Preview the Self-Assessment questions for Cyber Essentials
IASME – the NCSC’s Official Cyber Essentials Delivery Partner.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK’s technical authority for cyber security. Its mission is to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.
Who are the NCSC?
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK’s technical authority for cyber security. Its mission is to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.
Review and prepare
Cyber Essentials is an annually renewable cyber security certification that works in the form of a self-assessment questionnaire.
You can download the self-assessment Question Set in advance and prepare your answers. Then you will need to pay for access to the assessment portal. You can copy and paste your answers from your preparatory spreadsheet to the assessment portal.
Which version do you need to preview?
I have purchased
before 27th April 2026
I am preparing to purchase
from 27th April 2026
Cyber Essentials Question Set
This is a copy of the self-assessment questionnaire which can be downloaded for preparation purposes. It is available as a PDF or as an Excel document. This version is called ‘Willow’ and should be used if you purchased before the 27th of April 2026.
Requirements for IT infrastructure
This is the equivalent of the Cyber Essentials standard, it details the requirements to be met under each of the five technical controls. This document can be found on the NCSC website.
Cyber Essentials Plus Test Specification
This is a guide that outlines the technical procedures and methods that independent Assessors use to conduct a technical audit to verify that an organisation’s IT systems meet the Cyber Essentials requirements.
Lawrlwythwch dogfennau yn Gymraeg
Holiadur hunanasesu y gellir ei lawrlwytho at ddibenion paratoi. Mae ar gael fel dogfen PDF neu Excel. Gelwir y fersiwn hon yn ‘Willow’ a dylid ei defnyddio os ydych chi’n paratoi i ardystio cyn 26 Ebrill 2026.
Mae yna hefyd y ‘Manyleb Prawf Cyber Essentials Plus’, canllaw y gellir ei lawrlwytho sy’n amlinellu’r gweithdrefnau a’r dulliau technegol y mae Aseswyr annibynnol yn eu defnyddio i gynnal archwiliad technegol i wirio bod systemau TG sefydliad yn bodloni gofynion Cyber Essentials.
Cyber Essentials Question Set
This is a copy of the self-assessment questionnaire which can be downloaded for preparation purposes. It is available as a PDF or as an Excel document. This version is called ‘Danzell’ and should be used if you are preparing to purchase from the 27th of April 2026.
Requirements for IT infrastructure
This is the equivalent of the Cyber Essentials standard, it details the requirements to be met under each of the five technical controls. This document can be found on the NCSC website.
Cyber Essentials Plus Test Specification
This is a guide that outlines the technical procedures and methods that independent Assessors use to conduct a technical audit to verify that an organisation’s IT systems meet the Cyber Essentials requirements.
Why are there different versions?
Each year, the Cyber Essentials scheme is reviewed and updated by a team of experts. This is important to keep the Cyber Essentials controls effective at protecting organisations against common cyber attacks. For this reason, the Requirements document and Question Set may change each year.
The different versions of the Question Set are given different names (e.g. Willow, Danzell). The different versions of the Requirements document are given different numbers (e.g. v3.2, v3.3).
The comparison below details the differences between the two most recent versions of the question sets.
Certify to Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials Plus involves both internal and external tests of your network and computers. It will involve a visit to your site and gives more assurance that you are complying with the Cyber Essentials Scheme than the basic self assessment level.
You will need to complete your Cyber Essentials Plus audit within 3 months of your last Cyber Essentials basic certification. Both these can also be completed at the same time.
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