Exam Details
ISACA · CISA
Audit, control, and assess enterprise IT systems and security practices effectively.
Practice with ExamOS for ISACA Certified Information Security Auditor. Learn daily with scenario-based questions, timed quizzes, detailed explanations, and exam-style difficulty.
Who is this for?
Level: Advanced. This globally recognized exam focuses on auditing, controlling, and monitoring information systems. While anyone can sit for the exam to earn the CISA Associate designation, ISACA strictly requires a minimum of five years of professional experience in IS auditing, control, or security to claim the full official certification.
Are you ready?
You are fully prepared if you can expertly evaluate enterprise systems, identify critical control gaps, and accurately explain how organizations manage risk and governance compliance. Challenge your auditing expertise with our rigorous scenario-based quizzes!
Overview
The Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification is designed for professionals responsible for auditing, controlling, and monitoring information systems. It focuses on governance, risk management, compliance, and audit processes. The exam covers areas such as IT governance, system acquisition and implementation, operations management, and protection of information assets. Candidates are expected to understand how to evaluate controls, identify risks, and ensure compliance with policies and regulations. CISA is less about implementing systems and more about assessing whether systems are secure, reliable, and aligned with business objectives. It is particularly relevant for professionals involved in auditing, compliance, and risk management. This certification is widely recognized across industries, especially in organizations with strong regulatory requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government. Roles aligned with CISA include IT auditor, risk analyst, and compliance specialist. It is often pursued by professionals looking to move into governance and audit-focused positions.
FAQ
The CISA exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions that must be completed within a 4-hour (240-minute) window. The questions are designed to test both knowledge and the practical application of auditing principles.
ISACA uses a scaled scoring system ranging from 200 to 800 points. To successfully pass the exam, a candidate must achieve a minimum scaled score of 450.
The exam is divided into five specific domains that reflect the duties of an IT auditor:
Most candidates use the official ISACA CISA Review Manual and the Questions, Answers & Explanations (QAE) Database. To supplement these materials and gain experience with the specific logic used in the test, ExamOS offers scenario-based practice quizzes that build real exam confidence.
The cost of the exam depends on your ISACA membership status. For members, the registration fee is typically $575 USD, while non-members are charged $760 USD. These prices do not include membership dues or study materials.
If you do not pass on your first attempt, you must wait 30 days before you can retake the exam. A third attempt requires a 60-day waiting period, and a fourth attempt requires a 90-day waiting period. You are limited to a maximum of four attempts within any rolling twelve-month period.
To maintain the CISA designation, you must comply with the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) policy. This requires earning and reporting a minimum of 20 CPE hours annually and a total of 120 CPE hours over a fixed three-year cycle. You must also pay an annual maintenance fee.
The CISA is targeted at IT auditors, risk analysts, and compliance specialists. While anyone can take the exam, obtaining the actual certification requires providing evidence of five years of professional work experience in IS auditing, control, or security. Some waivers are available for university degrees or related experience.
The CISA is highly respected in the finance, healthcare, and government sectors, often acting as a mandatory requirement for senior audit roles. However, it is important to understand that the role is heavily administrative and focused on documentation; it does not typically lead to "hands-on" technical engineering roles. It is a path toward governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) leadership rather than technical implementation.
After mastering the audit perspective, professionals often look to broaden their expertise with other certifications: