CIPP/A Study Guide 2026: PDPA, PDPO & DPDP Book with Apoorva Sharma

An unofficial 588-page CIPP/A exam prep book on the data protection laws of Singapore, Hong Kong and India, by Mumbai lawyer Apoorva Sharma.

This CIPP/A study guide is a 588-page unofficial exam prep book for the IAPP Certified Information Privacy Professional/Asia (CIPP/A) examination, written by Apoorva Sharma, a lawyer based in Mumbai, India. In 37 chapters it covers privacy fundamentals, Singapore's PDPA, Hong Kong's PDPO, India's DPDP Act 2023 and DPDP Rules 2025, and a comparative analysis of all three. It suits candidates and Asia-Pacific privacy practitioners who want a close, cited reading of the law, delivered as PDF and editable DOCX.

Key facts

• Author: Apoorva Sharma, lawyer, Mumbai, India
• Exam: IAPP CIPP/A (Certified Information Privacy Professional/Asia)
• Jurisdictions: Singapore (PDPA), Hong Kong (PDPO), India (DPDP Act 2023, DPDP Rules 2025, IT Act)
• Edition: 2026 edition (October 2026); law stated as at 8 October 2026
• Length: 588 pages, 37 chapters in six parts
• Format: PDF + editable DOCX (Word), instant download
• Price: ₹4,000 / US$49

What is the CIPP/A exam?

The Certified Information Privacy Professional/Asia (CIPP/A) is a certification administered by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). It tests privacy fundamentals and the data protection laws of three jurisdictions: Singapore (the PDPA), Hong Kong (the PDPO) and India (the DPDP Act 2023 and related law), together with themes common to all three. Confirm current examination details directly with the IAPP.

Who is this CIPP/A study guide for?

• Candidates preparing for the IAPP CIPP/A examination in 2026.
• Privacy, legal and compliance professionals in India, Singapore, Hong Kong and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
• Professionals with GDPR experience who need to see where the Asian regimes differ.

What problem does this book solve?

The three CIPP/A jurisdictions are at very different stages: Singapore's PDPA has more than a decade of guidance and decisions, Hong Kong's PDPO dates from 1995, and India's DPDP Act is being phased in after Rules notified in November 2025. Many difficult questions turn on differences between them. The book reads each statute closely, shows how regulators apply it and compares the three where candidates most often go wrong.

What's inside?

• CIPP/A Exam Prep: Asia Privacy Law — PDPA, PDPO & DPDP Act, 2026 edition, 588 pages, PDF.
• The same book as an editable DOCX (Word) file.
• A one-page Start Here guide with the contents, 4-, 6- and 8-week reading plans and the disclaimer.

The book contains 37 chapters in six parts, an abbreviations list, a glossary, one-page Jurisdiction Cheat Sheets for Singapore, Hong Kong and India, a bibliography and an index.

What does the CIPP/A book cover?

The book tracks the five domains of the CIPP/A blueprint (privacy fundamentals, Singapore, Hong Kong, India and common themes), using the IAPP's Body of Knowledge, version 2.0.0 (effective 14 July 2025), only as a topic map.

• Part I, Privacy fundamentals (Ch 1–7): the examination and the Asian landscape; privacy as a right; Fair Information Practices and the OECD Guidelines; the APEC Privacy Framework, CBPR and PRP; adequacy; elements of personal information; roles and accountability.
• Part II, Singapore (Ch 8–17): legal context; the PDPA's scope and definitions; consent, notification and purpose limitation; exceptions to consent; access and correction; protection, retention and transfer limitation; breach notification; the Do Not Call regime; DPOs, employment and individual offences; enforcement by the PDPC and MAS.
• Part III, Hong Kong (Ch 18–26): legal context; the PDPO's scope and definitions; Data Protection Principles 1–6; access, correction and data matching; Part 6A direct marketing; Part 8 exemptions and employment; cross-border transfers and processors; the PCPD, doxxing provisions and reform.
• Part IV, India (Ch 27–33): the Constitution and the right to privacy; the IT Act, section 43A and SPDI Rules; the DPDP Act 2023's scope, commencement and lawful grounds; Data Fiduciary obligations, children and Significant Data Fiduciaries; Data Principal rights and duties; exemptions and cross-border transfers; the Data Protection Board, penalties, TRAI and sectoral regulators.
• Part V, Comparative analysis (Ch 34–36): the three regimes compared on sensitive data, children, breach notification, rights, transfers and territorial reach; building one programme across all three.
• Part VI (Ch 37): examination technique and a 20-question diagnostic set.
• Back matter: glossary, one-page Jurisdiction Cheat Sheets for Singapore, Hong Kong and India, bibliography and index.

Each chapter has learning objectives, key terms, a summary, review questions and endnotes to primary sources. Boxed "Status flags" mark points that were changing at 8 October 2026, the date at which the law is stated, and the India chapters use the final DPDP Rules 2025 numbering, noting draft equivalents.

Does the book include practice questions?

Yes, deliberately kept short so that the book remains a work of explanation. Every chapter ends with review questions, and Chapter 37 closes with a 20-question diagnostic practice set, designed to take about thirty minutes, with answers and brief explanations. All questions are original.

For full-length practice, the CIPP/A Exam Prep Kit (Book + Mock Exams) edition adds a 115-page volume with a 180-question bank and two timed mock exams, an 77-question workbook and six handouts, for ₹5,000 / US$59.

How should I study for the CIPP/A exam with this book?

The Start Here page gives three reading schedules:

• 4 weeks: fundamentals and Chapters 8–12; Chapters 13–17 and Hong Kong; India and the comparative part; then Chapter 37, the glossary and the cheat sheets.
• 6 weeks: one part per week, from fundamentals through Singapore, Hong Kong, India and the comparative part, with Chapter 37 and revision in week 6.
• 8 weeks: Singapore across two weeks, then the remaining parts, then two weeks for re-answering review questions, the glossary, the diagnostic set and weak chapters.

Readers new to data protection should read Part I in full first; those who know the GDPR should not skip Chapter 6 on personal data.

Who wrote this CIPP/A study guide?

Apoorva Sharma is a lawyer based in Mumbai, India, with more than eight years of experience in data privacy (including India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023), Trust and Safety, and commercial and regulatory work. She has done that work at Uber, Junglee Games (Flutter Entertainment) and Adfactors PR. Her practice sits where data protection, platform safety and regulatory compliance meet, which is why the books explain how rules operate inside an organisation as well as what they say. Her work on India's DPDP Act informs the India chapters, which distinguish what is already in force from what commences later.

Format and delivery

• Instant download after purchase: one ZIP file (about 2.3 MB).
• Searchable, printable PDF and an editable DOCX (Word) version for your own notes.
• Works on any device that opens PDF or Word files.
• Text-only; no video is included.

Frequently asked questions

Is this an official IAPP CIPP/A study guide?

No. It is an independent, unofficial study guide written by Apoorva Sharma and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the IAPP. The CIPP/A Body of Knowledge was used only as a public topic map; every explanation, scenario and question is original. Consult the IAPP for authoritative examination information.

Which laws does this CIPP/A book cover?

It covers Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act 2012 and Do Not Call regime, Hong Kong's Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance including Part 6A direct marketing, and India's DPDP Act 2023, DPDP Rules 2025 and IT Act regime, alongside the OECD Guidelines, the APEC Privacy Framework and CBPR.

Is this CIPP/A book up to date for 2026?

It is the 2026 edition, published in October 2026, stating the law as at 8 October 2026. It uses the final DPDP Rules 2025 numbering and flags points that were changing at that date in boxed Status flags. Verify those points against current official sources before the examination.

Should I buy the Book or the Book + Mock Exams kit?

Choose the Book if you want a complete, cited text and already have practice material. Choose the kit if you also want a 180-question bank by domain, two timed mock exams with explanations, an 77-question workbook and six handouts. The kit costs ₹5,000 / US$59; the Book costs ₹4,000 / US$49.

Can I print the book or edit it?

Yes. The PDF is searchable and printable, and the DOCX (Word) version can be annotated, highlighted or reorganised for your own study. Pagination in the Word file may differ slightly from the PDF. The files are licensed for the purchaser's personal use and should not be shared or redistributed.

What is the refund policy?

Please contact the author directly through the store where you bought this book, quoting your order details. Refund requests, download problems and questions about the contents should all be raised in this way. Before buying, you can also use the file list and page counts on this page to confirm that it covers what you need.

Disclaimer

Unofficial study guide. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the IAPP. AIGP and CIPP/A are trademarks of the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

All practice questions are original, written by the author for study purposes. None is taken from, based on or intended to reproduce an actual examination item, and no result is guaranteed. The material is educational and is not legal advice.