As a CISA™ holder, you can take advantage of this limited opportunity to earn the Certified Internal Auditor® (CIA®) designation through an expedited process called the CIA Challenge Exam. This expedited process allows you to obtain the CIA designation after successfully passing the one-part examination.  CISA™ is a trademark of ISACA. The CIA Challenge Exam only includes content not covered on your CISA™ exam, saving you time and money. To register with IIASA please click here.

Why Take the CIA Challenge Exam?
Earning the CIA designation will elevate you among your peers and demonstrate that you are:

• A credible and trusted internal auditor.
• A stronger, more competent professional.
• Knowledgeable in organizational governance.
• Equipped for career-advancing opportunities.

About the CIA Challenge Exam

• Comprised of 150 multiple choice questions based on the syllabi.
• Based on the International Professional Practices Framework and Standards.
• Examination time is up to 180 minutes.
• Offered in English only.
• Based on scaled scoring and a passing score of 600 is required out of 750 points.
• Developed following best practices with the support of experts and professionals.
• Available via online testing or at a testing center.

CIA Challenge Exam Package
In addition to saving time, the CIA Challenge Exam offers significant financial savings. This bundle includes:

• CIA Challenge Exam application fee.
• CIA Challenge Exam registration fee.
• CIA Challenge Exam Study Guide for Qualified Information Systems Auditors including 1,000 practice questions
• Access to the online materials are valid for 12 months from date of invitation. Extensions are available for a fee. 
• Access to the Standards to help you prepare for the exam.

Take the next step and apply for the CIA Challenge Exam in April. The next application window opens soon, so mark your calendar and don’t miss the chance to enhance your internal audit credibility by adding CIA to your credentials.

Who Is Eligible?
Candidate must be an active holder of the following designation:

• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)™

NB: Students globally are ineligible.
IMPORTANT: Please obtain proof of good standing from the public registry prior to submitting an application. This must be provided to complete the application process.

Program Timeline for Applicants

• Application window: April - September 
  
• First Attempt Testing Windows for April: June,August , November or February.
  

Important Tip:
You have 180 days to register, schedule, and sit for the examination after the application approval. The examination is only offered in the testing windows as listed above. The first exam registration is included in the application bundled price. Retake examinations are available for an additional fee. There is no maximum number of times candidates may retake the examination within the three-year program window.

Program Timeline for retake examinations

• Registration & Scheduling: All year
• Re-take Test Windows: June, August, November, February.

Application Steps:
Through CCMS:

1. Log into the Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS).
2. Select “Apply for Certified Internal Auditor.”
3. Select “CIA Challenge Program for Qualified Information Systems Auditors”
4. After payment screen, you must upload proof of good standing from the public registry and a government-issued ID. You must also complete the electronic character reference. Once approved for the program, you may register and schedule your examination.
5. To register and schedule your exam, select “Manage my program > CIA > Register."

Through IIASA pre-registration process:
When you utilise the pre-application or pre-registration process for Global Certifications via the IIA South Africa website, you are completing a billing process that will allow IIA SA to facilitate payment to IIA Global on your behalf. Once the payment is cleared, the application and/or registration process must still be completed on the CCMS.

• On the IIA SA website navigate to the “Certifications/Designations” tab. Please use this link to access the IIA SA website: https://www.iiasa.org.za/
• Click on the “Global Certification Application / Registration” button.
• Complete the form in full and select the Certification Type you want to apply/register for.
• Submit the form and keep a record of the reference number you receive.
• Once your form has been reviewed and processed internally, a quote or invoice will be issued based on the requirements you stipulated on the form submitted.
• Quotations and Invoices issued via the IIA South Africa, are issued in ZAR, and do include VAT.
• Once the Quotation is approved by the candidate, an Invoice will be issued.
• Quotations and Invoices have a validity period of 30 days.
• The fees are calculated on a periodic basis and are subject to review from time to time.
• If the quotation or Invoice has expired, and the fees are amended after the expiry date, the new quotation or Invoice will be based on revised pricing.
• Once the payment has been received and processed by the IIA South Africa, the payment status will be updated on the IIA Global CCMS. Please ensure that you access the CCMS at https://ccms.theiia.org/
• Please take note that, where payment is made via EFT/direct deposit the payment processing can take up to 10 days, as the process begins once payment reflects on our bank statements. Once payment has been processed, it can take up to 10 working days for the payment to be applied on the IIA Global System. 
• Candidates will receive an e-mail notification from the CCMS once the payment has been loaded.
• After receipt of the e-mail, candidates must log into the CCMS and complete the application/registration process. In the case of applications, supporting documents will be required to finalise the process.
• Once the application has been completed, the vetting and approval process will be completed by IIA South Africa staff.
• The vetting and approval process is only applicable to applications and can take up to 10 working days, following submission of all required documents.
• Once the application has been approved, candidates will be able to register for their selected program and schedule their examination on the Pearson Vue system, accessible via the CCMS.

Applications and registrations are two separate processes, each with their own fees and processes.

Challenge Exam Study Materials
Once approved into the program, candidates will receive the email invitation for the online Challenge Exam Study Guide within 7 days from The IIA’s CIA Distribution Center with the subject line, “Action Required - Your IIA Online Access.” Candidates will need to activate the online access to the Study Guide separately. For questions or assistance with the Study Guide, please reach out to CustomerCare@learncia.com to inquire further. Access to the materials are valid for 12 months from date of invitation. Extensions are available for a fee.

Exam Registration and Scheduling

1. Once approved into the program, access your CCMS account and select “Manage My Program” to register for your exam with Pearson VUE. Upon completing the registration process, select “Access Pearson VUE” from the main menu bar and follow the onscreen instructions for scheduling your appointment. During the scheduling process, you will have the option to take your exam via online testing or at a testing center.
2. Schedule your examination for the testing window. You will have the option to take your exam via online testing or at a testing center. To find the nearest testing center, visit the Pearson VUE page and select “Find a test center.” Learn more about online testing.

Accessing Score Reports
Approximately 24 hours after you have completed your exam, you will receive a system-generated email notifying you that your exam score is available. You may also check your score online by logging into your CCMS profile and selecting “Access Pearson VUE,” then selecting “View Score Reports.”