How to Join the Certified Internal Auditor Program

Submit CIA Application

1. Create a profile on CCMS
• Go to the IIA’s website: theiia.org
• From the website’s homepage, go to “Certification” page.
• Go to the Candidates Certification Management System (CCMS).
• Click on “First Time Users”.
• Read and agree to the terms.
• Go to Create a profile without knowing IIA Member / Customer username and password (unless you are already a member).
• Fill in your personal information.
• Fill in your address.
• Fill in your phone number and personal e-mail address.
• Select a Chapter, if there is an IIA Chapter where you live, or select Chapter at Large. Select “Non Member” if you are not a member of the IIA.
• Make sure you have filled in all of your information correctly then click “Submit”
• Once you click the “Submit” button go to your e-mail and check your inbox.
• Locate the e-mail you received from the IIA. Within the e-mail there will be a link to activate your account. Click on the link, or copy paste it to your browser.
• You have the option to select a unique username, we advise you to keep the same username assigned automatically, which is your ID number.
• Select an easy to remember but difficult to guess password.
• When you log in to your account for the first time, and every 180 days, you have to confirm your personal information.
• Read and agree to the END User License Agreement.
2.  Complete your CIA Application.
• Once you agree on the license agreement you will be directed to your account’s home screen. Scroll down the page to locate the link “Complete a from” on the right menu.
• Select the appropriate from “CIA Application”
• Insert your education information.
• Insert your work experience.
• Pricing may differ from one country to another. The price in your country may be slightly different from the international price. Agree to the terms. If you plan to pay for the application right now then “Submit form”. You can save the form and return to it later if you are not planning to pay the fees right now.
• Select the payment method you prefer.
• Submit you application
3. Upload Documents
• To upload your documents go back to the Certification Page on the IIA’s website. The Document Upload Portal is located under the CCMS portal.
• On the Document Upload Portal’s home page, please read the instructors carefully, then scroll down and click on the link at the bottom of the page.
• Make sure you logged to your CCMS account before you upload any document. Insert your account details, select the document and type, select the document you wish to upload then submit your document.
• You should receive an email from the IIA confirming the acceptance of your document(s). You should receive an e-mail for each document you upload.

4. Receive application approval.

• Once you have done all the above steps successfully, you should receive an e-mail confirming that your application was approved and that you are now a CIA program candidate.
• Once you receive the above approval letter you are ready to register for exams.

Schedule an Exam

1. Pay Exam Fees

• Log in to your CCMS account.
• Click the "complete a form" link on the left-side menu.
• Select the appropriate exam application form.
• Continue the application and pay the exam fees.
• You should receive an e-mail confirming your exam registration. Wait 48 hours from the time of receiving the e-mail then head to Pearson's website to schedule your exam.
• If this is your first exam, you need to create an account on Pearson's website. Follow the link above for detailed instructions.
• Pearson VUE test center schedules vary and may change often; however, most are open five or six days per week during normal business hours (based on local conditions) throughout the year. You are encouraged to schedule your exam soon after the 48-hour waiting period. The earlier you schedule, the better your chances of reserving a date, time, and location that is convenient for you. Walk-ins are not accepted; you must have a scheduled appointment to sit for an exam.
• It is important to remember that your exam eligibility window is open for 180 days, or until your program expiration date, whichever comes first. Failure to meet the deadline will invalidate your registration (you will forfeit any fees paid, and you will have to reregister and remit payment again).

2. Receive Confirmation

   After you schedule your exam, Pearson VUE will email you an appointment confirmation that includes information about the test center location you selected. Review the email immediately to confirm your information, including your first and last name and the date and time of your scheduled exam. Though not required, The IIA highly recommends that you print the confirmation notice and bring it with you to the test center on the day of your exam. The notice contains important information that will allow the test administrator to locate your record and permit you to take the exam. Failure to Appear for Your Scheduled Exam Once your exam appointment is confirmed, you are expected to be present with appropriate ID on the date of the exam. If you do not appear for your exam at your scheduled location on your scheduled date and time, your registration will be voided, a “No-Show” status will be earned, and you will forfeit your exam registration fee. If a “No-Show” status is issued, you will need to submit a new exam registration form with payment to schedule another test date. Changing an Exam Appointment

• You may cancel or reschedule your exam appointment as needed during your scheduling and exam eligibility window by contacting Pearson VUE. You may make changes up to 48 hours prior to your confirmed appointment. However, you will be charged a US $75 fee
• (payable directly to Pearson VUE) each time you reschedule or cancel. You will receive an email from Pearson VUE confirming your changes. If you do not receive the email, contact Pearson VUE immediately to ensure that your appointment was properly recorded.

3. Take the Exam

   Click here to read our guide on taking the CIA exam.

After the Exam

After you’ve completed the exam or the time limit has expired, you will be notified on your screen that the exam is over. At that point, you will turn over any materials (note board, dry erase marker, etc.) to the exam administrator and you may collect your personal items and leave the test center.

1. Receiving Your Score
• Each exam question that contributes to your score has been pretested to ensure statistical validity. Your raw score is calculated based on the number of questions answered correctly and is converted to a reporting scale ranging from 250 to 750 points. A score of 600 or higher is required to pass an IIA exam; however, if you passed the exam, your score report will indicate just that — no numeric score will be reported.
• Your score becomes official once The IIA publishes it to CCMS, and you will be notified by email when your official score is available. This is typically within 24 to 48 hours after you complete your exam. However, if The IIA determines that your exam results require further analysis, there may be a delay in receiving your official score, and you will be notified. The analysis may take up to 45 days to complete. Additionally, an officially published score may be invalidated for misconduct, score anomalies, or breaches of The IIA’s Code of Ethics.
• If you did not pass the exam, your score report will include two important data points: your numeric score and your performance on each major exam topic area or domain, so you know on which domain(s) you need further study.
2. Retaking the Exam
• If you failed your exam or exam part, you must wait at least 90 days before you can retake the exam. You can re-register for the exam and schedule your new exam appointment as soon as your exam results are published to CCMS (provided your four-year program eligibility window is still open or you have received a program extension). However, the earliest appointment date that you will be able to schedule will be 90 days from the date you last took that exam. Visit inhismind.net. You must submit a new registration form with payment to retake a failed exam. If you do not complete your certification program within the four-year program eligibility window, you will forfeit all fees paid and exam parts passed.
• You are not permitted to retake an exam you previously passed unless your certification program window has expired. If you need to retake an exam or exam part that you previously passed (because your certification program eligibility expired) the earliest exam appointment date that you can select will be 90 days from the date you last took that exam.
3. Becoming Certified
• Once you pass the required exam(s), you must submit your completed Experience Verification Form (if you have not already done so) to become certified. When you have met all program requirements for a particular certification, you will receive notification (at your preferred email address in your CCMS profile) that you are certified and you may begin displaying tangible evidence of your accomplishment.
4. Receiving and Displaying Your Certification
• Log into CCMS to order your certificate, purchase a reprint, or address a name-change issue. Please note that prefixes (such as Mr., Dr., Miss, etc.) and designation acronyms (including Ph.D.) are not printed on certificates.
• To order your certification certificate, complete the certificate order form for your chosen certification.
• To purchase certificate reprints, complete the certificate reprint order form, selecting the appropriate certification.
• If your name has changed due to marriage, divorce, or other legal means, you may request a certificate reprint at no charge by logging an incident through your CCMS record, and an IIA staff member will contact you with details.
• To otherwise change your name on a certificate that has already been issued, visit the “Custom Question Section” of your CCMS profile and update how your name should appear on a new certificate. Then, complete the certificate reprint order form and remit any applicable fees.
• Certificates are shipped by standard postal service or courier (expedited shipping). Certificates shipped outside of the United States may take up to 16 weeks for delivery if standard shipping is selected. Expedited shipping may take up to three weeks and is available at an additional cost. Pricing information is displayed on the certificate order form and is broken down by shipping region.
• Once certified, you can also tell your professional story on popular social and professional networking sites, personal websites, or in emails with web-enabled certification badges. To learn more, visit The IIA’s Social Badging webpage. In addition, you may opt-in to The IIA Certification Registry.
5. Maintaining Your Certification
• To maintain your certification, you must earn and report continuing professional education (CPE) credit hours — including two hours of ethics training — by Dec. 31 annually, in accordance with The IIA’s CPE Policy. Certified individuals in North America and many other parts of the world may submit their CPE information directly through CCMS, for more info find here practical tips. However, candidates who are members of certain IIA affiliates must report their CPE credit hours directly to their IIA affiliate (see page 4 for a list of those countries). There is no fee for North American IIA members to report CPE, as reporting is included as a benefit of membership; however, there is a fee for nonmembers. Additionally, some IIA affiliates may charge a fee for reporting CPE. The IIA encourages you to check with your local affiliate for clarification and information.
• If you fail to meet your CPE requirements by the reporting deadline, you will automatically be placed in “Inactive (Grace Period)” status and may not use your certification until the requirements are met. If your certification status remains inactive for more than 12 months due to nonreporting, you will incur fees to reinstate your certification.
• For complete and up-to-date information on the CPE requirements for each certification, associated fees, required documentation, and how to report CPE, download The IIA’s CPE Policy document.

This guide was extracted from the IIA’s CIA Certification Guide. We regularly update this page to reflect changes in the CIA exam regulation. For a full explanation of all notes you can refer to the CIA Exam Guide issued by the IIA.