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.
Book your place on the CISA course today
Our CISA Training Course has been specifically designed to ensure that you pass the ISACA CISA examination on the first attempt. This four-day Live Online course offers the perfect revision and preparation programme for the CISA exam.
CISA explained
Get answers to your burning questions here, or use the live chat on this page and we’ll connect you to a training expert.
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 ISACA website for more information.
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.
You can buy a voucher to pay your CISA exam fee here, for £600 + VAT.
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.
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.
"Any ISACA programme when followed through from study, to exams, to actual certification, provides greater recognition in the marketplace and influence at the executive level. It is not just about attending a course and passing the exam, it is about being able to demonstrate application of that knowledge and recognition of your work, management and educational experience."
- Paula Kench, CISA Training Course participant
Beyond CISA: CPE to maintain certification
The CPE (continuing professional education) 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.
After qualifying you need to:
- Pay annual maintenance fees to ISACA;
- Complete at least 20 hours of CPE every year (earning 20 CPD points), or 120 hours over 3 years.
- Provide evidence of the qualifying hours of CPE when you recertify after three years. Keep the CPD certificates from any qualifying activity to submit when you recertify.
Five ways to earn CPD points for CISA with IT Governance
Take one-day Foundation training courses Live Online with an instructor or via self-paced study. You will earn 7 CPD points for each Foundation training course, and can learn about ISO standards and regulations such as DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) and the NIS Directive (Directive on security of network and information systems). The Foundation course will help you decide whether to take further training to become a Certified Lead Auditor.
Explore Foundation courses.
You can train and qualify as an internal auditor or lead auditor in a range of ISO standards and regulations. These will help sharpen your core skills as an auditor while also giving you the specific knowledge you need about the standard in question. Most Lead Auditor courses will give you 21 or 28 CPD points.
Explore Lead Auditor courses.
Once you have taken one full Lead Auditor training course with IT Governance, you can take shorter, Lead Auditor Module courses in other standards and regulations. Modules are cost- and time-effective, and give you the specific knowledge without going back over core auditing skills such as performing a gap analysis.
Explore Lead Auditor Module courses.
Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn for news of webinars. We send attendees a CPD certificate for 1 CPD point. Just one webinar a month will give you more than 50% of the 20 CPD points per year needed to maintain your CISA certification.
Sign up for newsletters.
You can earn CPD points from all sorts of courses, including those focused on presentation skills or general leadership skills, as well as those aimed at senior executives with whom you will be liaising as an auditor.
Explore courses.
See the ISACA website for further details.
Pass first time with our eight-point plan
Follow these recommended steps, including an IT Governance CISA training course at which you will be given detailed strategies and techniques for passing the exam.
-
Check the criteria:
Check that you have the relevant five years of work experience to qualify for full certification if you pass the exam. If you don’t have this, will you gain the experience within the next five years?
-
Set a target date:
Set a target date for the exam, leaving at least eight weeks to study on your own, take a training course and revise thoroughly.
-
Book your training and exam:
Purchase your training course and exam from us. We will ensure you have all the study materials you need and can advise if you need extra support in a particular area. It’s an exam preparation course, so be sure not to leave too long between taking the training and sitting the exam: we recommend two to four weeks for final revision.
-
Book your exam date:
Register and schedule your exam with ISACA. We recommend booking the training, reading some of the material and then deciding on your exam date, working around holidays and key events in your diary.
-
Prepare to win:
Plan your study programme before the course. Then outline your revision programme to take you from the training course up to the date of the exam. You will get extra help with this on the training course. Make sure you cover all five knowledge domains.
-
Follow through consistently:
Stick to your study plan before and after the training course. Committing to a short period of study in a regular rhythm will establish good habits and you will gain confidence by keeping your promise. Get private coaching and mentoring from an instructor if you want extra help or advice. You can purchase mentoring by the hour.
-
Go all in with the training:
Give the training course your full attention. Turn off phones, avoid checking emails and get the most out of your time with the instructors.
-
Adopt winning strategies
Follow the tips and techniques for exam success that you learn on the training course as you revise, and during the exam.
Get in touch
If you are an IT professional looking to advance your career with the CISA qualification but have some questions, call our training team on +44 (0)1474 556685, or request a call using the form below. Our experts are ready and waiting with practical advice.
Contact us