The CISA and CISSP certifications have more differences than similarities. Both are based on information systems, but a CISA performs mostly auditing compared to a CISSP who focuses on security issues. Since there are only a few similarities between CISA and CISSP, this review will cover those first before we dive into the differences.
The CISA and CISSP certifications both require at least 5 years of work experience. This makes it clear that neither of these certifications are a walk in the park and should not be taken lightly.
Both of them will usually land lead you a high paying job (around $100,000 per year) which makes all the effort required to obtain them worthwhile! People that pass either the CISA and CISSP usually get multiple job opportunities because there is a high job demand for people who hold those qualifications.
CISA and CISSP – The Differences
The CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) is a certification bodied by the ISC (International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium). It exists for ICT workers who are in the information security sector. So the CISSP is relevant to the IT industry and is regarded very highly for it’s usefulness in data security.
So essentially CISSP can be branded as IT security, which is very different from CISA.
CISA is an auditing certification. The letters stand for “Certified Information Systems Auditor”, and whilst CISSP and CISA include the words “information” and “systems”, CISSP comes under security, whilst CISA is used for auditing. If you are wanting a career in securing information, CISSP is what you want. But if you’re more inclined towards auditing work, then you should go with CISA.
The CISA is regarded as the much less technical of the two exams, whereas the CISSP is generally thought of as a tough challenge for even the most experienced of IT pros.
CISSP Training Course Discounts & Comparisons
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| WEBSITE | Kaplan IT Training | Master of Project CISSP | Grey Campus | CISSP ExamPractice | Simplilearn |
| PRICE | $2,995 | $335 |
$1,499 | SAVE $200 |
$499 |
| VIDEO LESSON HOUR | 24 Hours +140 Short Videos | 15+ Hours | 32 Hours | 10+ Hours | 30 hours |
| PRACTICE TEST | 1 Diagnostic Exam+ 1 Assessment Exam | 7 Full Length Exam | Available | 10 Chapter Quizzes | 1 Full-Length |
| PRACTICE QUESTIONS |
1000 |
1,700+ | 1250 | 1,000 | 5 Simulation Exams |
| CPEs | None | 30 CPEs | 35 | 18 CEUs | 30 |
| FORMAT | eLearning, or On-Demand Self-Paced | Online Self-Paced | Online Self-Learning, or Live Online | Online, Self-Paced | Online Flexi-Pass |
| GUARANTEE | 30-Day Money Back Guarantee for 180 Day Package Only | 30 Day Money-Back Guarantee | 24-Hour Money Back Guarantee for Live Online and 3-Day Guarantee for Self-Learning |  |
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| ONLINE ACCESS | 12 Months | 180 Days | 12 Months | 12 Months | Lifetime Access to Self-Paced Videos |
| ACCESS COURSE | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW |
CISA Vs CISSP Salary
The average salary of anyone who has either one of these certifications is very high, however, CISA certification holders are slightly higher. The average for someone who passed the CISA exam is $96,000, whereas the average salary for a CISSP is $94,000.
2020 Best CISA Study Materials + Discounts & Comparisons
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| WEBSITE | Surgent CISA Training | CISA SuperReview | Kaplan IT Training | CISA ExamPractice | SimpliLearn CISA Course |
| PRICE | Show Coupon |
$309 |
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$499 |
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| VIDEO LESSONS | N/A | 650 Narrated Screens | Available | 15+ Hours | 72 hours Learning |
| PRACTICE TESTS | Unlimited | 66 | Available | 12 Domain Review Quizzes | 1 Full-Length Practice Test + 5 Simulation Exams |
| PRACTICE QUESTIONS | 1,650+ | 900 | Available | 1000+ | 5 Domain Test Papers |
| CPEs | None | 40 | None | 40 | 40 |
| FORMAT | eLearning | Online Self-Learning, or Live Online | eLearning | Online Self-Paced | Online Flexi-Pass |
| GUARANTEE | Pass Guarantee | 6 Month Pass Guarantee | Pass Guarantee | Pass Guarantee | 7-Day Money Back Guarantee |
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| ONLINE ACCESS | 12 Months | 180 Days | 12 Months | 180 Days | 90-Day Access to Instructor-Led Online & Lifetime Access to Self-Paced Videos |
| ACCESS COURSE | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW |
CISA vs CISM
Despite what you may have heard, the CISA and CISM exams are geared towards completely different types of workers. CISA targets IT auditors, whereas CISM is for IT security managers and information risk managers.
The CISA is regarded as the standard IT systems auditor certification, whereas CISM is an intermediate or perhaps higher level qualification for the person who wants to become an expert in information security management.
The CISA is for auditing practitioners, whereas, according to ISACA, “the CISM is for “the individual who has progressed beyond the practitioner focus, whose emphasis is no longer technical or specialist skills, and who has moved on to the management of an enterprise’s information security program.”
A CISA job description might involve finance or accounting, whereas a CISM job description could include program management or information assurance.
Despite their differences, certifications for both CISA and CISM require the individual to have accumulated 5 years of relevant experience in their field.
Best CISM Review Course Discounts & Comparisons
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| WEBSITE | Kaplan IT Training | 2019 CISM SuperReview | CISM ExamPractice | Simplilearn CISM |
| PRICE | $2,795 | SAVE 25% |
$599 |
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| VIDEO LESSON HOUR | 24 Hours | 590 Narrated Screens | 14+ Hours | 16 hours |
| PRACTICE EXAMS |
1 |
52 | 5 Chapter Quizzes | 1 |
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1225 |
600 | N/A | N/A |
| CPEs | None | 40 | N/A | N/A |
| FORMAT | eLearning, or On-Demand Self-Paced | Online, Self-Paced | Online, Self-Paced | Self-Paced Learning |
| GUARANTEE | Pass Guarantee | 6 Months Pass Guarantee | N/A | 7-Day Money Guarantee |
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| ONLINE ACCESS | 12 Months | 180 Days | 180 Days | Lifetime |
| ACCESS COURSE | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW | GET STARTED NOW |
What’s Next?
Now that you know how much money you stand to make after you pass the CISA exam, your next step is to choose the best CISA prep course to help you pass on your first attempt!
