Certified Internal Auditor Certification

Internal auditors conduct in-depth reviews of their organizations' financial documents to ensure compliance with federal regulations, risk management guidelines, and accuracy standards. Careers in internal auditing require strong analytical abilities and attention to detail. Becoming a certified internal auditor (CIA) can showcase your auditing expertise and help you advance your career.

What is the certified internal auditor credential? CIA certification, offered by the Institute for Internal Auditors (IIA), demonstrates expertise in all areas of auditing. Candidates for the CIA credential must meet requirements for education and experience requirements and pass a three-part examination. Over 200,000 professionals around the globe have earned the CIA designation, which represents the gold standard for internal auditors.

How long does it take to complete the CIA requirements? How hard is the CIA exam? And is becoming a CIA worth it? Our guide walks through everything you need to know before becoming a CIA.

Why Get Certified as a CIA?

How Do You Qualify for the CIA Certification?

Becoming a CIA requires several years of education, work experience, and passing scores on a three-part exam.

The CIA credential has entrance and exit requirements, which vary depending on your degree or prior preparation. For example, if you have a master's degree, you don't need experience to enter the program, but you'll need one year of experience to complete the credential. Bachelor's degree-holders have a two-year experience exit requirement. However, you can gain experience while completing your exam requirements.

Learn more about the requirements for the CIA credential below.

Educational Requirements

You'll need to meet education requirements to qualify for the CIA credential. A bachelor's degree or higher meets the requirement, and the IIA does not stipulate that you must have completed a specific major. You can begin the process in your final year of college and qualify with an active internal audit practitioner designation or five years of internal audit experience.

Professional Requirements

First, you'll need to pass all three exams. Next, you must meet work experience requirements in internal auditing, quality assurance, risk management, compliance, and external auditing. The total experience requirements range from 1-5 years depending on your education.

You can use other professional certifications to meet work experience requirements. For example, chartered certified accountants automatically meet the education and work experience requirements, while certified public accountants (CPAs) automatically meet the education requirement.

What Does the CIA Exam Cover?

The CIA exam tests your knowledge and skills as an internal auditor. Each section of the CIA exam takes 2-2.5 hours and contains 100-125 multiple-choice questions. The first part of the exam reported a 41% pass rate for the most recent year, according to the IIA, indicating the difficulty of the exam.

The exam includes three sections:

• Part 1: Essentials of Internal Auditing
• Part 2: Practice of Internal Auditing
• Part 3: Business Knowledge for Internal Auditing

While you can complete each section in any order, each part builds on the previous sections, so many test-takers complete the exams in order.

Part 1 tests your knowledge of quality assurance and improvement programs, risk management, fraud risk, and the foundations of internal auditing. In Part 2, you'll answer questions on internal audit activity, including planning, performing, and reporting internal audits. Part 3 covers knowledge of information security, financial management, and information technology.

Scoring the Exam

The score for each part of the CIA exam ranges from 250-750, with 600 as a passing score. The IIA uses scale scores to keep the passing score consistent between parts of the exam. Internal audit professionals complete a standard setting process to determine the number of questions candidates need to answer correctly to pass the exam. They factor in the difficulty of the content and questions.

If you don't pass the exam, you'll receive detailed information about your performance on each section of the test to identify areas for improvement.

How Do You Register for the CIA Exam?

You can register for the CIA exam after creating an account in the IIA Certification Candidate Management System. Once you have an account, you can fill out a CIA application and pay your application fee. You'll also need to provide a valid ID, proof of your education, and evidence of your experience.

Once the IIA approves your documents, you can register for your first part of the CIA exam. Next, you'll pay the required fee, which gives you a 180-day window to sit for the exam. You'll take the test at a Pearson VUE center. Plan ahead to make sure you can schedule your desired day and time for the exam.

Paying for the Exam

Submitting a CIA application costs $120 for IIA members or $240 for non-members. Students pay $65.

IIA members pay $280-$310 per exam, while non-members pay $415-$445. Students enrolled in an accredited program qualify for a discount fee of $215-$245 per exam. The discount applies to graduate students and undergraduates in their final year.

You can reschedule your exam, but you'll need to pay a $75 fee to do so.

How Can You Prepare for the CIA Exam?

You'll need to put in the time to pass all three parts of the CIA exam. On average, test-takers should spend 200-300 hours preparing, according to PRC. Starting early is the best way to prepare, and you'll need to think strategically about your approach. Here are some strategies to succeed.

Top Tips

Practice Exams and Study Resources

• IIA's CIA Learning System: The IIA offers its own learning system for CIA candidates. Test-takers can use the comprehensive, interactive review program to prepare for the exams and identify knowledge gaps. The system includes quizzes, reading materials, and study tools to personalize your study plan.
• Gleim Exam Prep: Gleim offers multiple courses, video lectures, test questions, and personal coaching opportunities as one of the top CIA exam prep organizations. Some programs also come with guaranteed access until you pass the CIA exam.
• HOCK International: Access extensive CIA exam review materials through HOCK International, which offers one-time payment or subscription models. You can receive access to online textbooks, videos, a test bank, mock exams, and expert teacher support.

What Is Needed to Maintain the Certification?

CIAs must complete CPE hours to maintain their certification. Out of the required 20-40 CPE hours, they need at least two CPEs in ethics. Fortunately, the IIA offers courses in ethical behavior, ethical scenarios for financial services auditors, and ethical scenarios for technology. The IIA also offers instructor-led seminars, webinars, and on-demand courses.

Members must submit their certification renewal forms annually, no later than Dec. 31, to meet the renewal requirement.

Should You Get Multiple Certifications?

Adding additional certifications to your CIA credential can help you specialize further and demonstrate expertise in related areas. For example, certified fraud examiners investigate financial crimes using many of the same skills as internal auditors. You can also pursue the CPA credential to showcase experience in public accounting.

Earning certifications requires an investment of time, money, and resources. For most professional certifications, your qualifications for the CIA credential will likely meet the education requirements. Still, you will likely need to pass professional examinations and meet additional work experience requirements. Before pursuing another certification, consider whether it's worth the investment.

Frequently Asked Questions About CIAs