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(ISC)2

CSSLP Real Exam Questions

Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional. Everything you need to prepare, practice, and pass.

379

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8

Exam Domains

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Certification Overview

The CSSLP tests mastery of security integration across the entire software lifecycle: secure requirements gathering and risk management, threat modeling and secure architecture design, secure coding practices and configuration management, rigorous security testing methodologies, and secure deployment/operations with disaster recovery planning. Supply chain security, compliance controls (C&A/DITSCAP), and data protection are critical cross-cutting themes.

What This Certification Proves

The CSSLP validates expertise in integrating security practices throughout the entire software development lifecycle, from requirements and architecture through deployment and maintenance. This certification is essential for professionals responsible for building secure software and proving competency in secure SDLC to employers and compliance auditors.

Who Should Take This Exam

Security engineers, software architects, and development leads with 4+ years of experience in secure software development or security engineering. Ideal for professionals transitioning into secure SDLC roles, DevSecOps engineers, and those supporting government/compliance-heavy projects requiring C&A evidence.

Topic Breakdown

8 domains covering 378 questions

DomainQuestionsWeight
Secure Software Concepts11029%
Secure Software Deployment, Operations, Maintenance9024%
Secure Software Lifecycle Management7720%
Secure Software Testing4011%
Secure Software Architecture And Design267%
Secure Software Implementation174%
Secure Software Requirements113%
Secure Software Supply Chain72%

Study Plans

Choose a study plan that matches your schedule and experience level

30 Days

Intensive Sprint

Week 1-2

  • Master fundamentals: Secure Software Concepts
  • Read (ISC)2 official documentation
  • Complete 13 questions daily

Week 3

  • Deep dive: Secure Software Deployment, Operations, Maintenance
  • Review weak areas from results
  • Take 2 full-length exams

Week 4

  • Review all flagged questions
  • Timed exams to build stamina
  • Final revision of key concepts

60 Days

Balanced Approach

Week 1-2

  • Survey all exam domains
  • Set up study environment
  • Begin with foundational topics

Week 3-4

  • Focus: Secure Software Concepts
  • Focus: Secure Software Deployment, Operations, Maintenance
  • 7 questions daily

Week 5-6

  • Focus: Secure Software Lifecycle Management
  • Hands-on labs if applicable
  • Review explanations for wrong answers

Week 7-8

  • Complete all 379 questions
  • Identify and eliminate weak areas
  • Take 3 full-length timed tests

90 Days

Comprehensive Study

Month 1

  • Learn all exam domains at a comfortable pace
  • Build strong foundational knowledge
  • 5 questions daily

Month 2

  • Deep dive into each domain
  • Hands-on practice and labs
  • Take weekly timed exams

Month 3

  • Work through all 379 questions
  • Identify and eliminate weak areas
  • Take 3 full-length timed exams

CSSLP-Specific Tips

  • Master the 8 domains as interconnected phases: understand how threat modeling (design) feeds into security testing, which informs deployment hardening—don't study them in isolation
  • Deep dive on DITSCAP/C&A since these appear in the topic list; ISC2 emphasizes compliance certification processes, especially for government/defense contracts
  • Practice supply chain security scenarios: understand vendor risk assessment, third-party code review, and secure procurement—this domain is growing in the exam
  • Focus on secure architecture patterns and design principles (threat modeling, secure coding, architecture reviews) as they anchor the lifecycle—these topics appear across multiple domains
  • Work through the 379 practice questions strategically: identify gaps in lifecycle phases (e.g., deployment, operations, maintenance often get less attention than design) and spend extra time there
  • Study real-world incident case studies involving SDLC failures—ISC2 tests practical judgment on when/how controls fail across the lifecycle
  • Align your study to your role: DevSecOps candidates should emphasize deployment/operations; architects should master design/architecture; testers should focus on the testing domain

Relevant Career Roles

Secure Software ArchitectDevSecOps EngineerSoftware Security EngineerSecurity Compliance ManagerDevelopment Security LeadApplication Security EngineerGovernment/Defense Security Engineer (C&A/DITSCAP roles)

Sample Questions

Try 5 free questions from the CSSLP question bank

Q1Secure Software Testing

John works as a professional Ethical Hacker. He has been assigned the project of testing the attacks. As a countermeasure, he suggests that the Network Administrator should remove the IPP printing capability from the server. He is suggesting this as a countermeasure against __________.

Q2Secure Software Deployment, Operations, Maintenance

You are advising a school district on disaster recovery plans. In case a disaster affects the main IT centers for the district they will need to be able to work from an alternate location. However, budget is an issue. Which of the following is most appropriate for this client?

Q3Secure Software Requirements

DoD 8500.2 establishes IA controls for information systems according to the Mission Assurance Categories (MAC) and confidentiality levels. Which of the following MAC levels requires high integrity and medium availability?

Q4Secure Software Architecture and Design

In which of the following architecture styles does a device receive input from connectors and generate transformed outputs?

Q5Secure Software Concepts

Which of the following is a malicious exploit of a website, whereby unauthorized commands are transmitted from a user trusted by the website?

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