ISSAP Self-study material

[akkem]

I'm looking for self-study material recommendations for the ISSAP certification. If anyone has suggestions or recent experience preparing for the exam, I'd really appreciate your input. Thanks in advance!

[Steve-Wilme]

Buy the official CBK.  You'll need the references at the end of each CBK chapter as not all the answers are in the book itself.

[nkeaton]

@akkem   I did read the CBK for historical purposes only knowing that almost none of it was testable.  I have read the NIST documents on the ISC2 recommended page that I was not familiar with.  isc2.org/certifications/references   I have not taken the exam yet, but this strategy is what worked from my ISSEP and ISSMP exams.  I will admit that architecture is my weakest discipline of the 3.  Also answering from an architect's perspective is a little tougher for me.  

[akkem]

Thank you both for your insights. I’ll start with the CBK and supplement it with additional resources while testing and refining my skills along the way.

[lenzi]

I just started my journey for the ISSAP study and had the same questions a few weeks back when looking for references what people used to study. Based on that research I have bought the latest edition of Shaun Harris' All-in-one CISSP Exam guide (9th edition), the ISC2 Official Study Guide for CISSP (10th edition) and 'ISSAP STUDY GUIDE 2026-2027) from Hydra Exam Prep (its on Amazon). I don't have that book yet, so not sure how good it is and how realistic the prep questions in it are but its one of the few ISSAP dedicated study resources I could find.

Personally I think you will have to side track into various supplemental materials in areas where you think you may be not so strong. Ie. be familiar with key standards and frameworks, Cryptography and architectural concepts. Personally I have worked as Security Architect with organisations world wide for more than 20 years, so I am comfortable with architecture aspects but need to focus on the GRC elements and Cryptography for instance. It will be different for you depending on your experience.

The key to almost all these types of exams is that you need to change the way you think and your point of view when answering questions. That is very tricky at the start but it really helped me in exams like CISM and CISA.

[nagarajan]

Hello,

I bought the ISSAP STUDY GUIDE 2025-2026 by Carter J. Morgan. This is my first purchase via Amazon and is a kindle version.

I keep searching for more books and resources, I wish isc2 comes up with a latest book on this.

Let me know hows your prepration going.

Cheers,

Raj

[nkeaton]

@nagarajan ISC2 has not produced a physical CBK for the former concentration certifications for a very long time. They do have what they call an eTextbook which is current. I know was available at one time without their self-paced training but have seen mixed posts here and not sure if can currently buy it separately. I did look for the book that you mentioned on Amazon but did not see it. I would highly recommend the NIST documents in the recommended reading list. I know that I have a little trouble thinking like an architect but would like to pass this exam eventually. The newest exam objectives seem to make more sense to me than the prior one from last year. Best wishes to us both. https://www.isc2.org/certifications/references#ISSAP