The Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) credential is the leading designation for internal auditors. Governed by The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA), the CIA certification sets you up with advanced expertise and reputation for career advancement. But how hard is the CIA Exam? What is the CIA Exam pass rate—and is that an indication of its difficulty?
Learn the current CIA Exam pass rate, how the exam is scored, and the best way to make sure that you are ready to pass on exam day.
Summary
The latest global CIA Exam pass rates, published annually by The IIA’s Professional Certifications Board, are 44% for Part 1, 48% for Part 2, and 56% for Part 3, with the streamlined CIA Challenge exam at 47%. These rates reflect candidate preparedness more than inherent exam difficulty, but adequate review for the CIA Exam can guide candidates to be ready to pass.
How is the CIA Exam scored?
While not all CIA Exam Parts have the same number of questions—Part 1 has 125, while Part 2 and Part 3 have 100 each—each Part has a passing score of 600 points minimum.
The IIA makes this possible by using a scaled scoring system. In other words, the number of questions you answer correctly (raw score) is converted into a scaled point system ranging from 250 to a maximum 750 points. As stated, a passing score requires at least 600 points on each exam.
Upon completing your exam, you’ll receive an informal score report. The IIA then validates this report and sends you an official score by email within about 24-48 hours. If you fail the CIA Exam, your score report will include a diagnostic breakdown of your performance in each content area, helping you focus your study to prepare to retake the exam.
What is the CIA Exam pass rate?
The IIA’s Professional Certifications Board annually publishes the pass rate for each CIA Exam Part. Currently, the CIA Exam global pass rates are:
- Part 1: 44%
- Part 2: 48%
- Part 3: 56%
- CIA Challenge Exam: 47%
It’s important to note that there aren’t the same number of candidates sitting for each exam part during any given year. Likewise, pass rates don’t necessarily indicate an exam’s difficulty, but rather, students’ preparedness to pass.
How can I increase my chances of passing the CIA Exam?
The best way to ensure that you’ll pass the CIA Exam is by investing the time and effort to prepare with a trusted CIA Exam Review course—one that will help you know what to study, give you the tools to understand the material, and pace your preparation to be ready on exam day. Becker partnered with The IIA to create the only CIA Exam Review made with the team who wrote the exam.
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