Instructions for Taking the

Cybersecurity Concept Inventory (CCA)

Part of the Cybersecurity Assessment Tools (CATS) Project

Alan Sherman, Enis Golaszewski, Travis Scheponik, and Linda Oliva (UMBC)

{sherman, oliva}@umbc.edu�

Geoffrey Herman, Seth Poulsen (U. Illinois)

glherman@illinois.edu�

Peter A. H. Peterson (UMN Duluth)

pahp@d.umn.edu

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Supported in part by the National Science Foundation under SFS capacity grant #1819521.

About the CCA

• The Cybersecurity Curriculum Assessment (CCA) is a 25-question concept test for students who have completed an undergraduate major or track in cybersecurity
• The CCA is not meant to be about specific technical knowledge, but rather general abilities critical for security reasoning and practice
• Each multiple choice question has a scenario and a stem followed by five alternatives
• Your task is always to choose the alternative that best answers the question

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Why should you take the CCA?

• You taking the CCA will help us improve it
• The CCA will help identify better methods for teaching and learning cybersecurity
• Taking the CCA will help you use your knowledge and adversarial thinking skills
• You might enjoy the challenge!

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Get Started: Go to https://www.prairielearn.org/

• Click on “Enroll course” button.

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Click here!

Choose an account to use

• Choose an account to use for identification (e.g., for extra credit)
• No special account permissions are required

Sign in with a Google or Microsoft account.

Choose a Course

Click “Add course” for CATS: Cybersecurity Assessment Tools,

… and confirm your choice.����Note: The list is alphabetized; precise course title and list of courses may differ.

Confirm Course

If asked, confirm that you want to add the course.

Go “Home”

Click on PrairieLearn in the upper left corner to access the “course” you just added.

Choose Your New Course

Click on the CATS: Cybersecurity Assessment Tools course.

(Other courses may be listed if you are a PrairieLearn user.)

Select The CCA Assessment

Click on the “CCA cybersecurity college graduate” assessment.��

Be sure to click on the correct assessment if multiple exist.

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Agree to “Honor System”

If asked, verify your email address and check the box to signify that you will take the assessment on your own without any help. �Then click Start assessment.

Begin the Assessment!

Click on the first item to read and agree to our consent form.

Consent Form

Read and check the I Consent box, or quit by closing your browser.� Then click Save only and, finally, Next question.

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step one

step two

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Instructions and Sample Question

Read the instructions for the exam.

Answering the Sample Question

Click the “Correct” choice in the sample question.

Answers are randomized and may appear in a different location.

Next, click Save & Grade or just Save only:

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(These buttons are at the bottom of every question.)

Going To The Next Question

After answering and saving an answer, click Next question

School Information

Answer the information about your school so we can provide anonymous feedback to your instructor (e.g., for extra credit).

(Remember to press Save & Grade or just Save and Next question)

Answer all 25 questions!

Remember to press Save & Grade or Save after each answer!

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Go through the rest of the test!

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Answer (optional) Demographics Survey

Your answers will be used anonymously to help improve the test for others.

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Thank you very much!

Get started now at https://www.prairielearn.org

Have questions or want to help? Email sherman@umbc.edu.