The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) has developed a certification program for internal auditors. This program, which contains the CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) examination, is the only globally accepted internal auditor certification. The examination is a paper and pencil based exam, and it contains four exam parts. The exam is held in May and November at 250 locations worldwide.

Prior to registering for the CIA exam, there are several eligibility requirements that need to be met. These requirements include holding a bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) and having 24 months of work experience in internal auditing (or its equivalent). Additionally, there are different requirements for full-time students. Specific details about these requirements can be found online on the IIA website. There are two ways in which to register for the CIA exam. Registration can be completed via an online form on the IIA website, or by downloading a registration form from the IIA website. This registration form can then be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to the IIA. All necessary fees must be paid at the time of application, and these fees are outlined on the IIA website as well. In addition to the application form, several other forms must be sent in or completed with each application. These include the Character Reference form, the Verification of Professional Experience form, and/or other forms depending on the applicant's specific situation. All of these forms can be downloaded from the IIA website. The CIA exam is given in May and November, and specific registration deadlines apply for each of these dates. These deadlines can be found on the IIA website. The CIA exam is given at 250 locations worldwide, and location codes (which are needed for the application) are found on the IIA website. Once the application and its accompanying materials have been received, reviewed, and approved by the IIA, a confirmation letter will either be mailed or e-mailed to all approved applicants. Then, approximately two weeks prior to the examination, an authorization letter will be sent to all approved applicants as well. This letter will contain pertinent test day information, such as the date, time, and specific location of the exam. It should also be noted that one or more exam parts may be taken in any order, at any time during the candidate's testing eligibility window. This provides the candidate with some testing flexibility.

The CIA exam is a paper and pencil based examination, and it consists of four parts. Each of these parts consists of 125 multiple choice test questions. Parts I, II, and III make up the core of the CIA exam, and part IV can be modified for regional and specialization testing. Part I of the exam is entitled “The Internal Audit Activity's Role in Governance, Risk, and Control”. This part of the exam tests the following topics: complying with the IIA's attribute standards (15-25%), establishing a risk-based plan to determine the priorities of the internal audit activity (15-25%), understanding the internal audit activity's role in organizational governance (10-20%), performing other internal audit roles and responsibilities (0-10%), governance, risk, and control knowledge elements (15-25%), and plan engagements (15-25%). Part II of the exam is entitled “Conducting the Internal Audit Engagement”, and it tests the following topics: conducting engagements (25-35%), conducting specific engagements (25-35%), monitoring engagement outcomes (5-15%), fraud knowledge elements (5-15%), and engagement tools (15-25%). Part III of the CIA exam is entitled “Business Analysis and Information Technology”. This part of the exam deals with the following subjects: business processes (15-25%), financial accounting and finance (15-25%), managerial accounting (10-20%), regulatory, legal, and economics (5-15%), and information technology (30-40%). Finally, part IV of the CIA exam is entitled “Business Management Skills”. The questions on part IV of the exam deal with the following topics: strategic management (20-30%), global business environments (15-25%), organizational behavior (15-25%), management skills (20-30%), and negotiating (5-15%). Further details about the content of the CIA exam can be found on the IIA website.

The CIA exam is scored using a scaled score. The raw score (the number of questions answered correctly) is converted to a scaled score, ranging from 250 (low) to 750 (high). The scaled score takes into account differences in the difficulty levels on various exam forms. A minimum passing scaled score is 600. This represents answering approximately 75% of the questions correctly on the exam. Score reports are mailed to all test-takers by July 15th for the May exam and by January 15th for the November exam.

Prior to taking the CIA examination, there are several ways in which one can prepare. First, becoming familiar with the structure and content of the exam is very important. This will guide one's study plan prior to the exam. Answering sample questions and taking sample tests will also help by indicating specific areas which may require further study and review. In addition, a list of resources that may be beneficial in preparation can be gotten from the IIA. During the exam, all questions should be answered. Therefore, pacing during the exam is important. An educated guess is also advised over leaving a answer blank. A calculator is allowed to be used during the examination. Details on approved calculator types can be found online on the IIA website. And, finally, marking all answers clearly on the score sheet is important. Because the score sheets are optically read, this is crucial.

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