PECB exam guide: format, open book rules, booking and retakes
How the PECB certification exam works for every PECB course we sell: where you sit it, what you can use, how long it is, how to book it and what happens if you do not pass.
Last reviewed 3 November 2026 by Clinton McKillop, PECB Certified Trainer
Quick answer
You sit a PECB exam online in the PECB Exams app, supervised remotely by a PECB invigilator, or on paper at a session a PECB partner arranges. Lead exams are 3 hours with 80 multiple-choice questions, open book; Foundation exams are 1 hour with 40 questions, closed book; and the pass mark is 70%. A PECB course from a PECB partner includes your first attempt and a second attempt, and PECB asks you to use them within 12 months of purchase.
Is the PECB exam online or at a test centre?
Online, or on paper. PECB runs its online exams in the PECB Exams application, supervised remotely by a PECB invigilator through your camera, and its paper exams at a session a PECB partner organises. The PECB Exams app runs on Windows 10, Windows 11 and macOS.
For an online exam, PECB asks you to:
- be present at least 30 minutes before the start, with a valid ID (national ID card, driver's licence or passport);
- show the invigilator a 360-degree view of your room through your camera;
- keep phones, tablets and other devices away, use one monitor and no pen;
- stay in view: one break of up to 5 minutes is allowed, and more than ten minutes away or offline ends the exam.
Using AI tools such as ChatGPT during the exam ends it. With a Mindset Cyber course, you book your exam in myPECB yourself (see How do I book my exam?).
What can I use in an open-book PECB exam?
A hard copy of the standard, the official course materials and your own notes from the course. That is the rule in PECB's candidate handbooks for the Lead and Risk Manager exams. You can open the course materials and your notes in the PECB Exams app or bring them printed, and a standard you bought through the myPECB store opens inside the app too.
Some exams differ:
- Closed book: the ISO/IEC 27001 Foundation, ISO 9001 Foundation, ISO 9001:2026 Transition, ISO/IEC 42001 Foundation and ISO/IEC 27701 Foundation exams allow no reference material at all.
- EU AI Governance Professional: a copy of the EU AI Act instead of a standard, with the course materials and your notes.
- Artificial Intelligence Manager (CAIM) and Artificial Intelligence Security Professional: the course materials and your notes only; PECB's handbooks list no standard.
PECB's exam rules also allow a hard copy dictionary in an open-book exam.
The ISO standard is not included in any PECB course. You do not need it to complete the course or pass the exam, and a copy is recommended as a professional reference: it is a licensed document, so you buy it separately.
Is it multiple choice or essay?
Multiple choice, for every PECB course we sell. PECB's candidate handbooks say each question has three options, one of them correct. Lead and Risk Manager exams mix stand-alone questions with scenario-based ones, where you read a scenario and answer five questions about it.
PECB still lists some essay-type exams in other languages, and says essay-type exams "will be gradually transitioning to Multiple-choice, open-book exams". None of the exams for our courses is essay type.
How long is the exam and how many questions are there?
Lead exams: 3 hours and 80 questions. Foundation and Transition exams: 1 hour and 40 questions. The ISO 31000 Risk Manager exam: 2 hours and 60 questions. Every exam below is multiple choice and can be taken online or on paper.
| Course | Length | Questions | Open or closed book | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 27001 Foundation | 1 hour | 40 | Closed book | 70% |
| ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| ISO 9001 Foundation | 1 hour | 40 | Closed book | 70% |
| ISO 9001 Lead Implementer | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| ISO 9001 Lead Auditor | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| ISO 9001:2026 Transition | 1 hour | 40 | Closed book | Not stated by PECB |
| ISO/IEC 42001 Foundation | 1 hour | 40 | Closed book | 70% |
| ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Implementer | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| ISO/IEC 42001 Lead Auditor | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| Lead AI Risk Manager | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| Artificial Intelligence Manager (CAIM) | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| Artificial Intelligence Professional (CAIP) | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| EU AI Governance Professional | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| Artificial Intelligence Security Professional | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| ISO 31000 Risk Manager | 2 hours | 60 | Open book | 70% |
| Lead SOC 2 Manager | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| ISO/IEC 27701 Foundation | 1 hour | 40 | Closed book | Not stated by PECB |
| ISO/IEC 27701 Lead Implementer | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| ISO/IEC 27701 Lead Auditor | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
| NIST Cybersecurity Lead Implementer | 3 hours | 80 | Open book | 70% |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
If you sit the exam in a language that is not your first, PECB gives extra time when you ask for it on the day: 10 minutes for a Foundation exam, 20 for a Manager exam and 30 for a Lead exam.
What is the pass mark?
70%. Each PECB candidate handbook says "The passing score of the exam is 70%." PECB links no handbook of its own for the ISO 9001:2026 Transition and ISO/IEC 27701 Foundation exams, so the table does not state a pass mark for them.
How do I book my exam?
In myPECB: open Exams, choose Schedule Exam, then pick your language and a session. After you buy from us, we enrol you on myPECB by hand within one business day, and PECB emails you when the course is on your account. Then:
- Log in to myPECB, click Exams in the side menu, then Schedule Exam.
- Confirm the exam, then choose your exam language and date.
- Click Schedule Now next to the session that suits you.
- Agree to the PECB Exam Rules and Policies and confirm you have read the Online Examinee Manual, then click Confirm.
- Install the PECB Exams app from the link in your confirmation email, and log in with your PECB email and password.
PECB adds new sessions regularly; if none suits your date, choose "Any Date" to see them all. If myPECB asks you to pay to schedule an exam you still have attempts for, contact PECB support before you go any further.
How long do I have to sit it?
12 months from purchase. PECB's exam rules say the first attempt, the retake and the certification application "must be completed within 12 months from the purchase date for self-study and eLearning formats". Every course we sell is PECB eLearning or PECB Self-Study.
An attempt counts only once you join, complete and submit the exam. If you do not attend a session, PECB does not count it as an attempt.
What if I don't pass?
Book your second attempt: it is included in the course price. PECB asks you to wait 15 days after your first attempt before you sit it, and both attempts fall within the 12 months from purchase. If you do not pass, PECB's results email lists the domains where you performed poorly, so you know what to revise.
There is no limit on how many times you can sit a PECB exam. After the two included attempts, PECB charges its regular exam fee for each further attempt: USD 500 for a Foundation exam, USD 700 for a Manager exam and USD 1,000 for a Lead exam. PECB does not say which of these applies to the ISO 31000 Risk Manager exam, so ask us and we will confirm it with PECB.
Is there a sample exam or practice questions?
Yes: every PECB candidate handbook ends with sample exam questions. PECB publishes no full practice exam. Each exam's handbook is linked from PECB's List of PECB Exams.
PECB eLearning courses end each section with a quiz, and PECB says "The structure of the quizzes is similar to that of the certification exam."
For more practice, Mindset Prep, our exam practice app, has practice questions and mock exams for these exams:
When do I get my result?
As soon as you submit an online exam. PECB says that for multiple-choice exams you see your exact grade after submitting and whether you passed, and the result is emailed to you as well. For a paper multiple-choice exam, PECB emails the result within two to four weeks of the exam date.
If you disagree with a result, PECB gives you 30 days from receiving it to appeal through the PECB ticketing system. After you pass, you apply for your certificate in myPECB: see PECB certification levels and how to apply.
Sources
- PECB, Exam Rules and Policies
- PECB, List of PECB Exams
- PECB, Online Exam Policy (PDF)
- PECB, PECB Exams application
- PECB help centre, myPECB Online Examinee Manual
- PECB help centre, "How do I schedule a PECB Online Exam after attending a Training?"
- PECB help centre, "Can I access the Standard during the exam?"
- PECB candidate handbooks (one per exam, linked from the List of PECB Exams)
All read 3 November 2026. Mindset Cyber is a PECB Authorised Titanium Partner, PECB's highest partner level.
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