CISA EXAM
PREPARATION
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ABOUT THE
CISA EXAM
3 © Copyright 2016 ISACA. All rights reserved.
Welcome!
This program is designed to prepare you for success on
the CISA exam, one step in the process of becoming
certified.
The program will include:
o Information about the CISA exam and certification
o Detailed coverage of the body of knowledge required
by CISA
o Activities, exam discussion questions, and group
discussions
o Real-world examples of CISA subject matter
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CISA Certification
CISA certification benefits include:
Gives you a competitive
edge
Helps you achieve a high professional
standard
Confirms and demonstrates
your knowledge and experience
Quantifies and markets your experience
Provides global recognition as a
mark of excellence
Increases your value to your organization
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CISA Accreditation
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has accredited
CISA under ISO/IEC 17024:2012, General Requirements for
Bodies Operating Certification Schemes for Persons.
Accreditation by ANSI achieves the following:
o Promotes the unique qualifications and expertise ISACA’s
certifications provide
o Protects the integrity of the certifications and provides legal
defensibility
o Enhances consumer and public confidence in the
certifications and the people who hold them
o Facilitates mobility across borders or industries
More than 118,000 professionals have earned the CISA
certification since it was introduced in 1978.
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The CISA Exam
The CISA exam is offered three times a year, in June,
September and December.
Exam registration dates:
o Registration opens approximately eight months prior
to exam date.
o Early registration ends approximately five months
prior to exam date.
o Registration closes approximately eight weeks prior to
exam date.
Register at www.isaca.org.
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About the CISA Exam
The CISA Certification Working Group oversees the
development of the CISA exam, ensuring that the job
practice is properly tested.
The exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions
covering the CISA job practice domains.
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Job Practice
Domain 1: The
Process of Auditing
Information
Systems, 21%
Domain 2:
Governance and
Management of IT,
16%
Domain 3: Information
Systems Acquisition,
Development and
Implementation, 18%
Domain 5:
Protection of
Information Assets,
25%
Domain 4:
Information Systems
Operations,
Maintenance and
Service
Management, 20%
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Basis of the CISA Exam
The CISA exam is based on a job practice.
Topics that candidates are expected to understand are
described in a series of task and knowledge statements.
o Task statements describe the specific tasks the CISA
candidate should be able to perform.
o Knowledge statements are the knowledge areas
required in order for the candidate to perform the
tasks.
Test questions are specifically designed to validate that
the candidate possesses the knowledge to perform a
given task.
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Exam Questions
CISA exam questions are developed with the intent of
measuring and testing both of the following:
o Practical knowledge
o The application of general concepts and standards
All questions are multiple-choice and are designed for
one best answer from the four options given.
Scenario-based questions have the following features:
o Normally include a description of a situation
o Require you to answer two or more questions based
on the information provided
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Answering Exam Questions
Read each question carefully.
Eliminate known incorrect answers.
Make the best choice possible.
Identify key words or phrases in the question (e.g.,
MOST, BEST or FIRST) before selecting and recording
an answer.
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Answering Exam Questions (cont’d)
Read the provided instructions carefully before
attempting to answer questions.
o Skipping over these directions or reading them too
quickly could result in missing important information
and possibly losing credit points.
Answer all questions. There is no penalty for wrong
answers.
Grading is based solely on the number of questions
answered correctly.
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Exam Tips
Become familiar with the exact location of, and the best
travel route to, the exam site prior to the date of the
exam.
Arrive at the exam testing site at the time indicated on
the admission ticket, giving you time to sit down and get
acclimated.
The exam is administered over a four-hour period,
allowing for a little over 1.5 minutes per question.
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Exam Tips (cont’d)
Pace yourself to complete the entire exam by attempting
an average of 37.5 questions per hour.
The exam will be scored based on the answer sheet
recording only.
You are urged to record your answers directly on the
answer sheet, not in the question booklet.
No additional time will be given after the exam time has
elapsed to transfer answers if you record them in the
question booklet.
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Day of the Exam
Arrive at the testing site at the time indicated on your
admission ticket.
o Registered exam takers who do not sit for their exam
will forfeit their registration fee.
Candidates can use their admission tickets only at the
designated test center on the admission ticket.
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Day of the Exam (cont’d)
To be admitted into the test site, candidates must bring the
following:
o The email printout or a printout of the downloaded admission
ticket
o An acceptable form of photo identification, such as a driver’s
license, passport or government ID
• It must be a current and original government issued
identification.
• It must not be handwritten.
• It must contain both the candidate’s name as it appears on
the admission ticket and the candidate’s photograph.
Candidates who do not provide an acceptable form of
identification will not be allowed to sit for the exam and will forfeit
their registration fee.
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Exam Rules
Bring several no. 2 pencils. These will not be provided at
the exam site.
Do not bring the following into the exam site:
o Study materials (including notes, paper, books or
study guides), scratch paper or notepads
o Any type of communication, surveillance or recording
device (including, but not limited to, cell phones,
tablets, smart watches or eyewear and mobile
devices)
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Exam Rules (cont’d)
Candidates should dress to their own comfort level.
o As exam venues vary, every attempt will be made to
make the climate control comfortable at each exam
venue, but this cannot be guaranteed.
If you must leave the testing area, seek authorization or
accompaniment by a test proctor. Candidates who fail to
do so will not be allowed to return to the testing room
and will be subject to disqualification.
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Exam Scoring
Candidate scores are reported as a scaled score.
o A scaled score is a conversion of a candidate’s raw
score on the exam to a common scale.
o ISACA uses and reports scores on a common scale
from 150 to 800.
To pass, a candidate must receive a score of 450 or
higher, which represents a minimum consistent standard
of knowledge as established by ISACA’s CISA
Certification Working Group.
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The Score Report
Approximately a few weeks after the test date, the
official exam results will be mailed to candidates.
An email containing the candidate’s pass/fail status and
score will be sent to paid candidates, if they have given
permission for this.
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The Score Report (cont’d)
Each candidate who completes the CISA exam will
receive a score report.
o This score report contains a sub-score for each job
practice domain.
o These can be useful in identifying those areas in
which further study may be needed, should retaking
the exam be necessary.
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Certification Steps
To earn the CISA designation, the CISA candidate must
meet the following requirements:
1. Pass the CISA exam.
2. Submit an application (within five years of the exam
passing date) with verified evidence of a minimum of
at least five years of cumulative work experience
performing the tasks of a CISA professional.
3. Adhere to the ISACA Code of Professional Ethics.
4. Agree to comply with the CISA continuing education
policy.
5. Comply with the Information Systems Auditing
Standards.
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Q&A