Looking to better prepare yourself for a certification exam? (ISC)2 last week announced the expansion of its online self-assessment tool known as studISCope, which is designed to help IT professionals prepare for certification exams and pursue continuous career development.
The studISCope tool is now available for four types of certifications - the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP), the Certified Authorization Professional (CAP) and the recently added Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP).
The tool simulates the certification exam by using questions developed using the same psychometric evaluation processes, (ISC)2 said. After completing the mock exam, the test taker receives a score, providing them with a readiness assessment and focused study plan.
A study released in February by (ISC)2 and Frost and Sullivan found that 74 percent of IT professionals who are involved in hiring information security staff believe that certifications as a hiring criterion remains high. Just less than 90 percent of respondents ranked security certifications as very or somewhat important to an information security job.
"With application security topping the list of security concerns by government information security professionals in the 2011 (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce Study, there is no better time for professionals to consider obtaining their CSSLP," said Mano Paul, (ISC)2 software assurance advisor and CEO of Express Certifications, the company that developed the studISCope tool.
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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