ISACA CDPSE Exam Prep Book 2026 with Apoorva Sharma

An unofficial 580-page study book mapped to every domain and subtopic of the ISACA CDPSE exam content outline, by Mumbai lawyer Apoorva Sharma.

This ISACA CDPSE exam prep book is a 580-page unofficial study guide for the Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) certification, written by Apoorva Sharma, a lawyer based in Mumbai, India. Its 45 chapters follow the four domains of ISACA's published CDPSE exam content outline (Privacy Governance; Privacy Risk Management and Compliance; Data Life Cycle Management; Privacy Engineering) and connect the GDPR, US state privacy laws, India's DPDP Act and DPDP Rules, 2025, the NIST Privacy Framework, ISO/IEC 27701:2025 and modern engineering practice to the decisions a privacy engineer makes every day. It is delivered as PDF and editable DOCX.

Key facts

• Author: Apoorva Sharma, lawyer, Mumbai, India
• Exam: ISACA CDPSE (Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer)
• Edition: 2026 edition (October 2026); law and standards stated as at 1 October 2026
• Length: 580 pages, 45 chapters in five parts, seven appendices
• Format: PDF + editable DOCX (Word), instant download
• Price: ₹4,000 / US$49

What is the ISACA CDPSE exam?

CDPSE is ISACA's credential for technology professionals who build and implement privacy solutions. ISACA's published outline has four domains: Privacy Governance (20%), Privacy Risk Management and Compliance (18%), Data Life Cycle Management (23%) and Privacy Engineering (39%). The examination has 120 multiple-choice questions in 3.5 hours, scored on a 200–800 scale with 450 to pass. Check ISACA's candidate information for current eligibility, fees and scheduling.

Who is this CDPSE study guide for?

• Candidates preparing for the ISACA CDPSE examination.
• Engineers, architects, data and security professionals who must turn privacy requirements into working systems.
• Privacy, legal and compliance professionals who want to understand the technical controls they oversee.

What's inside?

• CDPSE Exam Prep: A Study Book for the ISACA Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer Examination, 2026 edition, 580 pages, PDF.
• The same book as an editable DOCX (Word) file.
• A one-page Start Here guide with the domain map, 4-, 6- and 10-week reading plans and the disclaimer.

What does the CDPSE book cover?

• Part I, Privacy Governance (Ch 1–11): personal information and identifiability; privacy principles and privacy by design; the GDPR, UK and European law; US privacy law; India's DPDP Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025; Asia-Pacific and other jurisdictions; policies, notices and records; culture and responsibilities; vendor management; incident and breach management; data subject rights.
• Part II, Privacy Risk Management and Compliance (Ch 12–19): the risk process; PIAs and DPIAs; training and awareness; threats and vulnerabilities, including LINDDUN; risk response; the NIST Privacy Framework and ISO/IEC 27701:2025; evidence and artifacts; metrics and reporting.
• Part III, Data Life Cycle Management (Ch 20–27): inventories, dataflow diagrams and classification; data quality; purpose control; analytics, AI and data warehouses; minimisation; disclosure and cross-border transfer; retention and archiving; destruction and media sanitisation.
• Part IV, Privacy Engineering (Ch 28–43): cloud and legacy platforms; mobile, IoT and BYOD; networks and remote access; the secure development life cycle; APIs and cloud-native services; asset management; identity and access; patching and hardening; transport protocols; encryption, hashing and key management; logging; consent tagging; cookies, pixels, SDKs and fingerprinting; anonymisation and pseudonymisation; privacy-enhancing technologies; AI and machine learning.
• Part V (Ch 44–45): an integrated case study and examination technique with worked questions.
• Appendices: 18 templates and checklists; a NIST PF / ISO 27701 / GDPR / DPDP control crosswalk; a 39-metric privacy metrics library; a privacy law quick reference; worked dataflow diagrams and LINDDUN examples; an outline map; a readiness self-assessment and ten-week planner. Then a 495-term glossary, domain summary sheets, a bibliography of primary sources and an index.

Every content chapter opens with learning objectives and closes with a scenario workshop, common pitfalls or a practitioner's checklist where relevant, key terms, a summary and five check questions. Worked examples run through three fictional organisations: an Indian payments company, a South Indian hospital group and a ride-hailing platform.

Does the book include practice questions?

Yes. Every content chapter closes with check questions, and Chapter 45 explains ISACA-style question technique with worked questions. All questions are original. For full-length practice, the CDPSE Exam Prep Kit (Book + Mock Exams) adds a 111-page volume with a 171-question chapter bank and two 120-question mock exams, for ₹5,000 / US$59.

Who wrote this CDPSE 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 at Uber, Junglee Games (Flutter Entertainment) and Adfactors PR.

Format and delivery

• Instant download after purchase: one ZIP file.
• Searchable, printable PDF and an editable DOCX (Word) version.
• Text-only; no video is included.

Frequently asked questions

Is this an official ISACA CDPSE study guide?

No. It is an independent, unofficial study guide written by Apoorva Sharma and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ISACA. Nothing in it is drawn from ISACA review manuals, question databases or examination items.

Does it follow the published CDPSE exam content outline?

Yes. Parts I to IV correspond to the four domains, and Appendix F maps every subtopic to the chapters that cover it.

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

Choose the Book for the full text, templates and libraries. Choose the kit if you also want 411 original practice questions, including two timed 120-question mock exams with explanations.

Disclaimer

Unofficial study guide. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ISACA. CDPSE is a trademark of ISACA. All practice questions are original; no result is guaranteed. The material is educational and is not legal advice.