Translated from 日本語 • View original 
In this article,
- Exam Overview
- Why do companies value this qualification?
- The difficulty level and learning points that I felt after actually taking the exam
I will summarize it.
What is the Personal Information Protection Agent Certification Exam?
Personal information protection officer is a private qualification conducted by the All Japan Information Learning Promotion Association.
It is characterized by systematically learning practical knowledge of the Personal Information Protection Act, My Number Law, and information security.
Exam Structure
- Question format: Mark sheet (limb choice)
- Exam Duration: 150 minutes
- Scope of questions:
- Task 1 Understanding the Personal Information Protection Act and the My Number Act (50 questions)
- Issue 2 Measures to protect personal information and information security (50 questions)
- Passing criteria: 70% or more for each assignment
The point is that not only laws but also security and organizational management are questioned across the board.
Why Companies Seek It
Protecting personal information is no longer the only job of the legal and system departments.
Sales, marketing, human resources, general affairs, development... All departments handle personal data.
Therefore, companies
"Human resources who can make decisions on the spot"
I am strongly requesting.
The personal information protection officer
- Understanding the Law
- Security Fundamentals
- Organized management system
Because they learn in a well-balanced manner, they are easily evaluated as "human resources with knowledge that can be used in the field".
This is especially useful in the following situations:
- Determine how to handle data when planning new services
- Check the contract details with the contractor
- Establish internal information management rules
- Determine the initial response when an incident occurs
The practical sense gained during the learning process is more valuable to companies than the qualifications themselves.
Difficulty level felt after actually taking the exam
From here, I will write my real impressions with my own exam notes.
Impressions when you start studying
When I first opened the text,
"There are many articles in the law, so it seems difficult..."
I had the impression that
However, as you read on,
- Explanations incorporated into corporate practices
- Specific examples
It was more like learning business risk management than studying law.
Approximate Study Time
In my case, I am also in charge of PMS operation for a company (about 2 years).
- Holidays: 2-3 hours
I was able to pass for about two months in a row.
Basically, it is a style of continuing to solve past questions and learning the parts you don't understand through textbooks.
Even if you are not familiar with the law, I feel that one to two months is enough to aim for it.
Impressions on the day of the exam
You need to solve 100 questions (1.5 minutes per question) in 150 minutes, so you don't have much time to review.
Get used to reading the issue fast!
Task 1 was often "questions that ask for situational judgment rather than memorization of articles".
- Choose the most appropriate (not appropriate) of the following (a) to (e) related to 〇〇.
There are actually possible situations in the options.
Questions similar to past questions are also asked, but the options are different, so you will have to judge the situation while remembering the article.
Issue 2 is an image of threats in information security and human, physical, organizational, and technical countermeasures against them.
As someone who works in the security business, Privacy Mark, and ISMS operations, this is not a difficult field, but if you have no experience, you may need to learn security terminology.
It is an easy impression compared to the morning questions of the information processing security support personnel.
Overall Rating of Difficulty
- Law: Moderate (can be solved if you understand)
- Security: Medium (Measures are essential for those who are weak in IT)
- Comprehensive: A practical qualification that can be passed if you study well for past questions
My honest impression is that it is not easy, but it pays off your efforts.
Good things about taking the exam
By obtaining the qualification,
- Equipped with knowledge to support the operation of the Privacy Mark
- It proved that I could be in charge of internal audits.
- Opinions are now asked for at contract reviews.
- Evaluated as a "person who is strong in personal information"
The range of work has definitely expanded.
Above all,
"I understand my responsibility to handle data."
I gained confidence.
Conclusion
The personal information protection specialist certification exam is
- All business people who work with data
- People involved in corporate risk management
- Personnel in the legal, general affairs, human resources, and IT departments
It is a very practical and valuable qualification for
The difficulty level is not high at all, but
What you learn will be useful in the field as it is.
In that respect, I feel that it is a cost-effective qualification.
I especially recommend it to those who are in charge of PMS like me.
The Privacy Mark review will also proceed smoothly.
All Japan Association for the Promotion of Information Learning Personal Information Protection Specialist Certification Examination
https://www.joho-gakushu.or.jp/piip/