- What "Requirements" Actually Means for This Exam
- The Formal Gates: Fewer Than You Might Expect
- The Readiness Baseline: Hands-On Skills and the 150-Hour Guideline
- Your Real Syllabus: The Four Official Objective Headings
- Registration Mechanics: Vouchers, Delivery Channels and Fees
- Exam-Day Requirements: Identity, Proctoring and Security Rules
- Confirming You Are Targeting the Right Credential
- Sequencing Your Preparation Around the Four Domains
- How Long the Award Lasts and How Renewal Works
- Who Uses This Credential and What to Expect Career-Wise
- Frequently Asked Questions
- No bachelor's degree is required; the preparation baseline is the skills listed in Pearson's official Network Security exam objectives.
- Pearson suggests roughly 150 hours of instruction or practical network security experience, as guidance rather than a mandatory course or gate.
- Expect 35-45 proctored computer-based questions in 50 minutes, with a passing score of 700 on a 1-1000 scale.
- The US retail voucher with retake is USD 133; the retake code must be used within 60 days of a failed attempt.
What "Requirements" Actually Means for This Exam
When candidates search for the requirements of the Information Technology Specialist - Network Security credential, they usually want to know one thing: am I allowed to sit this exam, and am I ready for it? Those are two different questions, and the answers are very different. The first has a short, permissive answer. The second takes real work.
This credential is issued through Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, under Pearson's IT Specialist program. It is a single-exam certification: you qualify by passing one proctored exam, not by completing a course sequence, logging work experience, or holding a prior credential. That structure shapes everything below. Eligibility is easy; readiness is the actual barrier. If you want a broader introduction first, start with What Is ITS-NS? and then return here.
The Formal Gates: Fewer Than You Might Expect
Here is the complete list of formal prerequisites based on the published program information:
- No bachelor's degree requirement. You do not need a college credential of any kind to register.
- No mandatory provider course. Pearson does not require you to complete an official training program before testing.
- No prior certification. You do not need to pass any other IT Specialist exam first.
- No published work-experience minimum. There is no requirement to document years in a security job.
What you do need is a voucher, a scheduled appointment through an authorized delivery channel, and acceptable identification on exam day. The program page references exam policies that apply to every candidate, and those are covered in the exam-day section below.
The Readiness Baseline: Hands-On Skills and the 150-Hour Guideline
The candidate profile Pearson describes is someone with hands-on familiarity with client operating systems, security applications, firewalls, devices and network ports, backed by at least 150 hours of instruction or practical experience in network security. Two points deserve emphasis.
First, the 150 hours is preparation guidance, not an examination requirement. Nobody checks a timesheet at registration. There is no form on which you attest to hours, and the exam does not contain a 150-hour component. The figure is a calibration tool: if you have spent only a few evenings reading about firewalls, you are likely under-prepared; if you have spent months configuring permissions, reviewing logs and working with security tools, you are probably in range.
Second, "instruction or practical experience" is deliberately flexible. The hours can come from a classroom or online course, a home lab, a help-desk or junior sysadmin role, or a mix. What matters is that the time was spent doing the things the exam asks about, not passively watching.
What counts as qualifying hands-on time
- Setting file and folder permissions on Windows and Linux, then testing what different accounts can and cannot do.
- Configuring a host or network firewall rule and verifying that traffic is allowed or blocked as intended.
- Enabling auditing and reading the resulting logs.
- Securing a wireless network and comparing protection options.
- Working with encryption features and thinking through when each is appropriate.
- Examining which network ports and services are open on a device and deciding which should not be.
If most items on that list are unfamiliar, build lab time before booking. If you want a structured plan for doing so, the ITS-NS Study Guide walks through a first-attempt approach.
Your Real Syllabus: The Four Official Objective Headings
The single most important requirement-related document is Pearson's IT Specialist Exam Objectives - Network Security (copyright 2025, a two-page official PDF). Your preparation baseline is the skills it describes, and it organizes them under four official headings. Memorize these; they define the scope of what can be tested.
Domain 1: Defense in Depth
The idea that no single control protects a network, so protections are layered. Expect questions that ask you to choose among, or combine, controls.
- Firewalls, IDS, IPS and SIEM: know what each does, and how detecting differs from preventing.
- Network isolation concepts and why separating systems limits damage.
- Choosing the right control for a stated threat or scenario.
Domain 2: Operating System Security
Securing the endpoint itself, with coverage spanning both Windows and Linux.
- Permissions on files, folders and resources in each operating system.
- Authentication methods and how identity is verified.
- Auditing: recording and reviewing security-relevant activity.
- Encryption options and when each fits.
Domain 3: Network Device Security
Protecting the devices and pathways that carry traffic.
- Wireless protection and the strengths and weaknesses of common approaches.
- Device and port awareness: what is exposed and why it matters.
- Protocol security: recognizing which protocols protect data and which do not.
Domain 4: Secure Computing
Safer end-user behavior and the protections that support it.
- Safer end-user computing practices.
- Backup selection: matching a backup approach to a recovery need.
- Protecting data and systems from everyday threats.
One caution: these are official exam objectives, not preparation-curriculum headings, and Pearson does not publish percentage weights for them in the source material. Any site claiming precise per-domain weighting is adding information the objective document does not contain. For a deeper walk through each area, see ITS-NS Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.
Registration Mechanics: Vouchers, Delivery Channels and Fees
Qualifying in practice means buying the right voucher and booking through the right channel. A few details trip people up.
The voucher and its price
The US individual retail price listed for the IT Specialist Exam Voucher + Retake is USD 133. Note the wording: this is the price of the voucher-plus-retake product in the Certiport store, not an "exam only" price and not a universal figure across every channel or country. Schools, training providers and testing centers may sell differently, and Certiport Authorized Testing Centers (CATCs) may charge proctoring fees on top. For a full breakdown, see ITS-NS Certification Cost: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Voucher timing rules
- The original voucher expires 1 year after purchase. Buying early and delaying is a real risk.
- If you fail, the issued retake code must be used within 60 days of the failure. This is a short window, so plan your remediation before the first attempt, not after.
Delivery channels
Testing is delivered through Certiport Authorized Testing Centers, and Pearson VUE also offers test-center and OnVUE (online proctored) delivery. The key instruction is to match your voucher to your selected delivery channel. Do not assume a voucher bought for one route works for another; confirm before you pay.
| Item | What the program information says |
|---|---|
| Issuer / administrator | Certiport, a Pearson VUE business; governing body Pearson |
| US retail voucher + retake | USD 133 (individual retail; not an exam-only or universal-channel price) |
| Voucher validity | 1 year from purchase |
| Retake code window | 60 days from failure |
| Delivery | CATC; Pearson VUE test center and OnVUE also offered |
| Possible extra cost | CATC proctoring fees may apply |
Exam-Day Requirements: Identity, Proctoring and Security Rules
Even with a voucher in hand, certain requirements apply at the moment of testing:
- Identity verification. You will be asked to confirm who you are before the exam begins. Review the candidate policy before your appointment so your ID matches your registration.
- A proctor. The exam is proctored, whether in a test center or via an online-proctored session.
- Exam-security and NDA rules. You agree to confidentiality terms. Sharing exam content afterward violates them, and it is one more reason to avoid "brain dump" material.
What the exam itself looks like
Understanding the format is part of being ready. The exam is computer-based and proctored. The published exam-form range is 35-45 questions, with a standard time of 50 minutes, excluding administrative appointment activities such as check-in. The official tutorial illustrates multiple-choice questions plus review and navigation features, including the ability to change answers before submission. Pearson does not publish a fixed total or a scored/unscored split in the source material, so treat the range as the only firm number.
You pass with a 700 on a 1-1000 scaled score. That is not a raw 70% requirement, and it is not a candidate pass-rate statistic. For the mechanics, see ITS-NS Passing Score: Exactly What You Need to Pass, and for what the available data does and does not support, read ITS-NS Pass Rate: What the Data Shows.
Confirming You Are Targeting the Right Credential
A frequent requirement mistake is preparing for the wrong exam. This credential is scoped to the Pearson Network Security exam only. It is not the IT Specialist Cybersecurity exam, the IT Specialist Networking exam, Microsoft MTA, or CompTIA Security+. Study resources that blur these lines can send you toward content outside the four objective headings above.
| If you are weighing... | Practical implication |
|---|---|
| Network Security vs. Networking | Different credentials with different objective documents; do not substitute one syllabus for the other. |
| Network Security vs. Cybersecurity | Separate IT Specialist exams; preserve the four Network Security headings rather than importing a broader syllabus. |
| Network Security vs. Security+ | A different vendor and exam; do not assume overlapping scope or equivalent difficulty. |
Some third-party product pages describe this credential in ways that reference Networking alignment. Always anchor to the Pearson objective document itself. If you are still orienting, What Is ITS-NS Certification? clarifies the credential's identity, and What Does ITS-NS Stand For? covers the naming.
Sequencing Your Preparation Around the Four Domains
You need no generic study system here, just an order that respects how the domains depend on each other. A reasonable sequence for a candidate who meets the hands-on baseline roughly halfway:
Operating System Security first
- Build a Windows and a Linux lab; practice permissions, authentication and auditing until the results are predictable.
- This domain is the most hands-on, so it benefits most from early lab hours toward the 150-hour guideline.
Network Device Security
- Work through wireless protection options, ports and protocol security.
- Pair each concept with a "what is exposed, and how do I reduce it" scenario.
Defense in Depth
- Compare firewalls, IDS, IPS and SIEM side by side, including detect-versus-prevent distinctions.
- Practice choosing layered controls for a described scenario; this ties Domains 2 and 3 together.
Secure Computing, then full review
- Cover backup selection and safer end-user practices.
- Take timed practice sets against the 50-minute limit and review every miss against the objective document.
Schedule your exam after this loop, not before, because the 60-day retake window and 1-year voucher expiry reward a deliberate first attempt. For official practice, Certiport offers CertPREP powered by GMetrix with training and testing modes; remember that its question counts and timers are not live-exam specifications. You can also try our own ITS-NS practice tests to check readiness against the objective headings, and keep the ITS-NS Cheat Sheet handy for last-minute review.
Key Takeaway
Since there are no formal prerequisites, the only thing standing between you and a first-attempt pass is honest self-assessment. If you cannot configure and verify a permission, a firewall rule and an audit setting without looking anything up, keep building lab time before you spend your voucher.
How Long the Award Lasts and How Renewal Works
Requirements do not end at passing. Under the current expiration policy, awards earned on or after June 18, 2025 expire after 5 years, while earlier awards remain non-expiring. To renew, you purchase a voucher and pass the current exam. This dated policy takes precedence over older "one-time issuance" wording you may still see on the program page, so rely on the expiration policy page rather than outdated summaries.
Because the renewal exam is the current exam, objectives may have shifted by then. Re-read the objective document at renewal time rather than assuming your original preparation still maps cleanly.
Who Uses This Credential and What to Expect Career-Wise
This credential is positioned at the foundation of the security pathway: it verifies practical familiarity with securing operating systems, devices and networks, which is useful for help-desk, junior systems, junior network and security-adjacent support roles, and for students building a first credential. It demonstrates skills aligned to the four objective headings; it does not substitute for experience in senior security roles.
On earnings, be careful with numbers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a May 2025 median of USD 129,180 for information security analysts, but that is an occupation-wide figure. It is not a certification-specific salary, an entry-level offer, or evidence of any pay premium for this credential. Candidates should treat it as context for where the field can lead, not a projection of starting pay. For a fuller treatment, see the ITS-NS Salary Guide, the ITS-NS Jobs overview, and the ROI analysis if you are deciding whether the investment fits your goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. There is no bachelor's degree requirement, no prerequisite certification and no mandatory provider course. Your preparation baseline is the skills in Pearson's official Network Security exam objectives document.
No. The 150 hours of instruction or practical network security experience is preparation guidance describing the typical candidate, not an examination requirement. Nobody verifies hours at registration, and the exam has no 150-hour component.
The published exam-form range is 35-45 questions with a standard time of 50 minutes, excluding administrative appointment activities. The exam is computer-based and proctored, and you can review and change answers before submitting.
The passing score is 700 on a 1-1000 scaled score, not a raw 70%. If you purchased the voucher with retake and fail, the issued retake code must be used within 60 days of the failure, so plan remediation promptly.
Awards earned on or after June 18, 2025 expire after 5 years; earlier awards remain non-expiring. Renewal means buying a voucher and passing the current exam. Check the official expiration policy for the latest wording, and see the exam dates guide for scheduling considerations.