Preparing for your first Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) assessment is a daunting process. The framework is complex, the requirements are detailed, and the stakes are high. With CMMC requirements now written directly into DFARS and DoD contracts, readiness is no longer optional.

If your controls aren’t fully implemented, your evidence is incomplete, or your documentation doesn’t reflect your actual environment, the consequences can extend far beyond the assessment itself. A single gap can delay or disqualify you from defense contracts, stall renewals with existing customers, or create cascading risks across your partner network.

Even organizations that have spent months implementing controls and building documentation often find themselves going into their first assessment wondering, “Are we really ready?” 

That uncertainty is why measuring your organization’s readiness before inviting a Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO) is so important. It’s your opportunity to validate that every control is implemented and verifiable, every document tells a consistent story, and every stakeholder knows their role in demonstrating compliance.

This guide walks through how to measure and confirm your CMMC readiness before your certification. You’ll learn how to identify weak spots, close last-minute gaps, and go into your assessment with confidence.

How to assess your CMMC compliance readiness + checklist

Organizations that validate their readiness before scheduling assessment dramatically reduce their risk of failure, delay, and rework. According to a 2025 CMMC readiness report from Redspin, nearly 100% of organizations that entered their assessment with a strong foundation in NIST SP 800-171 and DFARS and completed a formal self-assessment beforehand passed on the first attempt.

Once you’ve implemented the necessary controls and built your documentation, the next step is confirming that everything holds up under scrutiny. Before scheduling your C3PAO assessment, it’s worth conducting a final readiness review to make sure you’ve addressed every requirement.

The following steps will help you validate your readiness and give you the confidence that you’re fully prepared.

1. Confirm every control is both implemented and verifiable

You might have all NIST SP 800-171 controls in place, but can you prove them? Assessors won’t just take your word for it; they’ll want to see clear, current evidence that each control is implemented and functioning as intended.

Tools like Secureframe’s AI Evidence Validation can automatically verify that your evidence is correct, current, and mapped to the right control, catching potential issues before your assessment does.

2. Validate your System Security Plan (SSP) and POA&M are current

Your System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) are at the core of your CMMC assessment. These documents tell the story of your environment, explaining how controls are implemented and what work still remains.

This is also where automation can save you significant time. Instead of manually updating hundreds of entries across static documents, Secureframe’s SSP & POA&M Builder automatically generates these files based on your live control data. As you implement controls, upload evidence, or close remediation tasks, the system keeps your SSP and POA&M aligned in real time — no copying, pasting, or version-tracking required.

For teams preparing for assessment, this means your documentation is always accurate, complete, and audit-ready. When it’s time to share with your C3PAO, you can export your SSP and POA&M instantly, confident they reflect the latest state of your environment.

3. Recalculate and review your SPRS score

Your Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) score is one of the clearest indicators of how close you are to being CMMC-ready. Managed by the DoD, the SPRS database houses contractor self-assessment results based on NIST SP 800-171 — the same requirements that underpin CMMC Level 2.

Each control is worth a set number of points, and your total score reflects how many of those controls you’ve fully implemented. The maximum possible score is 110, while missing or partially implemented controls reduce your total. A higher score signals stronger cybersecurity maturity and lower organizational risk in the DoD’s eyes.

Because your SPRS score directly influences contract eligibility and competitiveness, it’s also a practical way to gauge your readiness for CMMC certification.

Secureframe Federal automatically calculates your live SPRS score as you implement controls and close POA&M items. Instead of manually recalculating in spreadsheets, you can see your score change in real time, giving you immediate insight into your readiness level and helping you prioritize remaining work before the assessment.

4. Check for consistency across systems and documents

Assessors look for consistency, so your SSP, POA&M, and evidence should all tell the same story. If even small inconsistencies creep in, like outdated diagrams, mismatched policy names, or missing attachments, they can cause confusion and raise unnecessary questions during the review.

Assessors also expect your documentation to reflect how your environment actually operates. That means your control mappings, configurations, and policy language should all align across frameworks and teams. If your Access Control Policy refers to a system that no longer exists, or your POA&M lists remediation work that’s already complete, it signals a lack of internal coordination, even if your technical controls are solid.

With Secureframe’s centralized control mapping all your frameworks, policies, and evidence stay synchronized automatically. When you update a control in one area it updates everywhere, reducing the risk of human error and ensuring your documentation remains consistent, aligned, and audit-ready.

5. Validate control ownership

During interviews, assessors often test whether employees understand the policies and procedures that affect their daily work. They might ask how an incident is reported, how user access is reviewed, or what steps are taken when someone leaves the company.

That’s why it’s critical to make sure your personnel aren’t just trained but ready to demonstrate that training in action.

Ultimately, assessors want to see that your security program extends beyond documentation to your people and processes.

6. Conduct a mock assessment

According to Redspin’s report, 63% of respondents identified self-assessment as the most important new tactic they’re using to prepare for CMMC, and organizations that performed formal readiness validation before assessment had nearly perfect first-pass rates.

A mock assessment can be led by your internal security and compliance team or by an external CMMC consultant familiar with the DoD’s CMMC Assessment Guide. The goal isn’t to pass or fail, but to uncover hidden weaknesses that could cost you during your official assessment.

During the simulation, walk through each control and ask the tough questions your C3PAO will:

If the answers aren’t clear or consistent, those areas likely need tightening before your assessment. Use the results of your internal review to make targeted updates, refine your documentation, and prepare your team to respond smoothly and confidently when the real assessment begins.

Many organizations use Secureframe’s CMMC framework in conjunction with Secureframe’s Gap Assessment and Audit Module capabilities to conduct mock assessments directly within the platform. Review controls, test evidence, and validate findings from an auditor’s perspective, all while keeping documentation centralized and version-controlled. By running your mock assessment in Secureframe, you can experience what the C3PAO will see and walk into your assessment knowing what to expect.

7. Maintain continuous monitoring between now and assessment day

In the weeks leading up to your assessment, think of readiness as a living process rather than a completed checklist. Systems evolve, employees change roles, software gets updated, and new vulnerabilities emerge. Without continuous monitoring, even a well-prepared organization can drift out of compliance between the final review and audit day.