r/CISA

How long after you file your experience paperwork does it take ISACA to provide your official CISA certification?

Hi guys passed cisa in first attempt thanks to this sub i have passed the exam any one needs any help do message me thank you 🙂

I took the exam 2 weeks ago and got the official results today.

I actually started studying last year, but I needed to put a pause on studying due to work/other life circumstances picking up. I was studying around 2-3 hours a day the 2 months leading up to my exam date.

I used the following materials to study:

1. QAE

2. The Official Review Manual (read from cover to cover)

3. Doshi's Official Study Guide (I borrowed the book from my library, so I didn't get access to the book's practice questions)

4. Doshi's UDEMY course

5. Prabh Singh's YouTube videos

6. This subreddit

The UDEMY course and the QAE were the most useful in my preparation. In my opinion, the QAE is essential for practicing answering questions with the ISACA mindset, and then a secondary study material is essential for learning the content and understanding the concepts.

There were a fair amount of questions on the exam that were not covered by any of the study materials listed above. I have 6 years of experience as an IT Auditor, and I had to rely on that to answer those.

A few of my coworkers took the exam recently, and their opinions vastly differed. Some of my coworkers found the exam easy and think just Doshi's course covered the entire exam. Others said that the exam mirrored the QAE. One said that the exam was much harder than the QAE.

I was averaging 70% on the QAE and practice exams.

Feel free to comment below or DM me with any questions.

I’m prepping for CISA and was burning out on giant PDFs and question banks.

I learn better with stories, simple illustrations, mnemonics, and quick recall questions, so I turned the whole CISA outline into a free online picture book.

It’s just my personal study project, no paywall, no signup:
https://www.steadycert.com/cisa.html

If you’re also studying and try it, I’d love any honest feedback on what helps or sucks.

If you're also interested in building better study materials for any subject, let's get in touch and exchange pointers!

I took Jacob Bushong Udemy course to prepare for the CISA and also went through all questions in the modules in the QAE database and scored a 70% and 75% on the practice exams. I also had ChatGPT ask me hard audit questions and target my weak areas. I don’t think there’s anymore studying could do that would drastically get me ready for the exam. I am taking the exam Saturday any advice?

In reading the literature for PSI remote proctoring, it says that your hands must be visible at all times during the exam…. How is that possible with a built in laptop webcam (they don’t specify a requirement for external webcam, either)?

Or am I misreading this somehow… or possibly the requirement is not enforced?

Any insight is appreciated!

Scheduled my exam today for a few weeks out. I took practice test 1 a few weeks ago and scored a 77, took test 2 and scored a 75.

Scoring between 70 and 80’s on the QAE. Except for development as I am in the low 60’s on that.

Figure I will hit that area hard the next week and should be sting enough in the other areas.

Any advice?

Hi everyone, I have study materials from 2020 and recently heard that the syllabus was updated in 2024. How significant are the changes? Would it still be possible to prepare and pass using the older materials, or do I need to get the updated ones?

I am a pre-final year student in CSE (cybersecurity) i recently browsed the ISACA website gone through the membership benefits but i am confused if i should purchase the membership or not, it costs me around $30 (inclusive of local dues). are there really networking benefits? roadmaps?
Would love to get any feedback

I am looking for CiSA certified candidates for mumbai location - in cyber security/info security. 2 roles, 4-7 years and 7-12 years of exp.

This community played a big role in helping me prepare for the exam, so I wanted to share what worked for me.

I studied for about 45 days using just two resources:

a) the official ISACA Review Manual

b) the official QAE database

My approach was simple but consistent around five hours of study daily, split between late nights and early mornings. I focused on truly understanding the material rather than rushing through it. One thing that helped a lot was making my own notes while studying. Writing things down in my own words made it much easier to retain concepts across domains and sub-domains.

Background: I come from a legal background and started my career in compliance and legal audit. About 2.5 years ago, I transitioned into a Big 4 firm and have been working as part of the cyber team since.

Note: I’m also a mother to a 1-year-old and managed this journey single-handedly. It wasn’t easy, but it’s definitely doable with discipline and consistency.

All the best to everyone preparing you’ve got this! 🍀💃🏻

Edit: my score is 505, i am unable to upload a picture here :(

I condensed my CISA review sheet into the main patterns that kept repeating across domains, and the biggest takeaway is this:

CISA is usually testing whether you can think like an IS auditor, not a system administrator.
The correct answer is often the one tied to governance, risk, evidence quality, process, independence, or business alignment, rather than the one that sounds the most technically hands-on.

Here is the framework that made the exam much easier for me:

1. Start higher-level before going lower-level
   When a question asks what should happen first, the answer is usually something foundational:

• identify assets and processes
• understand the environment
• assess risk
• confirm policy, authority, or governance
• establish requirements before jumping into control selection or remediation

A good example from the sheet is the “golden rule”: you cannot protect or audit what you have not identified and mapped. That logic shows up constantly in audit, security, asset management, and risk questions.

2. Think risk and business impact before technical detail
   CISA questions are very often anchored in business context:

• risk appetite drives how much risk the organization will accept
• business cases justify projects through ROI and strategic alignment
• post-implementation review focuses on benefits realization and operational readiness
• BIA comes before disaster recovery strategy because it defines critical processes, RTO, and RPO

If an answer connects security, governance, or audit activity to business objectives, materiality, or organizational risk, that answer is usually stronger than one focused only on technical implementation.

3. Independence matters more than “being helpful”
   One of the easiest traps is choosing the answer where the auditor fixes the problem directly. The review sheet emphasizes the opposite:

• do not audit a system you designed or implemented within the last year
• do not get involved in the “fix” because it creates a self-review threat
• suspected fraud should be escalated through the reporting chain, such as notifying the audit manager
• auditors assess, report, and recommend; they do not become operators or implementers

That mindset alone eliminates a surprising number of wrong answers.

4. Evidence quality has a clear hierarchy
   For questions asking for the best or most reliable evidence:

• highest reliability: physical observation and external confirmation
• lowest reliability: oral representations and interviews

So if you see a choice involving direct observation, independent validation, or external confirmation, it usually outranks internal discussion or verbal assurance.

5. Learn the language traps
   The review sheet has a useful “trap word” decoder, and it matches how many CISA questions are written:

• FIRST → think inventory, planning, risk assessment, policies
• BEST evidence → think independent testing or physical observation
• PRIMARY basis → think risk, business strategy, board direction, or steering alignment
• MOST concerning → think root cause, large-scale impact, total data loss, or lack of prevention
• GREATEST risk → think unauthorized access or severe operational/human impact
• MOST effective → think automation or preventive/technical controls
• LEAST likely → eliminate the strongest three and look for the outlier

This is not just test-taking technique. It reflects how ISACA frames audit judgment.

6. Know the “owner” and “committee” distinctions
   A lot of questions test role clarity:

• the audit charter gives audit authority and should be approved by the board or audit committee
• the IT strategy committee is board-level and focuses on strategy and risk appetite
• the IT steering committee is management-level and focuses on prioritization, resources, and project tracking
• the data owner is responsible for data classification

These distinctions are easy points if you memorize who owns what.

7. Memorize the high-yield pairs
   Some concepts are almost automatic once you lock in the pairing:

• Attribute sampling = compliance / yes-no testing
• Variable sampling = substantive / monetary or quantity-based testing
• Inherent risk = risk with no controls assumed
• Control risk = risk controls fail
• Detection risk = risk auditor misses the issue
• Audit risk = risk of the wrong audit conclusion
• QA = prevents defects in the process
• QC = detects defects in the product
• IDS = detective control
• IPS = preventive control
• Symmetric encryption = fast, bulk data encryption
• Asymmetric encryption = key exchange, digital signatures
• Digital signature = integrity + nonrepudiation
• Digital envelope = confidentiality via encrypted symmetric key
• Incremental backup = fast backup, slower restore
• Differential backup = slower backup, faster restore
• Hot site = hours
• Warm site = days
• Cold site = weeks

These pairings show up repeatedly and are worth drilling until automatic.

8. In resilience questions, start with BIA
   For business continuity and disaster recovery:

• BIA is the prerequisite because it identifies critical processes and determines RTO/RPO
• RTO is the maximum acceptable downtime
• RPO is the maximum acceptable data loss measured in time

If the exam asks what should come before choosing a DR site, setting recovery strategy, or funding resilience improvements, BIA is often the answer.

9. In security questions, focus on liability, admissibility, and control purpose
   A few examples from the sheet:

• forensics: chain of custody is essential for legal admissibility
• asset disposal: the real issue is not the hardware, it is the data, so data sanitization comes first
• incident response: the sheet highlights lessons learned as critical for continuous improvement
• security findings should be evaluated in terms of risk and materiality before jumping to fixes

That framing helps distinguish audit answers from purely operational ones.

10. The “ISACA first move” model is extremely useful
    This was one of the most practical sections in the review sheet:

• New audit → identify/evaluate environment
• Risk assessment → threat identification
• Suspected fraud → notify audit manager
• System failure → follow emergency procedure
• Security finding → risk assessment / quantify materiality
• Asset disposal → data sanitization

That sequence captures how CISA wants you to think under pressure: preserve governance, preserve independence, and prioritize risk correctly.

The exam mindset that helped me most:
Read the last sentence of the question first. The sheet explicitly calls this out. In many cases, the final line changes what the question is really asking, and once you identify that, you can eliminate the attractive but wrong “consultant” answers much faster.

Overall, my summary of CISA would be:

Think governance before operations, risk before remediation, evidence before opinion, and independence before intervention.

That shift made the domains feel much more connected instead of memorizing them as separate topics.

For experienced audit professionals, passing the CIA Challenge Exam is less about random reading and more about judgment-based practice aligned to real audit decision-making.

This PDF is a premium scenario-based practice resource for candidates who want to strengthen risk thinking, control evaluation, governance judgment, root-cause logic, and best-audit-conclusion skills—the areas that often separate a pass from a fail.

If you are serious about first-attempt success, save this PDF, work through every scenario carefully, and revisit the logic behind each answer.
📌 Best use:
✔ Daily revision
✔ Weak-domain analysis
✔ Mock discussion practice
✔ Governance and control judgment training

If you need a personalized roadmap, mock exams, daily hard MCQs, or mentor support for weak domains, feel free to connect with us on WhatsApp.

📲 https://wa.link/jm6xkz

Follow CIA CHALLENGE DAILY PREP for more senior-level scenario questions, audit case studies, and first-attempt-focused preparation support.

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Hi everyone,

Preparation so far: Studies are on track. I’m spending about an hour daily focusing on understanding concepts using CRM, ChatGPT, and Doshi videos.

I’ve been practicing questions from the 12th edition QAE (found online) and I’m close to completing it. Alongside that, I’ve also been solving additional practice questions from various online sources.

Since I’m not in a position to afford the latest QAE database, I wanted to ask, would consistent online practice be sufficient, or is the latest QAE essential to clear the exam?

I’ve tried reaching out to a few people who have already cleared for material, but haven’t received much response. I’d really appreciate any guidance or suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

I failed my first attempt and I’m aiming to retake the exam in a month. I really need to make sure I pass this time.

Since it takes about 10 days to get the official results with my weak areas, I’m not sure what I should be focusing on in the meantime. Would you recommend continuing general review, or honing in on specific domains based on my practice performance?

For my first attempt, here’s what I did:

- Watched Hemang Doshi’s course (fell off around mid–Domain 5, tried to compensate with targeted QAE questions + Prabh Nair videos)

- Completed all 3 QAE exams (averaged ~67%) and reviewed all incorrect answers

- Watched Prabh Nair’s videos, but struggled to retain a lot since they felt pretty dense/condensed

- Used Pocket Prep here and there, but not consistently

Clearly something didn’t click, so I’d really appreciate any advice on how to approach these next few weeks differently (especially from anyone who passed on their second attempt).

I’m delighted to share a significant professional milestone—successfully clearing the CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) exam on my very first attempt.

Resources Used :

Hemand Doshi Text book for Concept

Official QAE Database

Hemang Doshi QAE from his App

PV : These Material are enough to Crack the Exam.

Efforts : 2-3 Hours Daily for last 3 Months with Weekend Mostly Off and 8-10 hours in last 8 Days

Looking forward to applying these learnings and contributing more effectively in the field ahead.

Hi! I'm going to try & obtain my CISA after many years of IT Auditing. I know from word of mouth + some training I had a few years ago that the best resource to prepare is the QAE database, so I will for sure get that.

I might also get the "Official Review Manual" in addition (not too expensive, I feel like it would be a good reference point for me in general, plus it could give me a break from the training on the questions DB) ; but I'm wondering about the "Online Review Course".

Could someone please explain what it entails, and whether it's worth it or not ? Please not that I'm lucky enough that I will get some compensation from my employer for it, but basically I don't want to waste anyone's money one something not super effective lol.