Earn your internal audit certification
Become an Internal Audit Practitioner™ (IAP™), a Certified Internal Auditor ® (CIA®), or earn your Certification in Risk Management Assurance ® (CRMA®) to strengthen your knowledge base and distinguish yourself from your peers. Wherever your journey takes you, there is an IIA internal audit certification that can certify your success.
Apply, complete, and maintain your internal audit certification
Access The IIA's Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS) portal to apply, complete, and maintain your certification.
Internal Audit Practitioner
Earn your IAP designation through the CIA part 1 exam and demonstrate your aptitude and foundational knowledge of The IIA Standards. Ideal for university students, rotational auditors, and new auditors.
Certified Internal Auditor
The only globally recognized internal audit certification. Your path to CIA is tailored to your experience — choose from traditional, accelerated, or student pathways.
Certification in Risk Management Assurance
Reflects the in-depth organizational knowledge and advanced skillsets that are required to provide effective risk management assurance to audit committees and executive management.
Which internal audit certification is right for you?
Internal Audit Practitioner (IAP)
- Ideal for students, beginner internal auditors & rotational internal auditors
- Part 1 of CIA exam
- Covers internal audit fundamentals
- 150-minute exam, 125 multiple choice questions
- Exam available in multiple languages
- No prerequisite
- Discounts for members and students
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
- Globally recognized certification for internal auditors
- Complete the exam in three parts
- Exam available in multiple languages
- Covers internal audit fundamentals, internal audit engagement & internal audit function
- Discounts for members
Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA)
- Theonly risk management assurance certification for internal auditors
- 150-minute exam, 120 questions
- Covers internal audit roles and responsibilities, risk management governance & risk management assurance
- CIA designationnot required
- Discounts for members
Earn the CIA through the one-part Challenge Exam
Accounting CIA Challenge Exam
- Available to qualified CPA and CA holders
- Application window: April - September
- 1 multiple-choice exam including content not covered on CPA and CA exams
- CIA Challenge Exam Study Guide including 1,000 practice questions
Information systems CIA Challenge Exam
- Available to qualified CISA™ holders
- Application window: April - September
- 1 multiple-choice exam including content not covered on CISA™ exam
- CIA Challenge Exam Study Guide including 1,000 practice questions
Steps to earn your internal audit certification
Submit your application
- Gatherrequired documents*.
- Create an account or sign into theCCMS.
- Select a certification program.
- Submit your application and pay for your order.
Take the certification exam
- Go to"Manage Program" via theCCMS.
- Register for the exam or exam part.
- Schedule your exam.
You will not be able to register for the exam until your documents and application are approved.
Get your certification
- Complete yourexperience verification.
- Receive your certification.
- Access your certificate via theCCMS. A printed copy may be obtained for a fee.
- Arabic
- Simplified Chinese *
- Traditional Chinese
- English
- French
- German
- Japanese
- Korean
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Spanish
- Thai
- Turkish
* Simplified Chinese is only available in Mainland China.
- English
- Arabic
- Simplified Chinese*
- Traditional Chinese
- English
- French
- German
- Indonesian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Spanish
- Thai
- Turkish
- Vietnamese
*Simplified Chinese is only available in Mainland China.
Exam language offerings
The IIA certification exams are offered in a variety of languages.
Certification Candidate Handbook
TheCertification Candidate Handbook provides details on the policies and procedures along your internal audit certification journey.
Need to renew your certification?
The CIA syllabi and exam have changed
The topic areas on each CIA exam syllabus have been updated to:
- Bring the exams up to date with the current global practice of internal auditing.
- Create greater alignment between the CIA syllabi and The IIA’s new Global Internal Audit Standards.
The CIA exam is now available through atest center-only delivery model. Online proctoring has been discontinued to preserve the integrity of IIA certification programs and enhance the testing experience for all candidates.
Prepare for 2025 CIA changes
- Reviewlanguage release schedule.
- Reviewcandidate scenarios.
Certification Registry
The IIA maintains anup-to-date registry of individuals who have earned one of its certifications.
Certification frequently asked questions (FAQs)
CIA FAQs |CRMA FAQs |IAP FAQs |Accounting Challenge Exam FAQs |Information systems Challenge Exam FAQs |Certification renewal FAQs
For information about how the proposed new Global Internal Audit Standards will impact certifications and other IIA products and services, please visit the CIA transition page.
Review the certification program pass rates.
The IIA’s Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS) is an integrated software program that manages all the certification programs for The IIA.
CCMS is a self-service tool that enables you to apply, register, and monitor your certification program status in a real-time environment.
You will also use CCMS to complete annual CPE reporting, communicate with The IIA’s Certifications Support Team, and order or download your certificate once you’re certified.
For more information, review the CCMS documentation.
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Depending on your primary country of residence, it may take up to 15 days for IIA Global to receive your updated membership status.
If pricing is incorrect during checkout, do not complete your purchase as all sales are final.
If your membership status and certification pricing still do not reflect accurately after 15 days, please open a case through your CCMS record for assistance.
The CIA exam is based on scaled scoring and a passing score of 600 is required out of 750 points.
Once you have submitted your application in CCMS with payment, your application will be reviewed. Once your application is approved, you will receive notification via email. After you are approved into your program, you will be able to register for your exam(s). Once you have completed your program (by passing your exam(s) and completing any additional program requirements) your designation will be displayed on your account within 7-14 business days.
Upon certification, you will be able to print a digital certificate or order a physical certificate in the CCMS.
For a step-by-step guide, please reviewThe IIA Certification Candidate Handbook.
Once all certification program requirements are met, your designation will be displayed on your account within 7-14business days.
Upon certification, you will be able to print a digital certificate or order a physical certificate in theCCMS.
Once you’ve completed the program, to maintain your certification each year, you’ll need to meet annual renewal requirements, including earning Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits.
For full details, please refer to theCertification Renewal Requirements.
You are required to complete your annual certification renewal through yourCCMS account by 31 December each year.
For more information, please reviewcertification renewal.
You are not required to upload supporting documents to complete your renewal, however, we encourage all certified individuals to maintain their evidence for three years in the event they are selected for a CPE audit.
For more information, please review certification renewal.
You can request to opt-in when you complete your annual CPE attestation, or by opening a case within yourCCMS account.
You can apply for a certification program within minutes.
Once you create aCCMS profile, select the program you wish to enroll in, complete payment, then upload your supporting documents.
For astep-by-stepwalkthrough review The IIA'sCertification Candidate Handbook.
Review theexam language offerings.
You can download a copy of your completed transactions directly from yourCCMS record.
To access these receipts, log intoCCMS and click "My Orders".
Once you apply for a certification program and complete the application payment, you will be able to upload your supporting documents.
Annual certification renewal opens on 1 October each year.
The renewal deadline is 31 December each year.
Should you fail to renew your Active certification, it will enter a Grace status, and as a result, you are no longer approved to represent yourself as a certified individual.
Individuals remaining in Grace status for 2 years will enter a Revoked status and must reapply for theCIA andCRMA programs and retest if they wish to become certified again.
For more information, reviewcertification renewal.
Certification renewal fees vary globally based upon membership status, and if you renew directly with The IIA throughCCMS or through a National Institute.
Some National Institutes will pay the member renewal fee on behalf of the member; others may require that the member pay the fee.
Please check with yourNational Institute for their pricing policies.
Individuals who do not complete their annualcertification renewal on or before 31 December will automatically transition from “Active” to “Grace Period” status and may no longer claim that they are certified.
Individuals who remain in a Grace Period status for more than 24 months will have their certification(s) revoked.
If a certification is revoked, the paper certificate recognizing achievement of the certification must be destroyed immediately.
Additionally, individuals must not use designations (such asCIA,CRMA, etc.) after their name, and they are prohibited from presenting themselves as a certified individual.
If they wish to become certified again, individuals must reapply to theCIA orCRMA certification programs, take and pass the exam(s).
There is no provision to recertify for discontinued (CCSA, CFSA, CGAP, and QIAL) certification programs.
The IIA does not prequalify CPE activities.
Certified individuals are responsible for determining if the CPE activity meets the guidelines as approved by the Professional Certifications Board (PCB) and outlined in the certification renewal policy.
Once you complete all the requirements to become certified, you will receive a confirmation e-mail.
This e-mail will contain instructions directing you to the Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS), where you download a PDF or order a printed certificate.
Please take this time to be sure that your contact information, mailing address, and name as you wish for it to appear on your certificate are correct.
Please note that some Institutes outside North America will receive your certificate directly and award it to you.
If you are outside North America, please check with yourNational Institute for guidance.
Pricing is applicable in the United States, Canada, and select countries throughout the world. Pricing may differ in countries where exams are administered through agreements withNational Institutes.
Applicable taxes may be collected in accordance with local laws and regulations.
Candidates residing in the United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland or South Africa must be IIA members to apply for the CIA, CRMA, IAP, and CIA Challenge Exam.
Certification renewal fees may vary globally and depend on whether you renew your certification(s) directly to The IIA throughCCMS or through your National Institute.
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