Description
The CISA exam is offered annually by ISACA during the months of June and December. Candidates are expected to register with ISACA in January and July in order to enter for one of these respective exam dates. The examination tests a candidate's knowledge of IS audit principles and practices as well as technical content areas. By attending the CISA 5-day, instructor-led course, students will learn and prepare for the certification examination.
This learning programme employs outcome-based delivery that focuses on preparing you for the skills required to pass the rigorous CISA examination. You will work through a series of sample exam questions and mock tests in order to strengthen your ability in preparing for and undertaking the examination.
The CISA qualification is the benchmark of excellence for IS auditors, IT security and control specialists and is internationally renowned.
To achieve certification, you need to:
- Receive a passing score on the CISA exam
- Adhere to the ISACA Code of Professional Ethics
- Commit to the CISA Continuing Professional Education Policy
- Have achieved a minimum of five years of professional information systems auditing, control or security work experience (as described in the job practice areas) to receive certification.
The CISA Examination follows a multiple-choice format and consists of one four-hour paper of 200 multiple-choice question whereby students need to attain a percentage of 70% or higher to pass the examination.A candidate must receive a score of 450 or higher to pass the exam.
A score of 450 represents a minimum consistent standard of knowledge as established by ISACA’s CISA Certification Board.
The course is aimed at preparing candidates for the CISA examination by providing them with the knowledge and understanding they require to pass the exam, as defined by ISACA such as:
- IT Systems Auditors
- Internal and External Auditors
- Information Security Managers / Officers / Professionals
- Auditors involved in Information Security
- Financial and Operational Auditors.
Learners need to register for the CISA exam with ISACA (www.isaca.org) and in order to take the official examination, which is offered by ISACA annually in June and December.
Prerequisites
Registration for the CISA exam must be completed through ISACA International. Please visit the ISACA CISM page for more information on the exam and certification.
Exam Objectives
ISACA offers CISA candidates many study aid options including a review manual and sample review questions, answers and explanations.See www.isaca.org/cisaguide to view the ISACA study aids that can help you with your preparation of a successful study plan. Order early as delivery time can be from one to four weeks depending on geographic location and custom clearance practices. For current shipping information see www.isaca.org/shipping.
Exam Preparation
The CISA exam will cover six IS audit, control or security areas, each of which is further defined and detailed through task and knowledge statements. The examination follows a multiple-choice format and consists of one four-hour paper. The examination tests a candidate's knowledge of IS audit principles and practices as well as technical content areas. The exam covers one process and five content areas (domains) and those tasks that are routinely performed by a CISA.
Exam Curriculum
1) IS Audit Process: 10% of exam
2) IT Governance: 15% of exam
3) Systems and infrastructure lifecycle management: 16% of exam
4) IT service delivery and support: 14% of exam
5) Protection of information assets: 31% of exam
6) Business continuity and disaster recovery: 14% of exam
Administration of the CISA Exam
ISACA has contracted with an internationally recognized professional testing agency. This not-for-profit corporation engages in the development and administration of credentialing exams for certification and licensing purposes. It assists ISACA in the construction, administration and scoring of the CISA exam.
Admission Ticket
Approximately two to three weeks prior to the CISA exam date, candidates will receive a physical admission ticket and an e-ticket from ISACA. Tickets will indicate the date, registration time and location of the exam, as well as a schedule of events for that day and a list of materials candidates must bring with them to take the CISA exam.
Please click here for information on Analytix's independent CISA Review Course.