- The Number You Need: 700 on a 1-1000 Scale
- Why 700 Is Not "70%"
- What You Are Scoring Against: Format and Length
- Where Your Points Come From: The Four Domains
- Scenario Skills That Move the Score
- Fees, Vouchers and the Retake Window
- Reading a Result and Planning the Next Step
- Sequencing Your Prep Around the Four Domains
- Pass Rates, Guarantees and Salary Claims: What They Cannot Tell You
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The IT Specialist - Network Security passing score is 700 on a scaled 1-1000 range.
- 700 is a scaled score, not a raw 70% requirement, so do not convert it to a question count.
- The exam form runs 35-45 questions in a standard 50-minute window.
- The US retail voucher with retake is USD 133; the retake code must be used within 60 days of failure.
The Number You Need: 700 on a 1-1000 Scale
The Information Technology Specialist - Network Security exam, issued through Certiport (a Pearson VUE business), uses a scaled scoring model. The passing score is 700 on a scale of 1 to 1000. That is the whole rule: reach 700 or higher on your exam form and you earn the credential; fall short and you are eligible for a retake under the voucher terms covered below.
Scaled scoring exists so that candidates who sit different forms of the exam are held to the same standard even if one form happens to contain slightly harder questions. For you as a candidate, the practical meaning is simple: your target is a score, not a fixed count of correct answers. If you want the broader picture of how this credential fits together before diving into scoring details, start with What Is ITS-NS? and the ITS-NS certification overview.
Why 700 Is Not "70%"
The most common mistake candidates make is reading 700 out of 1000 and mentally converting it into "I need 70% of the questions right." Certiport's scoring policy does not say that. A scaled score is derived from your performance through a scoring process, and the published passing mark is 700 on the scaled range, not a raw percentage of questions answered correctly.
That distinction matters for two reasons:
- You cannot back-calculate a safe number of misses. Because the exam form is between 35 and 45 questions and the provider does not publish a fixed number of correct answers required, any "you can miss exactly N questions" claim is invented.
- Practice-test percentages are not predictions. A 75% on a third-party quiz does not translate into a 750 on the live exam. Treat practice scores as directional signals about weak areas, not as score forecasts.
The same caution applies to anything resembling a pass rate. A scaled passing score is a standard you must meet; it is not a statement about how many candidates meet it. For what is and is not knowable about outcomes, see ITS-NS Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
What You Are Scoring Against: Format and Length
Knowing the shape of the exam helps you pace yourself toward 700. Based on Certiport's published exam-length information and the official program tutorial:
| Item | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Passing score | 700 on a 1-1000 scaled score |
| Number of questions | A published range of 35-45 questions per exam form |
| Exam time | 50 minutes standard, excluding administrative appointment activities |
| Delivery | Computer-based and proctored |
| Question presentation | The official tutorial illustrates multiple-choice questions, with review/navigation and answer changes before submission |
| Identity and security | Identity verification, a proctor, and exam-security/NDA rules apply |
Notice what the table does not claim: there is no fixed total question count, and no published split between scored and unscored items. Plan for a range, not a single number. With 35-45 questions in 50 minutes, you have a little over a minute per item at the high end, which is comfortable for concept recall but tighter for scenario-style items that require you to read a configuration or situation carefully.
The tutorial's emphasis on review and navigation is useful strategy fuel: answer what you know, flag what you do not, and use remaining time to revisit flagged items before submitting. For how the exam's difficulty feels in practice, see How Hard Is the ITS-NS Exam?.
Where Your Points Come From: The Four Domains
Pearson's official exam objectives for Network Security (2025 edition, a two-page document) organize the content into four headings. The provider does not publish percentage weights for these headings, so any "Domain 2 is 30% of the exam" figure you see elsewhere should be treated with suspicion. What follows is editorial guidance on where candidates should invest, not a claim about scoring weight. For a deeper walk-through, see ITS-NS Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.
Domain 1: Defense in Depth
The layered-security mindset: no single control should be the only thing standing between an attacker and an asset.
- Recognize how physical, network, host and user-level controls complement one another
- Distinguish preventive, detective and corrective measures in a scenario
- Understand network isolation as a way to limit the blast radius of a compromise
Domain 2: Operating System Security
Securing client operating systems, with Windows and Linux both in scope per the objectives.
- Windows and Linux permissions, including who can read, write and execute what
- Authentication methods and how they differ in strength
- Auditing: what gets logged and why it matters for investigation
- Encryption of data at rest and the situations where it is the right control
Domain 3: Network Device Security
Protecting the devices and traffic that connect systems together.
- Firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and SIEM, and how each differs in what it does and when it acts
- Wireless protection and the relative strength of wireless security approaches
- Network ports and protocol security: knowing which services are inherently unsafe and which have secure alternatives
Domain 4: Secure Computing
Safer end-user computing: the habits, configurations and tools that reduce risk on endpoints.
- Everyday protective measures for client systems and applications
- Choosing appropriate backup and recovery approaches
- Recognizing risky user behavior and the controls that counter it
Scenario Skills That Move the Score
Reaching 700 is rarely about memorizing definitions. The skills the objectives describe lend themselves to short scenario items where you must choose the best control. Practicing these decision patterns is the highest-value preparation you can do.
Permissions and authentication
Be ready to read a short description of a user, a file or folder, and a required level of access, then identify the permission setting that grants exactly what is needed and nothing more. On the Linux side, know how read, write and execute permissions map to owner, group and others. On the Windows side, know how folder and file permissions interact with user and group membership. For authentication, practice ranking methods by strength and recognizing when a stronger factor is warranted.
Firewall, IDS, IPS and SIEM distinctions
These four terms are a reliable source of exam confusion because they overlap in people's minds. Anchor the differences:
| Technology | Core role | Typical scenario cue |
|---|---|---|
| Firewall | Allows or blocks traffic based on rules | "Restrict which ports or sources can reach a server" |
| IDS | Detects suspicious activity and alerts | "Notify staff of a possible intrusion without interrupting traffic" |
| IPS | Detects and actively blocks suspicious activity | "Automatically stop a detected attack in progress" |
| SIEM | Aggregates and correlates log and event data | "Centralize logs from many systems to spot patterns" |
Backup and encryption decisions
Expect to match a situation to a sensible protective measure. A laptop that may be lost points toward encrypting data at rest. A requirement to recover from accidental deletion or ransomware points toward a backup strategy. Practice stating why a control fits, because distractor answers on multiple-choice items are often real controls that simply do not address the stated risk.
Key Takeaway
When two answers both sound secure, ask which one addresses the specific risk in the scenario. Network Security items reward matching the control to the threat, not choosing the most powerful-sounding option.
Fees, Vouchers and the Retake Window
The passing score and the money are linked, because a failed attempt matters most when you understand what a second attempt costs and how long you have to take it. According to the Certiport store listing, the US individual retail price is USD 133 for the IT Specialist Exam Voucher + Retake. That figure is for that specific bundled product and is not an exam-only price or a price that applies to every channel.
- Original voucher validity: one year after purchase.
- Retake code: if you do not pass, an issued retake code must be used within 60 days of the failed attempt.
- Delivery channel matters: Certiport Authorized Testing Centers (CATCs) administer the exam, and Pearson VUE also offers test-center and OnVUE delivery. Make sure the voucher you buy matches the delivery channel you plan to use.
- Possible extra charges: some CATCs charge their own proctoring fee on top of the voucher.
Because the retake window is only 60 days, a failed first attempt should trigger an immediate, targeted review rather than a long break. The full pricing picture, including channel differences, is in ITS-NS Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and scheduling mechanics are covered in ITS-NS Exam Dates 2026.
Reading a Result and Planning the Next Step
If you reach 700 or above, you earn the credential. Awards earned on or after June 18, 2025 expire after five years, while earlier awards remain non-expiring. Renewal means purchasing a voucher and passing the then-current exam. That dated policy supersedes older one-time-issuance wording that may still appear on the program page.
If you land below 700, treat the outcome diagnostically rather than emotionally:
- Identify which domains felt shaky. Write down the topics you guessed on while the exam is fresh, subject to the exam-security and NDA rules, which prohibit sharing specific question content.
- Retarget your study. If firewall/IDS/IPS distinctions or permission scenarios cost you points, drill those rather than rereading everything.
- Respect the 60-day clock. Schedule the retake while your review is still sharp.
Remember that your scaled score is the only number that determines pass or fail. How you feel about the exam afterward is not a reliable indicator, since scenario items can feel easier or harder than they actually scored.
Sequencing Your Prep Around the Four Domains
Generic study advice is plentiful; the useful question is which ITS-NS domain to tackle when. This sequence assumes you already have around 150 hours of instruction or hands-on experience in network security, which is the provider's candidate profile (preparation guidance, not a requirement to sit the exam). It reflects dependencies between topics rather than any published weighting.
Defense in Depth first
- Learn the layered-controls vocabulary that the other three domains build on
- Practice classifying controls as preventive, detective or corrective
Operating System Security
- Work hands-on with Windows and Linux permissions in a lab or virtual machine
- Review authentication, auditing and encryption in the context of real settings
Network Device Security
- Build the firewall, IDS, IPS and SIEM comparison until you can explain each without notes
- Review wireless protection options and protocol security alternatives
Secure Computing and full review
- Cover end-user computing safeguards and backup selection
- Run timed practice that mimics a 35-45 question, 50-minute sitting
Defense in Depth comes first because it gives you the mental framework for judging every later scenario. Hands-on practice in week two matters because permissions and auditing are far easier to retain after you have actually changed a setting and observed the result. For the official practice option, CertPREP powered by GMetrix offers training and testing modes; note that practice-bank sizes and timers in those products are not live-exam specifications. A fuller plan is in the ITS-NS Study Guide, a compact fact sheet is in the ITS-NS Cheat Sheet, and you can test yourself with the ITS-NS practice tests on this site.
Pass Rates, Guarantees and Salary Claims: What They Cannot Tell You
Searches about the passing score frequently drift into adjacent questions. A few clarifications keep you from drawing conclusions the evidence cannot support.
- Institutional pass rates are not exam-wide pass rates. A training provider or school may report that most of its cohort passed. That describes a self-selected group with structured instruction, not the full candidate population. Certiport's scoring policy publishes a passing score, not a candidate pass rate.
- "Pass guaranteed" promises are marketing, not exam policy. The only retake mechanism tied to the exam itself is the voucher-plus-retake structure described above.
- Salary figures do not belong to the certification. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 US median of USD 129,180 for information security analysts as an occupation. That is occupation-wide data, not a certification-specific salary, an entry-level offer or a demonstrated pay premium for holding this credential. Roles requiring seniority and experience pay differently from where a first certification typically leads.
It also helps to know what you are not signing up for. This exam is distinct from IT Specialist Cybersecurity and IT Specialist Networking, and it is a different animal from CompTIA Security+. Match your goal to the credential whose objectives you actually need, and confirm eligibility details in ITS-NS Requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
The passing score is 700 on a scaled range of 1 to 1000, per Certiport's scoring policy. It is a scaled score, so it should not be read as a raw 70% of questions correct.
The provider does not publish a number. The exam form contains 35-45 questions, and the passing standard is expressed as a scaled score of 700, so any specific "allowed misses" figure would be a guess rather than an official rule.
The standard exam time is 50 minutes, excluding administrative appointment activities. If you fail and bought the voucher with retake, the issued retake code must be used within 60 days. The original voucher expires one year after purchase.
No. Per the official objectives, it spans four areas: Defense in Depth, Operating System Security, Network Device Security and Secure Computing. That includes Windows and Linux permissions, authentication, auditing and encryption alongside firewalls, IDS, IPS and SIEM.
See the study guide for a preparation plan and the certification cost breakdown for pricing, including the USD 133 US retail voucher-plus-retake product and possible CATC proctoring charges. You can also practice on the main practice test site.