The Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) certificate is for professionals who control, monitor, and report risks in information security. With the rise of cybercrime, this training is more valuable than ever.
Earning your CRISC certification is essential for business analysts, compliance professionals, control professionals, project managers, and risk professionals. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the CRISC certification and exam.
What Is a CRISC Certification?
This award is essentially a risk management certificate for IT professionals. The certificate is awarded by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) and provides credibility in your skills to make risk assessments, risk identification, and design solutions around information risk.
The CRISC certification can be a major boost to your employability. Both big and small companies require cyber security to keep their business running and their client’s trust.
What Are the Benefits of a CRISC Certification?
Why should you take the CRISC exam and what are the benefits of this certification? Here is what you gain with a CRISC training course and exam.
- Proof of skills. It’s proof of your risk evaluation skills and will make you aware of the CRISC domains and more. It can also help you get your foot in the door for enterprise risk management.
- Universally accepted. The ISACA is a globally-accepted certificate, giving you the ability to work in businesses across the globe.
- Career advancement. This certificate can help you progress in your field, especially as these skills are in such high demand.
- Skill maintenance. This training keeps you up to date on necessary skills in IT security. It’s a great opportunity for your continued learning.
CISA vs CRISC vs CISSP
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification is also sure to help you progress in IT. It can give you access especially to roles at the executive level. The Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certificate, meanwhile, is geared toward audit-related roles but is just as valuable as the CRISC training.
Earning Your CRISC Certificate
To earn your certification, you will need to pass the CRISC exam, submit an application, and follow the professional ethics code outlined by ISACA. Here we will cover everything in detail about how to get your CRISC certificate.
How Long Does It Take to Earn Your CRISC Certificate?
The exam is just four hours long. However, other requirements will take more time. For example, you will need a minimum of three years of experience in IT risk management and information systems control roles.
Your work experience will need to be across at least two of the four CRISC domains. And you’ll have five years after passing the exam to complete your work requirements.
How Much Does CRISC Certification Cost?
The process begins with a $50 application fee for both members and non-members. Then, for an ISACA member, the certification costs $595 with recertification for $40. For non-members, the certification costs $725 and $85 for each recertification.
CRISC Certification Requirements
Once you have passed the CRISC examination, you will need to complete your three years of work experience in IT risk management and information systems control. Then you will need to submit an application for the certification. You must finish your work experience within five years of passing the exam.
Adhering to the code of professional ethics means maintaining standards for professional and personal conduct. This includes following laws about disclosing sensitive information that you will be handling.
You must also adhere to the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) policy, which requires 120 educational hours within three years.
What Does the CRISC Certification Exam Include?
The CRISC exam has 150 multiple-choice questions based on job practices and IT knowledge. It’s held at testing centers worldwide and you can book a testing slot 48 hours after you register for the exam.
The type of content on the exam is based on the CRISC’s four domains, IT risk identification, IT risk assessment, risk response and mitigation, and control monitoring and reporting.
How to Prepare for and Earn Your CRISC Certificate: Step-by-Step
Here is how to design and implement a plan for success when going for your CRISC certificate.
- Research and resources. Begin with our resources section and do some digging into what you’ll need to know. Below you will find exam information and useful practice tests.
- Exam prep courses. Enroll in CRISC training courses to grow your confidence in the four domains and fully prepare for the exam. We’ve included some fantastic options below.
- Registration. Next, you will need to register for the exam and pick a date. You can practice exam questions right up until the moment of truth.
- ISACA exam guide and regulations. Another great preparation tool is the ISACA exam guide and the organization’s regulations. The first will guide you through the exam while the second will prepare you for your career.
- CRISC certificate application. Once you have passed your exam, then apply for certification. Apply for a CRISC certification within five years of registering for the exam.
- Certificate maintenance. Lastly, you will need to keep supplementing your education with a minimum of 120 contact hours during a three-year period.
The Best CRISC Certificate Training Programs
Begin browsing the best training programs for a CRISC certificate. Ideally, you should look for courses that are ISACA approved and offer up-to-date coverage on the exam’s four domains.
This list offers you a range of different options for CRISC essentials. Scroll through to discover the best practice exams, training programs, and online courses to get you CRISC certified.
Best CRISC Certificate Practice Exams
These two courses are focused on getting you ready for your exam.
Udemy
- ISACA CRISC Certification Exam – Practice Test
- Where: Online
- Length: 300 questions
- Price: $26.69
There are three practice tests offered by Udemy. These are great for those wanting to test their skills, but be aware they were uploaded in 2017 and may be out of date.
ISACA
- CRISC Online Review Course
- Where: Online
- Length: 12 hours
- Price: $795.00 (Non-Member Price is $895.00)
This course by ISACA offers students both CRISC training and a practice exam. It will prepare you for exactly what is needed to pass your exam and includes the most up-to-date information.
Best CRISC Certificate Training Programs
Here are three fantastic options for those looking for training programs. These will walk you through the four domains and give you CPEs required for the exam.
Simplilearn
- Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control: CRISC Certification Training
- Where: Online
- Length: 3+ hours
- Price: Varies
The course covers risk identification, assessment, response, and control monitoring. It includes the four domains prescribed by ISACA and offers 20 CPEs. You will also have access to practice exams.
IT Governance
- CRISC: Certified in Risk & Information Systems Control
- Where: Online
- Length: 3 days
- Price: $2,261.81
This is a great training course for IT professionals. It provides the required domain knowledge and is taught by an ISACA-accredited professional.
Learning Tree International
- Certified Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) Training
- Where: Online
- Length: 12 hours or 4 days
- Price: $1,996.34 or $3,064.62
This official ISACAcertification course provides you with full insights into the four CRISC domains. It will also prepare you to pass the CRISC exam by identifying IT risk management strategies, analyzing IT risks’ impact on business objectives, and much more.
Best Free CRISC Certificate Online Course
Below is a great free course for beginners to help them supplement their learning. Although students will not receive any CPE from this course, it is perfect for testing the waters.
- CRISC Domain 4: Risk & Control Monitoring & Reporting
- Where: Online
- Length: 43 minutes
- Price: Free
This free video tutorial is excellent for beginners who want to learn about the CRISC’s domain four. It is an in-depth tutorial about risk and control monitoring and reporting. The website also provides tutorials on the other domains.
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Best Online CRISC Certificate Resources and Study Guides
Using these study guides will help you during your exam prep and certification learning journey.
ISACA Exam Guide
This PDF document is a great exam guide for all ISACA exams. You can explore exam-day information, scoring, how to register, and how to prepare. It is the official 2020 exam guide, so you should find up-to-date information well worth a read.
ExamTopics: Practice Test
On ExamTopics, you will find a CRISC practice exam to get a sense of how the questions are organized. Once you have studied for the exam, you can check your knowledge with this handy resource.
Why Should I Get a CRISC Certification?
The CRISC certificate prepares you for IT risk management. It also enables you to help companies accomplish their IT objectives by designing, monitoring, implementing, and maintaining information security controls.
CRISC Certificate Job Possibilities
This credential is for anyone who works in IT risk. That includes IT risk managers, project managers, information systems controllers, business analysts, and compliance professionals.
CRISC Certification Salary
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a project manager or business operations specialist can earn a median salary of $80,220 per year. Also, according to ISACA, those with a CRISC qualification can earn around $117,000 per year.
Therefore, if you are working in risk and information systems control, then a CRISC certificate is an exciting opportunity. If you are looking for more information on IT certifications, or want to chat with our community, feel free to browse our site.
At Career Karma we hope you find an exciting career helping protect companies from risks and we wish you every success in your journey.
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