CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor

What is CISA?

The CISA® (Certified Information Systems Auditor®) is a professional qualification offered by ISACA® (Information Systems Audit and Control Association). It is intended for people who want to specialise in the auditing, control and security of information systems.

The CISA qualification is a globally recognised measure of proficiency in information systems audit and control practices and principles.

What are the requirements for the CISA qualification?

The CISA certification is awarded to candidates with at least five years of relevant work experience who pass a rigorous written examination.

ISACA defines five CISA domains on which you will be examined:

• Domain 1 – Information Systems Auditing Process (21% of exam)
• Domain 2 – Governance and Management of IT (17% of exam)
• Domain 3 – Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation (12% of exam)
• Domain 4 – Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience (23% of exam)
• Domain 5 – Protection of Information Assets (27% of exam)

Please see the official ISACA ‘Get CISA Certified’ web page for more information.

How hard is the CISA exam?

The CISA exam is challenging, and requires a great deal of knowledge and understanding of information security concepts. However, many people have found success by studying hard and taking practice exams.

How much is the CISA exam fee?

You can buy a voucher to pay your CISA exam fee here, for £600 + VAT

Does CISA expire?

To maintain your CISA certification, you must earn and report a minimum of 120 CPE (continuing professional education) hours over 3 years, of which at least 20 hours must be earned each year. You must also pay an annual maintenance fee, comply with ISACA’s Code of Professional Ethics, abide by ISACA’s IT auditing standards and, if selected, comply with an annual CPE audit. See the ISACA website for more details.

How do you pass the CISA exam on the first attempt?

We recommend the following:

1. Check that you have the relevant five years of work experience to qualify or you can gain this experience within the next five years.
2. Purchase your training and exam here.
3. Register and schedule your exam with ISACA.
4. Plan a self-study programme that covers all the key knowledge domains.
5. Attend our CISA exam preparation training course 2 – 4 weeks before sitting the exam.

How to register and schedule the CISA exam

The CISA exam is offered via a CBT (computer-based testing) session available online or at a PSI exam centre all year round. All candidates must first register online directly with ISACA. You will then receive email instructions on how to schedule an exam appointment.

For further information, please review the ISACA Exam Candidate Guides.

Continuing professional education

The CPE policy for certified CISAs aims to keep them up to date on information systems audit, control and security.

The policy is overseen by the CISA Certification Board, which sets the requirements for maintaining certification. These include paying annual maintenance fees and completing at least 20 hours of CPE every year, or 120 hours over 3 years.

See the Maintain CISA Certification page on the ISACA website for further details.