
Exam format
CyberArk Certified Defender - Privileged Access Exam Format
Everything the official exam blueprint specifies: question count, time limit, scoring and the weight each domain carries. The CyberArk Certified Defender - Privileged Access certification is a professional-level credential designed to validate a candidate's technical proficiency in implementing and managing the CyberArk Privileged Access Manager (PAM) solution. As organizations face increasing identity-based attacks, this certification ensures that professionals can effectively deploy, configure, and maintain the security controls necessary to protect administrative accounts and sensitive credentials. The exam covers the full spectrum of the CyberArk ecosystem, from core Vault management to advanced session monitoring and automated credential rotation. Candidates must demonstrate an ability to handle complex architectural requirements and integrate CyberArk into existing enterprise security frameworks, ensuring robust defense against lateral movement and unauthorized access.
- 60 questions
- 120 min
- 70% to pass
- 5 domains
Exam facts at a glance
What we know about this exam, and where the information comes from.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Questions | 60 |
| Time limit | 120 minutes (120s per question) |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Domains | 5 |
| Level | Associate |
| Question bank here | 60 questions |
| Source | Certilum's own record — the vendor does not publish this figure |
Official domain weights
The percentage of the exam each domain carries. Weight your revision by these numbers, not by what you find hardest.
| Domain | Weight | Topics | Practice Qs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credential Management | 20% |
| 12 |
| Integration & Architecture | 15% |
| 9 |
| Privileged Account Security | 30% |
| 18 |
| Privileged Threat Analytics | 15% |
| 9 |
| Privileged Session Management | 20% |
| 12 |
The heaviest domain is Credential Management at 20%, and that is where lost points cost you the most. Certilum scores you per domain so you can see the difference between a knowledge gap and a formatting problem.
Note from the vendor record: PRICE: No official price published: neither the CyberArk certifications page (cyberark.com/university/certification) nor the CyberArk program page on Pearson VUE show exam fees. The USD 200 figure for Defender/Sentry quoted by third-party sources (itcareerroadmap, techsolidity, Koenig) does not come from the vendor. Note: since 1-Nov-2025 CyberArk no longer offers OnVUE proctoring (Pearson test centres only).
More about the CyberArk Certified Defender - Privileged Access exam
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Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about the CyberArk Certified Defender - Privileged Access exam.

