Certified Internal Auditor | Exams
How to qualify
To qualify as a CIA you must pass three computer-based, multiple-choice exams:
- Essentials of Internal Auditing: 125 questions, 2 hours 30 minutes
- Practice of Internal Auditing: 100 questions, 2 hours
- Business Knowledge for Internal Auditing: 100 questions, 2 hours
Register for an exam via IIA Global's certification management system
Multiple choice questions
Multiple choice doesn't mean the questions are easy. The exams may not test your wrist muscles with three hours of solid writing, but they're just as challenging on your grey matter! You will have to think very carefully about your response as the answer options will often be very similar.
Read some sample CIA exam questions
What's the pass mark?
There is no fixed pass mark for any of the CIA exams. Each exam comprises a set of questions that tests knowledge and understanding across the CIA syllabus topics. The questions vary in terms of difficulty and the marks awarded. Candidates’ scores are subject to a scaling exercise to ensure they are assessed fairly and to a common benchmark.
It is therefore not possible to give either a precise percentage or number of marks required to achieve a pass, this will vary depending on the actual questions presented to the candidate.
Immediate results
Because the exams are computer-based, you'll get your result the same day. So the agonising wait for your results will at least be short! If you need to resit an exam, you can do so in 60 days.
Exam venues
The CIA exams are held at over 100 Pearson Vue centres in the UK and Ireland. These exam centres allow you to choose a date and time that's convenient for you – there are no fixed exam dates.
Pearson Vue centres are open Monday to Friday, during office hours, and most are also open on Saturday morning.
What to expect at the exam centre
Exam centre locations
Locations include:
Belfast
Birmingham
Bristol
Cardiff
Derby
Dublin
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Leeds
Liverpool
London
Manchester
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Nottingham
Plymouth
Portsmouth
Candidate handbook
We recommend that you read IIA Global's candidate handbook before applying to take an exam.
