Passing the CIA exam

Internal Auditor, June, 1997 by Bonita K. Peterson, Barbara P. Reider

The Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) credential, first administered in 1974, recognizes individuals who have completed the Institute of Internal Auditors' (IIA) examination, education, and experience requirements. Each time the examination is offered, The IIA presents the Gold Medal Award to the candidate who writes the best examination papers in one attempt for all four parts. The candidates writing the five next-best papers receive Certificates of Excellence.

In a recent survey,(*) past winners of these awards shared insights about the exam. They were asked, for example, about how they prepared, how they accounted for their success on the exam, whether or not they would recommend the certification to others, if their employers valued the certification, and what advice they might be able to pass along to other professionals and students interested in sitting for the exam.

Feedback from these individuals suggests that passing the CIA is a valuable, achievable goal. The exam is perceived as passable by candidates who seriously study, although opinions differ as to whether or not practical experience is necessary prior to taking the exam.

In general, the CIAs surveyed perceive the credential to be valued in the marketplace and to have provided them with personal satisfaction, increased recognition in the workplace, and greater job mobility. They also believe that the credential will make them even more marketable in the future. All of the respondents indicated that they would recommend the CIA program to other accounting professionals and students.

* Thirty-one recent Gold Medal and Certificate of Excellence winners from the U.S. were selected to participate in this survey. Twenty-seven responses were received (87.1 percent response rate) from sixteen states and the District of Columbia.