Cyber Essentials Question Set and Standard

Download Standard, Question Set and Cyber Essentials Plus Test Specification

Below please find the Standard (Requirements for Infrastructure), Question Set and Cyber Essentials Plus Test Specification used on all applications before April 28th 2025. The Standard and Question set are available in English and Welsh.

Below please find the Standard (Requirements for Infrastructure), Question Set and Cyber Essentials Plus Test Specification used on all applications from April 28th 2025. The Standard and Question set are available in English. The Welsh version is coming soon.

Lawrlwytho cwestiynau yn Gymraeg

Lawrlwythwch y set o gwestiynau Cyber Essentials a’r ddogfen gofynion a ddefnyddir ar bob cyfrif asesu o 24 Ebrill 2023.

Download Guide to changes

Cyber Essentials is an annually renewable certification that demonstrates that your organisation has the most important cyber security controls in place.

As cyber criminals exploit the latest innovations in technology, cyber security must evolve quickly to respond to developing threats.

The Cyber Essentials scheme requirements and question set are reviewed and updated regularly 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 certification may change slightly from version to version.

Different versions of the verified assessment question set are given different names. The different versions of the requirements documents are given different numbers (the current one is v3.1).

IASME has created some guidance that details the differences between the most recent question set (Willow, from April 28th 2025) and the one it replaces (Montpellier, before April 28th 2025).

What are the differences between Cyber Essentials (Willow) and Cyber Essentials (Montpellier)?
Please click the button below to download it.

I’m ready to certify for Cyber Essentials

Once you are ready to complete the questions, go to our Cyber Essentials product page where you can make a payment.

Once you have paid, you will get access to our secure assessment platform. Enter your answers and get someone from the board to validate that they are true before submitting them for marking. One of our independent Assessors will mark your answers and send you feedback. If you fail, you have two working days to resubmit and try again. Once you pass, you will receive your certificate and be listed on our directory of certified organisations.

You will need to renew your certificate annually as it expires after twelve months. We remove companies from our certified organisation list if they are not certified within twelve months of their last certificate.

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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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