Certified Information Systems Auditor
What is CISA?
The Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) is a certification and a globally recognized standard for appraising an IT auditor’s knowledge, expertise, and skill in assessing vulnerabilities and instituting IT controls in an enterprise environment.
This certification is issued by ISACA to people in charge of ensuring an organization’s IT and business systems are monitored, managed, and protected.
Whether you are seeking a new career opportunity or striving to grow within your current organization, a CISA certification proves your expertise in these work-related domains:
1. Information Systems Auditing Process
2. Governance and Management of IT
3. Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
4. Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
About the CISA Exam
The CISA exam lasts four hours and consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. The exam tests candidates’ knowledge of five job practice domains, as mentioned above. Candidates must score 450 to pass the exam. The exam scores on a scale between 200 and 800.
Who is eligible for attempting the CISA exam ?
A candidate need not have any prior qualification to be eligible for attempting the CISA Exam. However, to obtain the CISA certification, you must fulfill the working experience requirements. This means you have two options of how to do it:
- Take the exam first and then accumulate the work experience
- Get the work experience first, which often helps make passing the exam easier
How to become CISA certified ?
1. Register for the CISA Exam
There is no prerequisite to take the CISA exam. However, the CISA certification would add value as a professional, and the first step is to register for the exam.
2. Complete the CISA Exam
The exam is available to take any time because of online proctoring. Anyone can take the exam as long as they pay the registration fees. Once you register, you have a 365-day window to take and pass the exam.
3. Fulfill the Experience Requirement
This is actually the stricter part of the CISA certification process. You need to have at least 5 years of experience in information system auditing, control or security.
The work experiencee must be gained within 10 years preceding the application date, or within 5 years from the date of passing the exam.
However, substitutes to work experience may be applied for a maximum of 3 of the 5 required years.