(ISC)² announced that the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification has been found comparable to Level 7 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) in the UK, denoting that the certification is comparable to Masters degree standard.

This further validates the achievement of CISSP-certified professionals in their ongoing career and qualification progression and supports educational institutions looking to determine weighting of a relevant certification to award course credits, says (ISC)². It follows the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT®) recognizing six (ISC)² certifications as eligible for college credit.

The benchmarking of the CISSP was conducted by UK NARIC, the UK’s designated national agency responsible for providing information and expert guidance on academic, vocational and professional qualifications from across the world. UK NARIC conducted an independent benchmarking study of the CISSP certification, using its well-established methodology for credential evaluation. It involved reviewing core qualification components as well as a comparative analysis of the skills assessed during a candidate’s computer adaptive test (CAT) examination to the RQF.

The analysis saw UK NARIC conclude the qualification assessed knowledge and skills comparable to the RQF Level 7 standard, with clear emphasis on assessing specialized cybersecurity knowledge, understanding and application of skills including: organizational problem solving and decision making, awareness and correct use of industrial standards, policy and best practice, along with understanding and appropriate use of methodologies, techniques and training in relation to cybersecurity.

“Recognizing the CISSP as comparable to Masters level qualifications further underlines the robust educational and operational value of the certification within Europe,” said Deshini Newman, managing director EMEA at (ISC)². “It will support our members in their career progression as they embark on opportunities both within their own organizations and externally when applying for roles with degree entry criteria.”

The RQF is a framework developed by the UK Government to describe the demands in different qualifications across an eight-level scale. The RQF can be used to help understand how qualifications relate to each other. As the levels of the RQF have also been referenced to the eight levels on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the RQF and EQF can help employers understand and compare qualifications awarded in different countries, allowing for portability or transferability across the region.