How many questions are on the ISACA CDPSE exam?

The ISACA CDPSE exam has 120 questions, and the vendor's published description is: 120 multiple-choice questions, 3.5 hours.

How long do you have to complete the ISACA CDPSE exam?

You get 210 minutes, which is about 105 seconds per question. The published format is: 120 multiple-choice questions, 3.5 hours.

What score do you need to pass the ISACA CDPSE exam?

The passing score is 75% (450/800 scaled score (scale 200-800)).

What are the domains on the ISACA CDPSE exam?

There are 4 domains: Privacy Governance, Privacy Engineering, Data Life Cycle Management, Privacy Risk Management and Compliance. The official weights are Privacy Governance 20%, Privacy Engineering 39%, Data Life Cycle Management 23%, Privacy Risk Management and Compliance 18%.

How should I use the domain weights when revising?

Weight by percentage, not by domain. 20% is the one where lost points cost you the most, and Certilum scores you per domain so you can see exactly where that is.

Does Certilum have practice questions for the ISACA CDPSE exam?

Yes: 120 questions in our bank for this certification, each tagged to the exam domain it belongs to, with the official domain weights applied.

Exam format

ISACA CDPSE Exam Format

CDPSE

Everything the official exam blueprint specifies: question count, time limit, scoring and the weight each domain carries. The ISACA CDPSE certification validates the technical and engineering capabilities needed to design, build, and operate data privacy controls in modern organizations. It is broader than a compliance-only certification because it balances governance, risk, data life cycle, and implementation-oriented privacy engineering. Privacy engineering carries the largest weight, signaling that employers need practitioners who can integrate privacy into systems, software, cloud platforms, and business processes. The exam emphasizes application of knowledge in realistic scenarios and requires candidates to understand how privacy requirements become concrete controls. The CDPSE credential is intended for technologists who work alongside legal, risk, and security teams and want a trusted, vendor-neutral demonstration of their privacy solution design and operational expertise.

120 questions

210 min

75% to pass

4 domains

certilum

Exam facts at a glance

The published specifications for this certification.

Specification	Value
Questions	120
Time limit	210 minutes (105s per question)
Passing score	75% — 450/800 scaled score (scale 200-800)
Domains	4
Level	Professional
Question bank here	120 questions
Published format	120 multiple-choice questions, 3.5 hours
Source	Official exam specification, published by the vendor

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
Privacy Governance	20%	Align privacy strategy with enterprise mission and risk appetite Establish privacy governance structure, roles, responsibilities, and decision rights Identify applicable laws, regulations, contractual commitments, and industry frameworks +3 more	24
Privacy Engineering	39%	Embed privacy by design and by default in solution development Design identity, access, authorization, and privacy architecture controls Use privacy-enhancing technologies, anonymization, pseudonymization, and encryption +3 more	47
Data Life Cycle Management	23%	Create and maintain data inventories, classification schemes, and data-flow maps Control personal data collection, use, retention, and disposal Fulfill data subject rights and privacy request workflows +3 more	27
Privacy Risk Management and Compliance	18%	Conduct privacy risk assessments and data protection impact assessments Assess privacy risks from third parties, vendors, and data-sharing arrangements Track compliance with legal, regulatory, and internal requirements +3 more	22

The heaviest domain is Privacy Governance 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: Passing the exam is only step 1: separate one-time US$50 application fee after passing plus 3 years of qualifying experience (no waivers). Full fee payable per attempt (max 4 attempts per rolling 12 months; retake waits 30/90/90 days). PSI test center or remote proctoring; 6-month eligibility after registration. Official exam page