Cyber Essentials Questionnaire Prep Kit: Plain-English Danzell Walkthrough and Workbook (UK Small Business)

Product details

For UK small businesses and sole traders going for Cyber Essentials, first time or at renewal. Get your questionnaire answers ready before you pay for the assessment. This kit explains the Cyber Essentials self-assessment questionnaire in plain English and helps you gather what the questions ask for. You then draft your answers in one workbook before you buy the assessment.

It follows the current versions: IASME's Danzell question set (version 16.3) and the NCSC's Requirements for IT Infrastructure v3.3, effective from 27 April 2026. The scope and five control sections are matched to the NCSC requirement. The points IASME says lead to an automatic fail are picked out, so you can check them first.

£39 · digital download (ZIP with PDF and Excel files).

What you get

• Start here guide (PDF): how to use the kit, the current versions, and a route for sole traders and businesses with 1–9 staff covering what's usually in scope when you're small (head count, registration number, personal phones, home routers)
• Walkthrough in question order (PDF): every Danzell section from A1 to A8 in plain English, with what to watch out for and what to have ready, plus the matching NCSC requirement for scope and the five controls
• Prep workbook (Excel): scope and devices, a cloud services worksheet (cloud services can't be left out of scope), software support dates, a 14-day patch tracker with install-by dates worked out for you, an MFA evidence log, admin accounts, firewall rules, and a draft-answers tab numbered to match the question set
• "Before you pay IASME" check (one-page PDF): the scope points, the automatic-fail points and the five controls, ticked off before you buy

Who it's for

• UK small businesses and sole traders going for Cyber Essentials for the first time
• Anyone renewing who wants to check their answers against the Danzell questions and v3.3
• Owners who'd rather prepare their questionnaire answers themselves than start in the assessment platform cold

How it works

1. Click Get My Kit and check out. You'll receive a download link after payment.
2. Open "Start here", then download IASME's free question set and the NCSC's requirements (links inside).
3. Fill in the scope and cloud services tabs, then work through the walkthrough and fix any gaps.
4. Run the "Before you pay IASME" check, then buy your assessment from IASME when you're ready.

It's self-serve. You work through the files yourself, with no calls or meetings with us.

Preparation only, not certification

This kit isn't made or endorsed by IASME or the NCSC. It doesn't certify you and can't promise a pass. Only an Assessor working for a Certification Body licensed by IASME can assess your answers and issue Cyber Essentials certification. Secordit isn't a Certification Body. General information, not legal advice.

FAQ

You can download the Cyber Essentials questionnaire free from IASME. What does this add?
IASME and the NCSC publish the question set, the requirements and a Readiness Tool free of charge. This kit adds a plain-English walkthrough in question order and a workbook to organise your evidence and draft answers. It doesn't cover the Cyber Essentials Plus technical audit.

Will this get me certified?
No. Only an Assessor working for a Certification Body licensed by IASME can assess your answers and issue Cyber Essentials certification.

Which question set does it cover?
Danzell (version 16.3, May 2026), used for assessments bought from 27 April 2026, with the NCSC's Requirements v3.3. IASME says these can change each year. Check IASME's site for the current version.

Do I get updates?
Yes, for Danzell (version 16.3). If we update this kit while that version is current, we'll send you the updated files as part of your purchase. A kit for a later question set isn't included.

What are the automatic fails?
IASME says not turning on MFA for a cloud service that offers it (even where MFA is a paid option), not installing critical or high-risk updates within 14 days, and having unsupported software in scope each lead to a fail. The kit has a tab for each.

How much is the assessment itself?
That's paid to IASME, not to us. IASME prices it by organisation size, starting at £320 for 0–9 employees, before tax as IASME lists it. Check IASME's site for the current price.

What format are the files?
PDF and Excel (.xlsx). The workbook uses standard formulas only and has been tested in LibreOffice Calc. It should also open in Excel and Google Sheets.

Who's behind it

Secordit Intelligence was set up in February 2026 by Matthew Protheroe-Hill, its director. Before that, he co-founded Sencode Cyber Security and was a director there from 2019 to 2023. Qualification: BSc (Hons) Cyber Security & Networks (1st Class), Teesside University.

Everything in the download

A ZIP with 4 files: the Start here guide (PDF), the walkthrough in question order (PDF), the prep workbook (Excel) and the "Before you pay IASME" check (PDF).

The problem it helps with

Going for Cyber Essentials for the first time can mean starting in the assessment platform cold. This kit lets you prepare your answers yourself first, and check the points IASME says lead to an automatic fail before you buy the assessment.

Compared with paying for help

Facing the Cyber Essentials questions cold can be stressful, especially when you don't know what will trip you up. An IT consultant or an IT support company can help you prepare and look at your own systems, and they charge for their time. This kit lets you work through the questions yourself first, in the order they're asked. It's a set of templates, not a like-for-like swap for paid help.

Delivery

Digital download (ZIP with PDF and Excel files). You'll receive a download link after payment. No physical item, no shipping.

Ready to start? Use the Get My Kit button under the price at the top of this page.