If you already hold a recognised professional qualification, earning the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation does not have to mean sitting three separate exams. The CIA Challenge Exam, offered by The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), offers an alternative route to the CIA for professionals who meet specific credential or experience requirements, allowing them to pursue the designation without taking the traditional three-part exam.
The exam at a glance
- Format: one multiple-choice exam
- Questions: 150
- Time: 180 minutes (3 hours), which is about 1 minute 12 seconds per question
- Focus: the advanced application of internal audit knowledge across governance, risk management, control and engagement practices, aligned with the Global Internal Audit Standards
Who can take it
The IIA offers three pathways:
- Accounting: for qualified CPA and CA holders from approved accounting bodies
- Information systems: for qualified CISA holders
- Professional: for eligible professionals with at least 10 years of internal audit or related experience. The pilot application window closed on September 30, 2026, check The IIA’s Professional pathway page for future updates.
Applications for the accounting and information systems pathways are open year round.
One exam though not an easy exam
The Challenge Exam is shorter than the three-part route, but it is not less rigorous. You cover the core internal audit content in one sitting, and you are tested on how well you apply it. The IIA confirms the CIA Challenge Exam has 150 multiple-choice questions and a three-hour time limit. It also uses a scaled passing score of 600.
What to do next
- Confirm your eligibility on The IIA’s website. Check The IIA’s official CIA Challenge Exam website to confirm that you qualify and review the application requirements.
- Register and plan your exam date. After registration, you generally have 180 days to schedule and sit the exam, subject to the available testing windows. Check the official exam guidance before registering.
- Prepare with us. Our programmes at CIA Challenge Exam with Mustafa map the current syllabus to the Global Internal Audit Standards and combine live classes, on-demand lessons and practice questions, so you study what is tested and learn how to answer it.
- Plan your exam day as carefully as your study. Read our guide, Knowledge Is Not Enough: The Exam Day Mistakes That Cost Candidates the Pass.
If you want a clear plan and a guide who has been through it, explore our training programmes and choose the support that fits you.