Introduction

If you’re preparing to take the Certified Information Privacy Professional/US (CIPP/US) exam, you’ll undoubtedly want to find as much information as you can about privacy. The more information you have at your disposal and the more hands-on experience you gain, the better off you’ll be when attempting the exam. We wrote this study guide with that in mind. The goal was to provide enough information to prepare you for the test—but not so much that you’ll be overloaded with information that’s outside the scope of the exam.

We’ve included review questions at the end of each chapter to give you a taste of what it’s like to take the exam. If you’re already working in the privacy field, we recommend that you check out these questions first to gauge your level of expertise. You can then use the book mainly to fill in the gaps in your current knowledge. This study guide will help you round out your knowledge base before tackling the exam.

If you can answer 90 percent or more of the review questions correctly for a given chapter, you can feel safe moving on to the next chapter. If you’re unable to answer that many correctly, reread the chapter and try the questions again. Your score should improve.

Don’t just study the questions and answers! The questions on the actual exam will be different from the practice questions included in this book. The exam is designed to test your knowledge of a concept or objective, so use this book to learn the objectives behind the questions.

The CIPP/US Exam

The CIPP/US certification is designed to be the gold standard credential for privacy professionals working in the United States and those seeking to enter the field. It is offered by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and fits into the IAPP’s suite of geographic-based privacy certifications.

The exam covers five major domains of privacy knowledge:

1. Introduction to the U.S. Privacy Environment
2. Limits on Private-Sector Collection and Use of Data
3. Government and Court Access to Private-Sector Information
4. Workplace Privacy
5. State Privacy Laws

These five areas include a range of topics, from building a privacy program to understanding U.S. privacy laws and regulations. You’ll find that the exam focuses heavily on scenario-based learning. For this reason, you may find the exam easier if you have some real-world privacy experience, although many individuals pass the exam before moving into their first privacy role.

The CIPP/US exam consists of 90 multiple-choice questions administered during a 150-minute exam period. Each of the exam questions has four possible answer options. Exams are scored on a scale ranging from 100 to 500, with a minimum passing score of 300. Every exam item is weighted equally, but the passing score is determined using a secret formula, so you won’t know exactly what percentage of questions you need to answer correctly to pass. IAPP does publicly state that passing scores typically range between 65 and 80 percent correct, depending upon the specific questions on your exam.

Exam Tip

There is no penalty for answering questions incorrectly. A blank answer and an incorrect answer have equal weight. Therefore, you should fill in an answer for every question, even if it is a complete guess!

IAPP charges $550 for your first attempt at the CIPP/US exam and then $375 for retake attempts if you do not pass on the first try. More details about the CIPP/US exam and how to take it can be found in the IAPP Candidate Certification Handbook at iapp.org/certify/candidate-handbook.

You should also know that certification exams are notorious for including vague questions. You might see a question for which two of the possible four answers are correct—but you can choose only one. Use your knowledge, logic, and intuition to choose the best answer, and then move on. Sometimes, the questions are worded in ways that would make English majors cringe—a typo here, an incorrect verb there. Don’t let this frustrate you; answer the question and move on to the next one.

IAPP uses a process called item seeding, which is the practice of including unscored questions on exams. It does this as part of the process of developing new versions of the exam. So, if you come across a question that does not appear to map to any of the exam objectives—or for that matter, does not appear to belong in the exam—it is likely a seeded question. Of the 90 questions on your exam, only 75 are scored—15 are unscored. You never really know whether or not a question is scored, however, so always make your best effort to answer every question.

Taking the Exam

Once you are fully prepared to take the exam, you can visit the IAPP website to purchase your exam voucher:

iapp.org/store/certifications

IAPP partners with Pearson VUE’s testing centers, so your next step will be to locate a testing center near you. In the United States, you can do this based on your address or your ZIP code, while non-U.S. test takers may find it easier to enter their city and country. You can search for a test center near you at the Pearson Vue website, where you will need to navigate to “Find a test center”:

www.pearsonvue.com/iapp

In addition to the live testing centers, you may also choose to take the exam at your home or office through Pearson VUE’s OnVUE service. More information about this program is available here:

home.pearsonvue.com/Test-takers/OnVUE-online-proctoring.aspx

Now that you know where you’d like to take the exam, simply set up a Pearson VUE testing account and schedule an exam. One important note: once you purchase your exam on the IAPP website, you have one year to register for and take the exam before your registration will expire. Be sure not to miss that deadline!

On the day of the test, take two forms of identification, and make sure to show up with plenty of time before the exam starts. At least one of the forms of identification must be a government-issued photo ID. Both of your forms of identification must have your first and last name, and the name must match your test registration.

Remember that you will not be able to take your notes, electronic devices (including smartphones and watches), or other materials into the exam with you.

Exam policies can change from time to time. We highly recommend that you check both the IAPP and Pearson VUE sites for the most up-to-date information when you begin your preparing, when you register, and again a few days before your scheduled exam date.

After the CIPP/US Exam

Once you have taken the exam, you will be notified of your score immediately, so you’ll know if you passed the test right away. You should keep track of your score report with your exam registration records and the email address you used to register for the exam.

Maintaining Your Certification

IAPP certifications must be renewed periodically. To renew your certification, you must either maintain a paid IAPP membership or pay a $250 non-member renewal fee. You must also demonstrate that you have successfully completed 20 hours of continuing professional education (CPE).

IAPP provides information on the CPE process via its website:

iapp.org/certify/cpe

Study Guide Elements

This study guide uses a number of common elements to help you prepare. These include the following:

• Summaries The summary section of each chapter briefly explains the chapter, allowing you to easily understand what it covers.
• Exam essentials The exam essentials focus on major exam topics and critical knowledge that you should take into the test. The exam essentials focus on the exam objectives provided by IAPP.
• Chapter review questions A set of questions at the end of each chapter will help you assess your knowledge and if you are ready to take the exam based on your knowledge of that chapter’s topics.

Additional Study Tools

This book comes with a number of additional study tools to help you prepare for the exam. They include the following.

Go to www.wiley.com/go/sybextestprep, register your book to receive your unique PIN, and then, once you have the PIN, return to www.wiley.com/go/sybextestprep and register a new account or add this book to an existing account.

Sybex Online Learning Environment

Sybex’s online learning environment lets you prepare with electronic test versions of the review questions from each chapter and the practice exams that are included in this book. You can build and take tests on specific domains, by chapter, or cover the entire set of CIPP/US exam objectives using randomized tests.

Audio Reviews

Mike Chapple, one of the authors of this book, recorded files containing the exam essentials for each chapter in a convenient audio form. Use these audio reviews in the car, on the train, when you’re out for a run, or whenever you have a few minutes to review what you’ve learned.

Electronic Flashcards

Our electronic flashcards are designed to help you prepare for the exam. Over 100 flashcards will ensure that you know critical terms and concepts.

Glossary of Terms

Sybex provides a full glossary of terms in PDF format, allowing quick...