CIA Exam FAQs

The CIA certification process includes program registration, passing all required exam parts, fulfilling experience requirements, and maintaining certification through annual renewal.
A detailed Certification Candidate Handbook is available through the IIA.

CIA Exam Exemptions are available for certain certifications:

• ACCA Members: Education and work experience requirements waived
• U.S. CPAs: Education requirement waived

Candidates should complete the relevant fields in the CIA application. Applications will remain pending while PRC verifies memberships and licenses.

Candidates have up to three years from the date of program registration to complete all three parts of the CIA exam.

Year-round at more than 937 Pearson VUE test centers in over 153 countries worldwide.

Exam registration fees do not include study materials. PRC offers comprehensive CIA study packages including textbooks, question banks, mock exams, and instructor support.

No. The CIA certification requires passing all three exam parts. However, candidates may earn the IAP designation by passing CIA Part 1.

Yes. Candidates who pass CIA Part 1 may apply for the Internal Audit Practitioner (IAP) designation if they meet the eligibility requirements.

The IAP is an entry-level, foundational exam ideal for university students, beginner internal auditors, and professionals without degrees. It is one exam with 125 multiple-choice questions. IAP holders wishing to pursue the CIA can apply for a waiver for CIA Part 1.
The CIA is a 3-part exam. For the CIA program, unless you have an active Internal Audit Practitioner designation, you must provide proof of education as an entry requirement.

The CIA exam consists of three parts with the following number of questions and time limits:
Part 1: 125 questions, 2.5 hours (150 minutes)
Part 2: 100 questions, 2 hours (120 minutes)
Part 3: 100 questions, 2 hours (120 minutes)

No. Candidates may take the exam parts in any order.

Depending on education, experience, expertise in accounting and IT, as well as study method and reading comprehension, you should expect to invest around 130 hours of study time (Part 1 - 40 hours; Part 2 - 40 hours; Part 3 - 50 hours).

The updated standards enhance alignment with modern internal audit practices and are reflected in exam content updates.

CCMS (Certification Candidate Management System) is the IIA’s online platform used for exam registration, document upload, payments, and certification tracking.

Pricing for the CIA exam varies globally and depends on whether you are an IIA member, nonmember, or student. For detailed information, please visit theCIA Exam Cost page,

Report annual certification renewal through your CCMS portal by Dec. 31 each year.