Level one
Basic Cyber Essentials: step one to Plus
The basic level is a self-assessment questionnaire covering the scheme's five controls, priced by IASME from £320 plus VAT. Done accurately, it is both a worthwhile certificate on its own and the required first step towards Cyber Essentials Plus.
What we do
Self-assessment, without the self-deception
The questionnaire is easy to pass and easy to pass wrongly. Our job is making sure your answers are true, because the scheme's value, and your Plus upgrade, both depend on it.
The questionnaire, answered accurately
The self-assessment asks precise technical questions about your estate. We answer it with you against evidence, because a hopeful answer now becomes a failed check if you later upgrade to Plus.
Scope done properly
Cloud services, BYOD phones, home workers and servers are all in scope for the scheme. Getting the boundary right first means no surprises at assessment or renewal.
The fixes the questions expose
Most businesses discover two or three gaps while answering accurately: MFA not enforced everywhere, admin accounts doubling as daily drivers, an end-of-life server. We help you close them.
A clear path to Plus
Your Plus audit must happen within three months of the self-assessment. We plan the basic level so the upgrade window works for you, not against you.
The official price
IASME prices the basic assessment at £320 (1 to 9 employees), £440 (10 to 49), £500 (50 to 249) and £600 (250+), all plus VAT. Anyone charging you more for the assessment itself is bundling something; make them say what. Our own bundling is explicit: support answering accurately, fixes where needed, and the Plus upgrade path, priced on the cost page.
Quick answers
Basic Cyber Essentials, answered
What does basic Cyber Essentials cost?
The assessment itself is priced by IASME in four size tiers: £320, £440, £500 or £600 plus VAT depending on your employee count. Support answering it accurately is what varies between providers; ours is a fixed fee agreed up front, and it is included when the basic level is part of a Plus engagement.
How long does basic Cyber Essentials take?
Answering the questionnaire takes hours, not weeks. The real timeline is set by any fixes it exposes. A well-run estate can be certified within days; a typical one inside a fortnight.
Is the self-assessment audited at all?
An assessor marks your answers, and a board member must sign a declaration that they are true, but nobody tests your systems at the basic level. That verification is exactly what Cyber Essentials Plus adds.
Should I start with basic or go for Plus?
Plus requires basic first, so the real question is whether to stop after the questionnaire. If a contract, framework or insurer needs independent assurance, continue to Plus inside the three month window. If not, basic is a legitimate stopping point you can build on later.
Start simple
Get certified at the official price
A free 45 minute discovery call confirms your size tier and scope, and whether Plus should follow inside the three month window. No obligation, no hard sell.