can you not select an answer on CISSP exam?

[Jeroen_1]

Hi,

the CISSP exam is adaptive but if you encounter a question where you really don't know what the answer is... should you not select an answer or guess?

Can you even skip a question?

Best regards,
Jeroen

[dcontesti]

Morning,

I think the best folk to answer this one would be the Test Development staff.  @tldutton can you advise on this one?

d

[abhattac5]

Hi @Jeroen_1  - having taken both CISSP and CCSP exams, I think that you are required to answer every question (although I could be mistaken).  The reason is the computer-adaptive engine can only calibrate the band of difficulty by whether or not questions from the previous band were correct or incorrect.  Granted, I never tried this on the actual exams I took, but from what I recall, the option to click "Next" didn't light up and become active until I put in an answer on the prior question. 

Beyond that, even if you're stumped (as I was on many, many questions for both exams), why would you skip anyway?  I would surmise that even a well thought out guess is better than nothing at all!

[CEMyers]

Adaptive exam - get it right = "OK on this subject";  get it wrong = "test more on this subject";

So always better to provide best informed response (even if wrong, it will help shape additional questions provided to you).

[AndreaMoore]

Questions must be answered and cannot be skipped and returned to later. 

More information and Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Computerized Adaptive Testing method can be found: https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CISSP/CISSP-CAT

[EmperorDivine]

Please Help I Want To Reschedule My CC Exam. How Can I Do It.

[AndreaMoore]

@EmperorDivine 

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@EmperorDivine wrote:
Please Help I Want To Reschedule My CC Exam. How Can I Do It.

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https://www.isc2.org/Exams/Before-Your-Exam

Rescheduling or Cancelling an Exam

Once you schedule your exam, you have up to 365 days to reschedule and sit for your exam.

To reschedule or cancel your exam appointment, you must contact Pearson VUE:

• Online at least 48 hours prior to your exam or
• By phone at least 24 hours before your exam

[Jeroen_1]

thanks for that link, very helpful!

[tldutton]

On all of our exams, the CISSP computerized adaptive testing (CAT) exam AND all of the linear exams, you can't go back to a previous question.  You can also see the same answer in our FAQ section, https://www.isc2.org/Frequently-Asked-Questions.

Many of our current linear exams will move to CAT over the next few years.

[denbesten]

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@tldutton wrote:

 you can't go back to a previous question. ...  https://www.isc2.org/Frequently-Asked-Questions.

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I nearly fell into the trap of responding with the same FAQ, but upon more careful reading, I realized the FAQ does not answer the question at hand.  The FAQ answers skipping a question with the intent of answering later but does not answer the question of permanently skipping it. The frequent answer might be better phrased "...neither exam type allows for candidates to skip a question and or return to it later."

The inability to skip does moot the original poster's second question of if one is penalized more greatly for an incorrect answer than for no answer.