Everything you need to know about the CIA Challenge Exam

Advancing your career as an internal auditor means earning your Certified Internal Auditor (CIA^®) certification. But if you already have a related professional certification, you may be eligible to join the streamlined CIA Challenge Exam program, which lets you get on the fast track to being a CIA. 

What is the CIA Challenge Exam 

The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA^®), governing body of the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA®) certification, developed the CIA Challenge Exam to provide certain qualified professionals with a fast-track option to the CIA credential. 

Whereas the normal process to becoming a Certified Internal Auditor requires you to fulfill specific education and experience and pass the three-part CIA Exam, the CIA Challenge Exam is a single-part exam and the only requirement (apart of application) to CIA certification. It builds upon your current credential’s knowledge and experience to offer a faster and more economical way to advance your internal auditing career as a CIA¹. 

CIA Challenge Exam eligibility 

The CIA Challenge Exam is designed for professionals who already possess solid professional experience and knowledge as demonstrated through specific, relevant credentials. You are eligible to apply for the CIA Challenge Exam option if you are one of the following: 

1. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Chartered Accountant (CA) with an active license from one of the following bodies: 
   • CPA license from any US State Board  
   • Association of Charted Certified Accountants (ACCA)® 
   • Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)® 
   • Chartered Accountants Ireland® 
   • Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada)® 
   • CPA Australia® 
   • FSR - Danske Revisorer 
   • EXPERTsuisse 
   • Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA)® 
   • Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (CPA Ireland)® 
   • Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK)® 
   • Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)® 
   • Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG)® 
   • Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) ™
   • Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)® 
   • Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU)™ 
   • Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA)® 
   • Koninklijke Nederlandse Beroepsorganisatie van Accountants (NBA)™ 
   • Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA)™ 
   • Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA)™ 
   • Registro Oficial de Auditores de Cuentas (ROAC)™ 
   • Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants (SOCPA)™ 
   • South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)™ 
   • State of Israel Ministry of Justice-Board of Accountants® 
2. An active Certified Information Systems AuditorTM (CISA) of ISACA 

Note that students are ineligible for the CIA Challenge Exam.² 

CIA Challenge Exam process 

Depending on your CIA Challenge Exam eligibility—either qualified accounting body (CPA or CA) or qualified information system auditor (CISA)—you will take a specific exam designed to cover the information essential for CIAs that wasn’t on the exam you took to earn your professional credential. Therefore, your CIA Challenge Exam eligibility will ultimately determine which of the two exam versions you take. However, other than the test itself, the processes for both groups are largely the same: 

1. Apply 
2. Prepare 
3. Take (and pass!) the CIA Challenge Exam 
    

Apply 

The IIA opens applications for the CIA Challenge Exam program annually from April – September. You must create a profile or log in to The IIA’s Certification Candidate Management System (CMMS), select “Apply for Certified Internal Auditor,” and then choose “CIA Challenge Program for Qualified Chartered Accountants and Certified Public Accountants.” 

After paying the application fee, you must upload a letter of good standing from the qualified accounting body or public registry, plus a government-issued ID. Once approved, you then have 180 days to register, schedule, and sit for your CIA Challenge Exam. 

Prepare 

Use these 180 days wisely to be ready for exam day. Within seven days of acceptance into the CIA Challenge Exam program, The IIA will send you an email invitation to access the Challenge Exam Study Guide. You will activate 12-month online access to these materials and use the study guide to inform your preparation. 

If you’re a CPA or CA, you can also purchase an additional exam review course that provides you with everything you need to understand the standards of internal audit and pass the CIA Challenge Exam on your first try. 

Take (and pass!) the CIA Challenge Exam 

Testing windows are June, August, November, and February each year and you can schedule your exam for the first time during any of these months. Remember that you have to complete the program within 180 days of acceptance. 

It’s also important to understand that one exam fee is included in the price of your CIA Challenge Exam package. However, if you fail this attempt, you will have to pay $845 - $995 to sit for the exam again; but, you can schedule a retake all year round. The IIA policy limits your number of exam attempts to eight per program eligibility window. 

About 24 hours after completing the exam at one of the Pearson VUE testing centers across the country, you will receive an email notification to view your score report. You must earn at least 600 (of a total 750) points to pass.³ 

After passing the CIA Challenge Exam—congratulations!—you officially complete the program and join the network of certified CIAs who together work to advance the practice of internal auditing. You must maintain your credential through annual renewal and completing continuing professional education (CPE) requirements.

2026 updates to the CIA Challenge Exam 

May 2025 marks the inauguration of the new CIA Exam changes, which have been updated to align with The IIA’s most current Global Internal Audit Standards. The CIA Challenge Exam will follow suit with updates in 2026, with exact dates coming later this year. 

Learn more about being a CIA 

As the golden standard for internal auditor credentials, the CIA certification comes with many benefits and career-changing opportunities. Learn more about being a CIA in our free CIA Exam guide ebook!