CISSP study plan generator

How the plan is built

Your inputs

• Exam date. The plan counts the weeks from today to that date.
• Hours per week. Be honest. A plan built on hours you do not have fails in the third week.
• Background. Technical, non-technical or manager. It tells the plan which domains you are likely to find harder, so they get more room.

The method

1. Reserve the end. The last week or two become a final review: light, focused on weak areas, no new topics.
2. Place rehearsals. Full rehearsals under exam rules go in the second half, spaced so you have time to repair what each one shows.
3. Split the rest by weight. The remaining hours are shared across domains in proportion to their exam weight, so Security and Risk Management, at 16%, gets the largest share, while lighter domains such as Asset Security (10%) and Software Development Security (10%) get less.
4. Adjust for background. Non-technical candidates get more time on Security Architecture and Engineering, Communication and Network Security and Software Development Security; technical candidates are steered towards governance and the manager mindset.
5. Order the weeks. Domains are sequenced so foundations come first, starting with Security and Risk Management.

The weights are the current ones:

If your exam falls on or after 15 April 2027, study to the new weights in the right-hand column. The 2027 changes page explains what moves.

How to read your plan

• Each week shows its focus domains and the hours for each.
• Rehearsal weeks are marked. Treat them as fixed appointments.
• The final review is deliberately light. Resist cramming new topics in the last days.
• The calendar file adds each week's sessions to Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar. Move individual sessions freely; keep the rehearsals.

A worked example

Rahul, a network engineer in Hyderabad, sets an exam date 16 weeks away and 8 hours a week, background technical. A plan like his opens with Security and Risk Management and gives its largest blocks to heavy domains that sit further from his daily work, such as Security and Risk Management and Security Operations, while networking, his home ground, gets a lighter touch. Rehearsals land in the second half, for example around weeks 11 and 14, and the last week is the final review.

Choosing an exam date

If you do not have a date yet, pick a provisional one and let the plan test it.

• Leave buffer. Aim for a date with two spare weeks, so one bad fortnight does not force a reschedule.
• Mind the outline change. A date close to 15 April 2027 can slip onto the new outline. Pick a side deliberately.
• Think about a retake. After a first failed attempt you wait 30 days before you can sit again. If a deadline such as an appraisal matters, leave room for that.
• Book when the rehearsals agree. Many candidates book early to commit; that is fine, as long as you are willing to move the date if rehearsals say you are not ready.

What the generator cannot do

• It does not know your weak spots. It plans by exam weight and background, not by your answers. Inside CISSP Buddy the planner re-ranks your tasks every night from what you actually get wrong.
• It cannot tell you the date is right. Only rehearsals can. If your first rehearsal is far below the line, move the date, not the rehearsals.
• Hours are an estimate. If the weeks look crowded, add weeks rather than hours.

Next steps

• Read the CISSP study plan guide for 30, 60 and 90-day approaches.
• Starting in January? See the New Year plan.
• Check your first-day level with the CAT simulator demo, then request your invite for a planner that adapts.