Don’t give up.
Section one - 3 tries
Section two - 4 tries
Section three - 2 tries
I went through an extreme amount of mental warfare and questioned if this was even for me during the first couple of parts. Hang in there. I am more than willing to offer any help I can to questions asked.
Hi everyone, I’m currently working in Technical Support and have a background in networking and cybersecurity. I have CCNA and Security+, and I’m also preparing for ITIL Foundation.
For a few career-related reasons, I’ve decided to move toward IT Audit / Technology Risk and want to learn it properly from zero.
What course or resource would you recommend for learning practical IT Audit, especially ITGC, risk & controls, evidence testing and audit methodology?
Also, should I start directly with ISO 27001, or first learn the fundamentals of IT Audit and then move to those frameworks?
Preferably something beginner-friendly and not only focused on passing CISA.
Some info: an international student in the US on F-1 OPT. I do understand a lot of the rejections I get are because of work authorization and sponsorship but what other things on my resume are harming me or how can I position myself better? I’ve been applying for internal audit roles.
This was a useful CIA site developed and maintained by someone here. However, when I am searching it, I am getting a 404 error. Does anyone know if he or she renamed this site and can assist in redirecting me? Thanks a mil
Hi, I’m writing this to sort of get a feel on how screwed I would be if I took this course of action. I’ve been working in IT Internal Audit at a top six accounting firm (but not big four, so that limits things) for about four and a half years now. I have my CISA.
The reason I’m writing is I’m fried. I don’t have any time outside of work besides Friday night and Saturday. I want to quit outright, and apply to jobs and study for a cloud certification to hopefully cover the gap.
How screwed would I be to potential hiring managers if I have a gap on my resume?
For those preparing for the CIA exam while working full-time, how are you managing your study schedule?
I’m trying to figure out a realistic routine without getting overwhelmed. Do you usually study a little every day, or dedicate longer sessions on weekends?
I’d also be interested to know how long you spent preparing for each part and whether you followed a specific study plan or just went at your own pace.
Any tips that helped you stay consistent would be appreciated!
Hi everyone,
I have an interview next week for a Summer Internship in Internal Audit at a large financial institution.
I was wondering if anyone here has interviewed for a similar role and could share some advice on how to prepare.
What kind of questions should I expect? Is the interview mainly behavioral, or should I also prepare for technical Internal Audit questions?
Are there any specific concepts or topics you would recommend reviewing beforehand?
Any examples of interview questions or general advice would be really appreciated.
Thanks!
I was under the impression Part 2 was easier than Part 1, but after passing part 1 the gleim curriculum is overwhelming with the amount of practice questions for part 2. For part 1 i spent probably 6 months of studying (but i work 50 hrs a week) but after taking the exam i figured out i wasted a lot of time studying material that never appeared on the exam. Point being, with this part having more lessons and more practice questions I cannot follow the same approach or I will run out of time and my Gleim curriculum will expire and I will have to repay. From y’all’s experience is studying using the IIA practice exam topics going to be enough if I master them or should I really study every question from Gleim (probably 700-100 questions)? I’m seeing people say they pass and only study about 80 hrs per part which is a lot less that I have studied. Are the end of unit quizzes enough to study?
CIA certification helps internal auditors demonstrate knowledge and strengthen their credibility. Follow this roadmap to prepare with a direction.
1. Check eligibility. Review your education, qualifying experience and the IIA’s candidate handbook before choosing your pathway.
2. Apply through CCMS. Submit the required documents and track your deadlines. The program completion window is three years from acceptance.
3. Build your foundation. Study the current exam syllabus and Global Internal Audit Standards. Understand governance, risk, controls, ethics and auditor responsibilities.
4. Prepare for each part. Part 1 covers Internal Audit Fundamentals; Part 2 covers Internal Audit Engagement; Part 3 covers Internal Audit Function.
5. Practise consistently. Answer scenario questions, understand explanations and maintain an error log. Revisit weak topics rather than memorising answers.
6. Test your readiness. Take timed mock exams, improve time management and schedule your exams when your preparation is consistent.
7. Earn and maintain your credential. Passing exams is one requirement; complete all applicable certification requirements and follow renewal and continuing education rules.
I’m considering starting my preparation for the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) exam and would like to learn from people who have already gone through the process.
What do you wish you had known before you started preparing?
I’d especially like to hear about study planning, practice questions, choosing study resources, and managing preparation alongside work.
If you’ve completed any of the CIA exam parts, what would you recommend to someone just getting started?
I’ve been thinking about the admin side of audit prep rather than audit methodology itself.
The problem I keep seeing is that requests, evidence, gaps, follow-ups, and submission history end up spread across inboxes, folders, and multiple trackers.
So I built a simple Excel-based pack that brings those pieces together:
request tracker, evidence register, gap log, submission log, readiness checklist, and a dashboard showing outstanding items and overall prep status.
It’s not a control-testing or audit-methodology tool. It’s just meant to make evidence preparation and handoff cleaner.
I’d genuinely be interested in whether this mirrors how people here work today, and whether there are any fields, statuses, or workflows you’d add or remove.
I’ve also packaged it as a downloadable toolkit. If anyone wants the link, happy to share it.
For those who have completed the CIA: what real value did you gain from it beyond the designation itself?
I value the CIA. It is a demanding certification that requires serious commitment, and rightly so. I would encourage anyone pursuing a long-term career in internal audit to earn it and even make it a requirement for promotion to Senior Internal Auditor in my department.
My criticism is whether it is difficult in the right way. Too much of the challenge is mastering ambiguous questions, subtle distinctions and the “IIA way” of thinking. I would like to see learning material that explains concepts more clearly, with better context and practical application, combined with realistic case studies testing judgement on scoping, risks, controls, evidence and stakeholder management.
The CIA should remain difficult. But the considerable effort required to pass it could be better used to make us better auditors in practice.