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HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR WITH POWERSUP CIA REVIEW

Contents
1.

Eligibility, Certification and Continued Professional Education ......................................................................... 2

Continued Professional Education (CPE) .......................................................................................................................... 2

2.

CIA Exam Content .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

CIA 2013 Exam Syllabus, Part 1 Internal Audit Basics .............................................................................................................. 3

CIA 2013 Exam Syllabus, Part 2 Internal Audit Practice ........................................................................................................... 4
CIA 2013 Exam Syllabus, Part 3 Internal Audit Practice ........................................................................................................... 5

3.

Applying for the CIA program and taking exams .................................................................................................... 7

4.

PRC Study plan ................................................................................................................................................................ 8

Study Stages Make it the Powers Up way! ............................................................................................................................... 8

Study Stage One: Understand .................................................................................................................................................. 8
Study Stage Two: Apply ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Study stage 3: Perfect ............................................................................................................................................................... 8

5.

About the CIA Exam ....................................................................................................................................................... 9

6. Exam Day Experience ..................................................................................................................................................10

Before you go to the exam ........................................................................................................................................................10
During the exam ........................................................................................................................................................................11

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HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR WITH POWERSUP CIA REVIEW

1.

Eligibility, Certification and Continued Professional Education

Eligibility and certification requirements are not identical:

You must meet ONE of the below requirements in order to be eligible to sit for CIA exam:

Holding a bachelors degree or its equivalent from an accredited College-level institution.

Being a full-time undergraduate degree student in your senior year.
Completing more than 90 percent of the academic requirements needed for a degree (in the United
States, approximately 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours of degree credits at an accredited collegelevel institution).
Holding an International Professional Designation approved by the board of Regents that may be
accepted as equivalent to a bachelors degree.

To become certified
You may sit for the exam, based on your eligibility requirements, prior to satisfying the certification requirements,
but you will not be certified until you meet ALL of the following:

Pass the three parts of the exam.

Complete a minimum of 2 years experience in internal auditing or its equivalent. Either a Masters degree
or work experience in related business professions (such as accounting, law, or finance) can substitute for
one-year experience.
Must have your work experience verified by a CIA or your supervisor.
Must exhibit high moral and professional character and must submit a Character Reference Form signed
by a CIA, CGAP, CCSA, CFSA, CRMA, or the candidate's supervisor.

Continued Professional Education (CPE)

Upon certification, CIAs are required to maintain their knowledge and skills and stay abreast of improvements and
current developments.
A CIA who is performing internal auditing functions must complete a total of 40 hours of acceptable CPE every
year. Non-practicing, retired, and inactive CIAs have different CPE requirements. Please refer to the CIA handbook
published by the IIA for further details.

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HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR WITH POWERSUP CIA REVIEW

2.

CIA Exam Content

CIA 2013 Exam Syllabus, Part 1 Internal Audit Basics

125 questions | 2.5 Hours (150 minutes)
The new CIA exam Part 1 topics tested include aspects of mandatory guidance from the IPPF; internal control and
risk concepts; as well as tools and techniques for conducting internal audit engagements. Note: All items in this
section of the syllabus will be tested at the Proficiency knowledge level unless otherwise indicated below.
I. Mandatory Guidance (35-45%)
A. Definition of Internal Auditing
B. Code of Ethics
C. International Standards
II. Internal Control / Risk (25-35%) Awareness Level (A)
A. Types of Controls (e.g., preventive, detective, input, output, etc.)
B. Management Control Techniques
C. Internal Control Framework Characteristics and Use (e.g., COSO, Cadbury)
D. Alternative Control Frameworks
E. Risk Vocabulary and Concepts
F. Fraud Risk Awareness
III. Conducting Internal Audit Engagements Audit Tools and Techniques (28-38%)
A. Data Gathering (Collect and analyze data on proposed engagements):
B. Data Analysis and Interpretation:
C. Data Reporting
D. Documentation / Work Papers
E. Process Mapping, Including Flowcharting
F. Evaluate Relevance, Sufficiency, and Competence of Evidence

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CIA 2013 Exam Syllabus, Part 2 Internal Audit Practice

100 questions | 2.0 Hours (120 minutes)
The new CIA exam Part 2 topics tested include managing the internal audit function via the strategic and
operational role of internal audit and establishing a risk-based plan; the steps to manage individual engagements
(planning, supervision, communicating results, and monitoring outcomes); as well as fraud risks and controls.
Note: All items in this section of the syllabus will be tested at the Proficiency knowledge level unless otherwise
indicated below.
I. Managing the Internal Audit Function (40-50%)
A. Strategic Role of Internal Audit
B. Operational Role of IA
C. Establish Risk-Based IA Plan
II. Managing Individual Engagements (40-50%)
A. Plan Engagements
B. Supervise Engagement
C. Communicate Engagement Results
D. Monitor Engagement Outcomes
III. Fraud Risks and Controls (5-15%)
A. Consider the potential for fraud risks and identify common types of fraud associated with the engagement area
during the engagement planning process
B. Determine if fraud risks require special consideration when conducting an engagement
C. Determine if any suspected fraud merits investigation
D. Complete a process review to improve controls to prevent fraud and recommend changes
E. Employ audit tests to detect fraud
F. Support a culture of fraud awareness, and encourage the reporting of improprieties
G. Interrogation/investigative techniques Awareness Level (A)
H. Forensic auditing Awareness Level (A)

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CIA 2013 Exam Syllabus, Part 3 Internal Audit Practice

100 questions | 2.0 Hours (120 minutes)
The new CIA exam Part 3 topics tested include governance and business ethics; risk management; organizational
structure, including business processes and risks; communication; management and leadership principles;
information technology and business continuity; financial management; and the global business environment.
Note: All items in this section of the syllabus will be tested at the Awareness knowledge level unless otherwise
indicated below.
I. Governance / Business Ethics (5-15%)
A. Corporate/Organizational Governance Principles Proficiency Level (P)
B. Environmental and Social Safeguards
C. Corporate Social Responsibility
II. Risk Management (10-20%)- Proficiency Level (P)
A. Risk Management Techniques
B. Organizational Use of Risk Frameworks
III. Organizational Structure/Business Processes and Risks (15-25%)
A. Risk/Control Implications of Different Organizational Structures
B. Structure (e.g., centralized/decentralized)
C. Typical Schemes in Various Business Cycles (e.g., procurement, sales, knowledge, supply-chain management)
D. Business Process Analysis (e.g., workflow analysis and bottleneck management, theory of constraints)
E. Inventory Management Techniques and Concepts
F. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)/Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)/E-commerce
G. Business Development Life Cycles
H. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Framework
I. Outsourcing Business Processes
IV. Communication (5-10%)
A. Communication (e.g., the process, organizational dynamics, impact of computerization)
B. Stakeholder Relationships

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V. Management / Leadership Principles (10-20%)

A. Strategic Management
B. Organizational Behavior
C. Management Skills/Leadership Styles
D. Conflict Management
E. Project Management / Change Management
VI. IT / Business Continuity (15-25%)
A. Security
B. Application Development
C. System Infrastructure
D. Business Continuity
VII. Financial Management (13-23%)
A. Financial Accounting and Finance
B. Managerial Accounting
VIII. Global Business Environment (0-10%)
A. Economic / Financial Environments
B. Cultural / Political Environments
C. Legal and Economics General Concepts (e.g., contracts)
D. Impact of Government Legislation and Regulation on Business (e.g., trade legislation)

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HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR WITH POWERSUP CIA REVIEW

3.

Applying for the CIA program and taking exams

Download the most recent CIA handbook published by the IIA and read through it.

Create a profile on the IIAs CCMS (Certification Candidate Management System):

If you have not previously applied to an IIA certification program, you must first create a profile in the
Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS). To do so, go to www.globaliia.org/certification and
click on the link to the CCMS. You will be directed to the CCMS login page. Click on the First Time Users link
on the right, read and agree to the terms of use, and complete the New Profile page.
Log in to the CCMS and click on the Complete a Form link to complete an application form. Select the
application form for the certification of your choice and complete the required information.

Submit an exam part application

Wait 48 hours to schedule your exam

Create an account on www.pearsonvue.com/iia

Schedule your exam: You may schedule your exam at any IIA-authorized Pearson VUE test center at any time
that the center has an available testing station for you.

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HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR WITH POWERSUP CIA REVIEW

4.

PRC Study plan

o

Planning is your key to success. You should create a study plan as early as possible.

Have a general overview of the three CIA exam parts will help you better plan your study.

After taking a general idea of all the topics covered in the CIA exam its time to set up a broad
plan. Your plan should include rough dates of sitting for exams, and study hours per section.

Periodically visit the IIAs website (www.theiia.org) to stay abreast of all updates and developments
related to the CIA program. You can also subscribe to our weekly/monthly newsletter that will keep you
posted on any updates.

Study Stages Make it the Powers Up way!

Understand
Apply
Perfect
Study Stage One: Understand
- Structure you study around PRCs division of content into Domains and Sections. Start with a certain section: For
example: Section A of Domain I of Part One: Definition of Internal Auditing.
- Read the selected section thoroughly from your textbook.
- Short focused study sessions are far better than long study sessions.
- Do not overstress yourself. You shouldnt be studying ALL the time. You should have some rest as well.
- Once you understand the content of the section you are ready move to stage two.
Study Stage Two: Apply
Now its time to attempt multiple choice questions.
-

Use the questions tools correctly: Whenever you answer a question incorrectly, you should read the answer
explanations to understand why your answer is incorrect, and to know what topic you need to focus on.
During the early stages of studying, do not worry about timing your multiple choice answers. At this stage you
should carefully read the questions and answers without worrying about time; your average time per question will
improve as you progress.
At first attempt you will get between 60 to 75%, do not move to the next section until you get at least 85% to 90%.
Whenever you do not reach the 85% to 90% correct answers target you should go back to Stage One and re-read
the section/topic.

Study stage 3: Perfect

Once you have covered all the topics of a certain part you are ready to move to stage three of your preparation plan:
Perfection.
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In this stage you should focus on:

A. Noting your weaknesses and focusing on them.
- Flashcards
Flashcards are very useful at this stage. Reading through the textbooks could be a bit boring at this stage as
you are familiar with most of the topics. Go through the flashcards eliminating those you know very well until
you are left with a few flashcards that are challenging to you and focus on them. You may want to go over the
topic(s) in the textbook to focus on the particular topic(s) covered by those flashcards you have filtered.
- Repeat... Repeat... Repeat... Repetition makes perfect. Repeat as much as it takes until you feel confident that
you will pass your exam.

B. Developing exam taking techniques and skills.

Now is the time to take full exams (exam simulations) using PRCs preparation tool: PowersUp Simulator
Having perfected the exam topics and answered as many practice questions as possible is essential to pass the exam, but
you also need to develop the necessary skills and strategies to pass a multiple choice exam. Time management is the most
important skill. The below tips are very helpful too.
-

Create exam like environment: Switch off your mobile, log out of Facebook, Skype If you live with your family
inform them not to disturb you during your exam simulation session.
The computer screen has a built-in timer to let you know the time remaining as you work through the exam. Plan
your time wisely so that you do not use your time up early in the exam and do not have enough time to complete
the exam.
Read the question before you look at the answers.
The testing system allows you to flag questions for review and allows you to return to these items after you have
viewed the last question in the exam. If you have completed the last question in the exam before the time is up,
you will be able to review your flagged questions and any other questions until your testing time expires.
Do not attempt long and/or difficult questions; mark them and move on.
Once you have attempted all short and easy questions return to the difficult/long questions.
Attempt ALL questions. Theres no penalty on wrong attempts.
"Funny" responses are usually wrong.
"All of the above" is often a correct response if you can verify that more than one of the other responses is
probably correct.
Eliminate answers you know aren't right.
Read all the choices before choosing your answer.
Don't keep on changing your answer; usually your first choice is the right one, unless you misread the question.

5.

About the CIA Exam

The more you know about the exam the higher are your chances of success. Make sure you have the correct up-todate information about the number of questions in each part, the time allocated for each part, etc... You will find
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HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR WITH POWERSUP CIA REVIEW

below the current breakdown of the CIA exam:

All CIA questions are multiple-choice. Each provides four options from which you must choose your answer.

Each exam contains scored and un-scored questions. Each scored question contributes equally to your final
test score and is pretested to ensure statistical validity.
o

Un-scored questions are included on each exam for the purpose of determining the difficulty of these
items only. They do not contribute to your exam score.

Your raw score is calculated based on the number of scored questions that you answer correctly and
then converted to a reporting scale that ranges from 250 to 750 points.

A score of 600 (Equivalent to 75%) or higher on this scale is required to pass an IIA exam.

If you do not pass the test, the score report will indicate the numeric score that you received. This will
let you know how close you were to achieving the required 600 points.

A non-electronic language translation dictionary is allowed in the exam room. If you are taking the
exam in a language other than your native language you will find this handy.

You will be offered an erasable note board and pen on which you can take notes during the exam.

No other items, papers, food or drink are allowed at the examination site.

6. Exam Day Experience

Before you go to the exam
-

View the exam tutorial published on the IIAs website. The tutorial introduces you to the tools and features
available during the CIA exams; such as marking questions, moving between questions, returning to marked
questions, etc.
Locate your exam testing center as early as possible. Visit your exam center at least one day before your exam
date to make sure you have the correct address and you plan for your exam day rout.
If the exam center is hours away from you home, arrange for a hotel reservation in a hotel located near the testing
center. This will help you avoid the hassle of last minute traffic jams, flight time changes..
Have a good night sleep before your exam day.
Arrange for a light breakfast.

Wear comfortable layers of clothing. You can NOT leave the exam room once your exam starts. Wearing layers of
clothing will be convenient in case you felt too cold or too hot during your exam.

Plan to arrive at the exam site at least half an hour before the exam.
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HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR WITH POWERSUP CIA REVIEW

Remember to have the following items on you:

Authorization letter.
Valid photo identification.

During the exam

-

Maintain your positive attitude before and during the exam; do not panic if you encounter difficulties while
studying or while doing the exam.

Read the exam instructions carefully.

You will be provided with earplugs and a notebook and some pencils.

Do NOT leave the exam room until you are instructed to do so.

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HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR WITH POWERSUP CIA REVIEW

THIS IS WHY I PASSED THE CIA

EXAM

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@PowersResources

By Bob Sabra

I would like to take this opportunity to thank

all the team involved in implementing and
continuously improving the Powers
Resources Review Course. I really enjoyed
studying for the CIA exam with PRCs
interactive and very easy to grasp system.
The flexible format makes topics smooth to
absorb. The one-on-one faculty support that I
personally received was also very
contributive to my success.
I am very grateful to have came across
PowersUp as it led me to a highly efficient
and effective studying journey, and eventually
to becoming a CIA!

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HOW TO BECOME A CERTIFIED INTERNAL AUDITOR WITH POWERSUP CIA REVIEW

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