight levels of the RQF have also been referenced to the eight levels on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the CISSP can be recognised not only by hiring decision makers in the UK, but their European counterparts also, further expanding employment opportunities for budding cyber security staff.

This emerging recognition of the CISSP follows its acknowledgement by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT), along with five other qualifications, last year.

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Aaron Hurst

Aaron Hurst is Information Age's senior reporter, providing news and features around the hottest trends across the tech industry.