CISM is NOT a pure technical cert. In fact it tends to focus more on the policies/programs and management side of IS. There are technical questions but the questions are not like those that you can find in the MS/Cisco exams. CISA and CISM are supposed to be different in that one focuses on auditing and another on management. HOWEVER, they are practically sharing many of the knowledge areas. This book focuses more on the management track. We also reference the latest available guidelines published by ISACA.