Information Technology Certified Associate (ITCA) Practice Tests

ISACA has retired the Information Technology Certified Associate (ITCA) certification for new candidates. The program originally bundled five fundamentals certificates, covering computing, networking and infrastructure, cybersecurity, software development, and data science, and awarded the full ITCA designation to anyone who passed all five. That pathway is now closed: existing holders can still maintain the credential, but nobody new can earn it. The one component still sold on its own is the Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate, and even that is on a clock. ISACA stops selling the exam on 1 December 2026 and sunsets the program on 1 June 2027, pointing new candidates to its Certified Cybersecurity Specialist (CCS) as the successor.

If you register before the cutoff, the current exam is 48 questions: 36 multiple choice worth 1 point each and 12 performance-based lab questions worth 2 points each, for 60 points total. You get 2 hours, and passing requires 65 percent, which works out to roughly 39 points. Securing Assets is the heaviest domain at 35 percent, followed by Information Security Fundamentals at 27 percent, Security Operations and Response at 20 percent, and Threat Landscape at 18 percent. The exam costs $120 for ISACA members and $144 for non-members, has no prerequisites, and runs online with remote proctoring through PSI.

Because the lab questions carry double points, 40 percent of the marks come from hands-on tasks rather than recall, so drill the multiple-choice side until it is automatic and keep time in reserve for the labs. Start with the 30 free questions here, then work through the full 596-question bank with explanations until your accuracy holds above 65 percent in Securing Assets and Information Security Fundamentals, the two domains that together decide 62 percent of your score.

The ISACA Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate is one of five stackable credentials that together comprise the Information Technology Certified Associate (ITCA) program. It validates foundational knowledge of cybersecurity principles, threat landscapes, asset security, and security operations — the core competencies required to begin a career protecting enterprise data and infrastructure. The exam blends knowledge-based multiple-choice questions with performance-based questions delivered in a virtual lab environment, ensuring candidates can demonstrate practical ability alongside theoretical understanding.

The certificate began as one of five stackable ITCA credentials, but ISACA has since retired the full ITCA certification for new applicants, and the Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate itself is being sunset: the last day to purchase the exam is 1 December 2026 and the program closes on 1 June 2027, with ISACA naming its Certified Cybersecurity Specialist (CCS) as the successor. The certificate does not expire for those who earn it and awards 9.5 CPE credits when the accompanying course is completed.

This certificate is designed for individuals at the very beginning of their IT or cybersecurity career journey, including recent graduates, college students, and professionals from non-technical fields looking to transition into cybersecurity. No prior work experience in IT is required, making it accessible to career changers who want a recognized credential to validate self-taught or academic knowledge.

It is also well-suited for IT generalists, help desk technicians, or junior administrators who want to formalize their cybersecurity knowledge and differentiate themselves for roles such as security analyst, IT support specialist, or junior SOC analyst. Organizations may also use it as a structured upskilling tool for existing technical teams.

There are no formal prerequisites for the Cybersecurity Fundamentals certificate. Candidates can register and sit for the exam at any time without prior certifications, work experience documentation, or educational requirements — distinguishing it from ISACA's more advanced credentials such as CISM or CISA.

While no prerequisites are mandated, candidates will benefit from a basic familiarity with computing concepts, networking fundamentals, and general IT terminology before attempting the exam. ISACA offers an optional self-paced online course (9.5 CPE credits) and a study guide authored by subject-matter experts to help candidates without a formal cybersecurity background build the necessary knowledge before sitting for the exam.

The exam consists of 48 questions delivered in a computer-based, remotely proctored format: 36 knowledge-based multiple-choice questions worth 1 point each and 12 performance-based questions worth 2 points each, set within a virtual lab environment, for 60 points in total. The time limit is 120 minutes, and a passing score of 65% (roughly 39 points) is required.

The exam is available continuously through ISACA's proctoring partner PSI. Candidates can schedule as early as 48 hours after payment, and free rescheduling is permitted with at least 48 hours' notice. Your eligibility window starts at registration; ISACA's certificate page currently lists six months. Up to 4 attempts are allowed in a rolling 12-month period, paying the full fee each time. Exam fees are US$120 for ISACA members and US$144 for non-members.

Earning the Cybersecurity Fundamentals certificate signals to employers that a candidate has verified, baseline competency in protecting systems and data — a quality increasingly valued even for non-security IT roles. It serves as a credible entry point for positions such as junior security analyst, SOC tier-1 analyst, IT support specialist, or cybersecurity technician, particularly at organizations that recognize ISACA credentials (common in financial services, government, and enterprise technology sectors).

As a standalone certificate it complements ISACA's advanced certifications (CISM, CISA, CRISC), providing a documented foundation that can accelerate a candidate's path toward those credentials. The full five-badge ITCA certification is now retired for new applicants, so the Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate stands on its own, and candidates planning beyond the program's 1 June 2027 sunset can treat it as a bridge toward ISACA's successor credential, the Certified Cybersecurity Specialist (CCS).