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Which three principles make up the CIA triad in cybersecurity?

Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability

Control, Identity, and Authentication

Compliance, Inspection, and Audit

Configuration, Isolation, and Access

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: PCCP Exam

$150

Exam Fee

Palo Alto Networks

860/1000

Passing Score

Palo Alto Networks

2 years

Validity

Palo Alto Networks

Pearson VUE

Delivery

In-person only

40-80 hrs

Study Time

Recommended

Practitioner

Level

Above Apprentice

PCCP is the practitioner-level Palo Alto Networks credential (one tier above Apprentice). The exam is delivered in person at Pearson VUE, costs $150 USD, and requires a scaled score of 860 out of 1000 to pass. It uses multiple-choice, scenario-based, and configuration/process items to cover cybersecurity fundamentals, network security, endpoint security, cloud security, and security operations, including Palo Alto products like Cortex XDR, Prisma Cloud, Prisma Access, and PAN-OS NGFWs. The credential is valid for 2 years.

Sample PCCP Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your PCCP exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which three principles make up the CIA triad in cybersecurity?

A.Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability

B.Control, Identity, and Authentication

C.Compliance, Inspection, and Audit

D.Configuration, Isolation, and Access

Explanation: The CIA triad is the foundational model for information security: Confidentiality protects data from unauthorized disclosure, Integrity ensures data is not altered without authorization, and Availability ensures authorized users can access systems and data when needed. PCCP candidates should be able to map controls to each pillar.

2A user receives an email impersonating their bank that asks them to click a link and enter credentials. Which attack technique is being used?

A.Brute-force attack

B.Phishing

C.SQL injection

D.Denial of service

Explanation: Phishing is a social-engineering attack where the adversary impersonates a trusted entity (often via email) to trick the victim into revealing credentials or running malicious code. It is the most common initial-access technique in modern breach reports and is mapped to MITRE ATT&CK T1566.

3Which Palo Alto Networks technology identifies applications regardless of port, protocol, encryption, or evasive tactic?

A.User-ID

B.Content-ID

C.App-ID

D.PAN-DB

Explanation: App-ID is the application-identification technology in PAN-OS that classifies traffic by application, not by port. It uses signatures, protocol decoding, and heuristics so security policy can allow, block, or inspect based on the actual application even when traffic uses non-standard ports or TLS.

4What is the main difference between a traditional stateful firewall and a Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW)?

A.An NGFW only inspects Layer 3 and Layer 4 headers

B.An NGFW provides application-, user-, and content-aware policy enforcement

C.A traditional firewall performs SSL decryption while an NGFW does not

D.A traditional firewall integrates with cloud workloads natively

Explanation: A Palo Alto Networks NGFW extends beyond port/protocol filtering to enforce policy based on application (App-ID), user (User-ID), and content (Content-ID). This lets administrators write business-aligned rules such as 'allow Salesforce for the Sales group, block file uploads, and scan for threats.'

5Which framework catalogs adversary tactics and techniques such as Initial Access, Execution, and Lateral Movement?

A.NIST Cybersecurity Framework

B.ISO 27001

C.MITRE ATT&CK

D.PCI DSS

Explanation: MITRE ATT&CK is a globally accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics (the 'why') and techniques (the 'how') observed in real intrusions. SOC teams use it to map detections, drive threat hunts, and assess control coverage. Cortex XDR alerts include ATT&CK technique IDs.

6Which Palo Alto Networks product is the cloud-delivered SASE platform that converges secure web access, ZTNA, and SD-WAN?

A.Cortex XDR

B.Prisma Cloud

C.Prisma Access

D.Panorama

Explanation: Prisma Access is the Palo Alto Networks SASE offering. It delivers networking (SD-WAN) and security (SWG, CASB, ZTNA, FWaaS) from the cloud so remote users and branches connect to applications through a globally distributed service edge.

7Which Palo Alto Networks product provides Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and workload protection for AWS, Azure, and GCP?

A.Cortex XSOAR

B.Prisma Cloud

C.WildFire

D.GlobalProtect

Explanation: Prisma Cloud is the CNAPP that provides CSPM, CWPP, CIEM, and code-security capabilities across multi-cloud environments. CSPM specifically inventories cloud resources, evaluates them against benchmarks (CIS, NIST), and surfaces misconfigurations like public S3 buckets or open security groups.

8What is the central principle of the Zero Trust security model?

A.Trust devices that are physically located inside the corporate network

B.Never trust, always verify — authenticate and authorize every request

C.Allow all internal traffic by default and inspect only inbound flows

D.Use a single perimeter firewall to enforce all access decisions

Explanation: Zero Trust assumes the network is hostile and therefore enforces explicit verification for every user, device, and request. Access decisions consider identity, device posture, application, and context, and least privilege is enforced continuously rather than just at login.

9Which authentication factor type is a fingerprint or facial scan?

A.Something you know

B.Something you have

C.Something you are

D.Somewhere you are

Explanation: Biometric factors such as fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scans are 'something you are.' Multi-factor authentication strengthens security by combining factor types, e.g., a password (know) plus a hardware token (have) or biometric (are).

10Which Palo Alto Networks product is the extended detection and response (XDR) platform that ingests endpoint, network, cloud, and identity telemetry?

A.Cortex XDR

B.Prisma SD-WAN

C.AutoFocus

D.Expedition

Explanation: Cortex XDR correlates data across endpoints, network, cloud, and identity sources to detect and stop attacks. It includes a managed endpoint agent that performs prevention (anti-malware, exploit protection) and behavioral detection feeding the XDR analytics engine.

About the PCCP Exam

The Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Practitioner (PCCP) is the foundational/practitioner-level credential that validates broad cybersecurity knowledge plus hands-on familiarity with the Palo Alto Networks product portfolio (Cortex XDR, Prisma Cloud, Prisma Access, NGFW, and SecOps tooling).

Questions

75 scored questions

Time Limit

90 minutes

Passing Score

860/1000

Exam Fee

$150 USD (Palo Alto Networks / Pearson VUE)

PCCP Exam Content Outline

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity Fundamentals

CIA triad, risk management, attack chain, common threats (phishing, ransomware, lateral movement, exfiltration), Zero Trust principles

Network Security

Network Security & NGFW

PAN-OS basics, App-ID, User-ID, Content-ID, security profiles, IPS/IDS, decryption, segmentation, ZTNA, GlobalProtect

Endpoint Security

Endpoint Security & XDR

Cortex XDR agent, behavioral protection, EDR/XDR concepts, MITRE ATT&CK, host hardening, living-off-the-land detection

Cloud Security

Cloud Security & SASE

Shared responsibility, IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, container basics, Prisma Cloud (CSPM/CWPP/CIEM), Prisma Access SASE, IaC scanning

SecOps

Security Operations

SIEM, SOAR (Cortex XSOAR), threat intel, incident response, SOC tiers, MTTD/MTTR, threat hunting with XQL

How to Pass the PCCP Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 860/1000
Exam length: 75 questions
Time limit: 90 minutes
Exam fee: $150 USD

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

PCCP Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize what App-ID, User-ID, and Content-ID each do in PAN-OS - this distinction is foundational

2Map cybersecurity scenarios to MITRE ATT&CK tactics (Initial Access, Lateral Movement, Exfiltration, Impact)

3Understand the shared responsibility model and what changes between IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and FaaS

4Know which Palo Alto product solves which problem: Strata (NGFW), Prisma Cloud (CNAPP), Prisma Access (SASE), Cortex (SecOps)

5Practice scenario items - the exam includes scenario-based and configuration/process questions, not just recall

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PCCP passing score?

The PCCP requires a scaled score of 860 on a 300-1000 scoring system to pass. Palo Alto Networks does not publish a fixed number of correct answers because items are weighted; consistently scoring 80%+ on quality practice questions is a good readiness target.

How much does the PCCP exam cost?

The PCCP exam fee is $150 USD as of 2026. The exam is delivered exclusively in person at Pearson VUE testing centers; online proctoring is not available for this credential at this time.

How long is the PCCP certification valid?

The PCCP credential is valid for 2 years. Holders must recertify before expiration by retaking the current PCCP exam (or otherwise meeting the active recertification policy published by Palo Alto Networks).

What does the PCCP exam cover?

PCCP covers cybersecurity fundamentals, network security, endpoint security, cloud security, and security operations, plus Palo Alto Networks-specific touches: NGFW basics (App-ID, User-ID, Content-ID), Cortex XDR for endpoint detection, Prisma Cloud for CNAPP, and Prisma Access for SASE.

How is PCCP different from PCNSA, PCNSE, and Apprentice?

PCCP is the practitioner-level credential, one tier above the Apprentice (entry) certification. It introduces the broader Palo Alto Networks portfolio. PCNSA and PCNSE are deeper, NGFW-focused certifications, while specialty exams like PCCSE, PCDRA, and PCSAE focus on individual products.

How long should I study for PCCP?

Most candidates with some IT background study 40-80 hours over 4-8 weeks. Use the official 'PANW Cybersecurity Practitioner' learning path, hands-on labs in the Beacon platform, and 100+ practice questions to consolidate concepts before scheduling the exam.