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CIA Exam Fees 2023: Discover Each CIA Certification Cost
One of the biggest benefits of the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification is the CIA salary. So if you’re interested in a CIA designation because of how much it can help you make, then you’re probably also concerned about how much it’s going to cost you. Acquiring the CIA involves a sizable investment, but you can take steps to reduce your expenses now and then to enjoy greater earnings in the future. So to start creating your CIA budget, use this information to learn all about the CIA exam fees in 2023.
Determining Your Certified Internal Auditor Exam Costs
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) awards the CIA certification. Therefore, the IIA establishes the cost of the Certified Internal Auditor certificate as well. The IIA has a presence in over 100 countries around the world. Still, the CIA certification process, pricing, and taxes may vary in countries where IIA affiliates administer the exam through agreements with the IIA.
Therefore, if you live in one of the following countries, your CIA exam fees may differ from the ones listed in the IIA’s Certification Candidate Handbook:
- Belgium
- Brazil
- China
- Chinese Taiwan
- Czech Republic
- France
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Japan
- Korea
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Africa
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- UK/Ireland
Thus, to discover what you’ll need to pay for the CIA certificate, you should contact your local affiliate to verify the pricing structure and applicable taxes.
For residents of the United States, Canada, and many other countries, the following CIA exam costs and fees apply. All fees are non-refundable. Thus, if you don’t complete all the CIA requirements in the four-year eligibility period, you will forfeit all fees you’ve paid and exam credits you’ve earned.
CIA Exam Fee Discounts for Students and Professors
Regardless of your IIA membership status, you can receive discounts on your CIA exam fees as a full-time student or full-time professor (educator) at an accredited college or university.
Qualifying for CIA Student Discounts
To qualify to receive student discounts within the CIA certification program, you must
- Be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student, which means you are taking at least 12 semester hours or equivalent in your senior (final) year as defined by your educational institution; OR
- Be enrolled as a full-time graduate student, which means you are taking at least 9 semester hours or equivalent as defined by your educational institution.
Furthermore, you can enter the CIA program and take the CIA exam before you graduate, so long as you are a full-time university student in your senior (final) year. However, you have to complete the education requirement before you can receive the CIA certification.
Qualifying for CIA Professor Discounts
To qualify to receive professor discounts within the CIA certification program, you must
- Be a full-time or part-time professor at an accredited educational institution; AND
- Provide a letter from your local IIA chapter or institute that supports your request for professor status for pricing.
Applying for Student or Professor Discounts
To request student or professor discounts on your CIA exam fees, you must follow these steps:
- Create a profile in the IIA’s Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS)
- Complete the Student/Professor Form and upload it to the CCMS using the Document Upload Portal. If you are approved for the discount, you will receive an email notification.
- Upon receiving approval, go to your CCMS profile, click on “Complete a Form,” and complete the CIA application.
Optional IIA Membership Fee
Before analyzing the CIA exam fees, we must discuss IIA membership, as your membership status can affect how much you pay for the CIA certificate.
You do not need to become an IIA member to take the CIA exam and earn the CIA certification. However, many CIA candidates become IIA members for two reasons:
- IIA membership provides benefits to internal audit professionals such as:
- Connections with a global network of peers
- Volunteer leadership opportunities
- Access to the updated and universally accepted internal audit standards and guidance
- Webinars, training, and events
- Exclusive savings and discounts on career and team development training and additional IIA certifications
- IIA membership also supplies CIA candidates with sizable discounts on CIA exam fees during the year you register for the exam.
The price of individual IIA membership varies by your current professional role and your geographic location:
IIA Membership Fees
|
Type |
Definition | U.S. (in U.S. dollars) | Canada (in U.S. dollars) |
|
Professional |
For professionals with a primary internal audit role or responsibilities | $270 |
$280 |
|
Government |
Open to individuals employed by an international, national, regional, or local government entity or a publicly controlled or funded agency, enterprise, or other entity that delivers public programs, goods, or services. | $175 |
$175 |
|
Educator |
For individuals principally employed as educators at colleges and universities. No processing fee is required. | $175 |
$175 |
|
Student |
Open to individuals currently enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral program who are engaged in a full-time academic schedule at a college or university. Student membership is limited to a 6-year maximum. No processing fee is required. | Free |
Free |
|
Retired |
For individuals who retire from active employment while in good standing with the IIA. Individuals may not join the IIA as new members under this classification. No processing fee is required. | $90 |
$90 |
| International |
Open to individuals who live outside the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Bermuda, and Guyana. |
$270 |
— |
To maintain your IIA membership, you must pay your IIA membership fee on an annual basis. However, if you pay your membership fee with a bank outside the U.S., you will have to pay $30 extra to cover bank collection charges.
CIA Exam Fees Breakdown
Taking the CIA exam requires you to pay four main fees: the CIA program application fee and the exam fees for each of the three CIA exam parts. However, you may also need to account for a few other costs along the way.
1. CIA Program Application Fee
You must pay the CIA program application fee when you apply for the CIA program. As mentioned, this will cost you less if you are an IIA member or a student or a professor.
Application CIA Exam Fees
| Membership Type |
Application Fee |
| IIA Member |
$115 |
| Non-Member |
$230 |
| Student/Professor |
$65 |
2. CIA Exam Part Fees
The CIA exam has three parts, so you must pay a CIA exam part fee for each part. Once again, the fee amounts vary according to your IIA membership or educational status.
Exam Part CIA Exam Fees
| CIA Exam Fee per Part |
Member |
Non-Member |
Student/Professor |
| 1 |
$295 |
$425 |
$245 |
| 2 |
$265 |
$395 |
$215 |
|
3 |
$265 | $395 |
$215 |
| Total |
$825 |
$1,215 |
$675 |
3. CIA Fees in Other Countries
Of course, the CIA certification fees are slightly different for candidates outside the US and Canada. You will need to consult your local IIA Institute for additional information if you live in one of the countries on the list at the beginning of this article.
IIA CIA Exam Fees in Chinese Yuan
Since China has its own Institute of Internal Auditors, CIA candidates must apply to this organization for membership instead of IIA Global. The CIA annual membership fee for the Chinese IIA is CN¥220 per year.
As of 2022, the CIA costs in China are US$170 for Part 1 and $145 for Parts 2 and 3. As of the publication of this article, the exchange rate brings that to CN¥1,080.09 and ¥921.25. Thus, the total CIA exam price in China would be US$460 or approximately CN¥2,922.59.
Cost of CIA Exam in Indian Rupees
In India, you can either join IIA Global for the CIA application fees mentioned above, which equal approximately ₹3,728.48 for a student, or ₹20,133.82 for a professional. Alternatively, you can join IIA India for ₹4,000 per year for the whole year or ₹1,000 per quarter. However, students can pay ₹2,000 for a full year of membership.
However, there is no country-based reduction for the actual CIA IIA exam fees in India. For that, you’ll follow the same pricing structure as in North America. That means a professional will pay ₹29,455.03 for Part 1 and ₹25,726.55 for Parts 2 and 3 (₹80,908.12 total). Alternatively, a student will pay approximately ₹17,151.03 for Part 1 and ₹13,422.55 for Parts 2 and 3 (₹43,996.12 total).
Core CIA Exam Fee Totals
Adding up all of the core CIA exams helps you see your minimum CIA certification costs. But remember, if you pay for the IIA membership or qualify for student or professor discounts, your CIA exam fee totals will be lower.
Core CIA Exam Fee Totals in the U.S.
| Fees |
Non-Member |
Professional IIA Member | Government IIA Member | Professor IIA Member |
Student IIA Member |
| Membership Fee |
N/A |
$270 | $175 | $175 |
Free |
|
Application Fee |
$230 | $115 | $115 | $115 |
$65 |
| Part 1 Exam Fee |
$425 |
$295 | $295 | $245 |
$245 |
| Part 2 Exam Fee |
$395 |
$265 | $265 | $215 |
$215 |
| Part 3 Exam Fee |
$395 |
$265 | $265 | $215 |
$215 |
| Total |
$1,445 |
$1,219 | $1,115 | $965 |
$740 |
Additional CIA Exam Costs
Once you’ve paid the core CIA exam fees, you should also prepare to pay for some, if not all, of these additional CIA exam costs, depending on your situation. These expenses may be as vital to cover as the IIA’s fees, so you will need to consider them as part of your overall certified internal auditor cost.
1. CIA Review Course
If you want to give yourself the best chance at CIA exam success, you need to invest in a CIA review course. A CIA review course is a collection of self-study resources that will present and explain the exam content to you to be completely prepared to pass.
Benefits of a CIA Review Course
The IIA expects you to be proficient in much of the CIA exam content. Hence, a CIA review course ensures that you develop a deep understanding of all the information soon enough to pass all three parts within three years.
Of course, one of the biggest benefits of using a CIA review course to master all of the exam content is that you are more likely to pass each CIA exam part on the first attempt. In doing so, you’ll avoid paying any exam fees again for failing a CIA exam part.
A CIA review course can also include the support of accounting and exam experts who will be with you every step of the way. Finally, the best CIA exam prep comes with access-until-you-pass guarantees that prevent your course from expiring or costing you more money to update.
Tuition Costs for CIA Exam Prep
Our recommendation for the best CIA review course is Gleim CIA Review. This company allows you to choose from three different course packages. The Traditional System costs $799 for all three parts and includes the company’s SmartAdapt online learning platform, print and digital textbooks, and unlimited practice exams. The Premium System, which costs $949, consists of all of that plus more than 45 hours of video review. Finally, you can purchase Gleim’s large Test Bank and practice exams for $447.
Alternatively, HOCK CIA Review offers a more budget-friendly course that also gets our recommendation. For $779, the Standard Package comes with printable PDF textbooks, five mock exams, digital flashcards, and more. You can also purchase the test bank and mock exams alone for $529. However, HOCK’s real strength as a course is its video lessons. For those, you’ll need to purchase the Complete Package for $1,300, which also comes with a You Pass or We Pay guarantee.
Most CIA course fees run anywhere from about $800 to $950, so you must expand your CIA certification budget to afford one. However, you can save big on your CIA exam prep when you use one of my exclusive CIA review discounts. For example, Gleim CIA Review is the most trusted and widely-used course on the market, and you can usually save at least 20% on their courses when you use my Gleim CIA discount link.
2. Travel and Accommodations
Pearson VUE administers the fully-computerized CIA exam at over 800+ testing centers worldwide. Furthermore, at most of these locations, the exam is available in 19 different languages. Therefore, getting to a CIA exam testing center won’t be a financial issue for many CIA candidates. However, if you need to travel to a neighboring city or country to take the exam, you’ll need to include these costs within your CIA certification budget.
3. CIA Program Extension Fees
As mentioned, you have three years from the date of your CIA program application approval to pass all three CIA exam parts and complete the remaining CIA requirements. Furthermore, you have 180 days from the date you register for the CIA exam to sit for the test.
However, if you face an extenuating circumstance during this time, such as an illness, maternity or paternity leave, death in the family, civil unrest, a natural disaster, or military service, the IIA may grant you a one-time extension of the certification program or exam eligibility window.
If you need a CIA program or exam eligibility window extension for reasons other than an extenuating circumstance, the IIA may grant you a one-time extension. The program extension lasts one year (12 months), and the exam extension lasts 75 days (or until your program expiration date, whichever comes first). You will then have to pay the following program and CIA exam extension fees:
| Fee |
Member |
Non-Member |
|
Certification program extension (12 months) |
$275 |
$275 |
| Exam eligibility window extension (75 days) |
$100 |
$100 |
4. Exam Appointment Cancellation or Rescheduling Fee
Once you schedule your CIA exam testing appointment at your preferred Pearson VUE testing center, you can contact Pearson VUE to cancel or reschedule your appointment as needed during your program and exam eligibility windows. If you take one of these steps within 48 hours of scheduling your appointment, Pearson VUE will not charge you. They will simply confirm your appointment via email.
However, if you need to cancel or reschedule 48 hours after you make your appointment, at which point you will have received the confirmation email, Pearson VUE will charge you $75. You must pay this fee directly to them.
5. CIA Exam Retake Fee
Of course, everyone who takes the CIA exam hopes to pass on the first try. However, this isn’t always the case. And unfortunately, if you fail a part of the exam, there is no reduced retake fee. For example, if you fail the first part, you’ll have to pay the full CIA exam part 1 fee again. Since retakes are so expensive, you’ll want to invest in a good exam prep course to quickly increase your chances of passing.
Final Costs for CIA Exam Fees Overall
Thus, when you factor in the price of a CIA review course, your CIA certification costs go up to over $2,200 for non-members and around $2,000 for professional and government IIA members. Students and professors end up paying over $1,700-$1,500. But purchasing a CIA review course helps you pass the exam faster and save money on retake exam and program extension fees, so I consider it an essential CIA certification cost.
Total CIA Exam Fees Overall
| Fees |
Non-Member |
Professional IIA Member | Government IIA Member | Professor IIA Member |
Student IIA Member |
|
Membership Fee |
N/A | $270 | $175 | $175 |
Free |
| Application Fee |
$230 |
$115 | $115 | $115 |
$65 |
| Part 1 Exam Fee |
$425 |
$295 | $295 | $245 |
$245 |
| Part 2 Exam Fee |
$395 |
$265 | $265 | $215 |
$215 |
|
Part 3 Exam Fee |
$395 | $265 | $265 | $215 |
$215 |
| CIA Review Course (estimated) | $800 | $800 | $800 | $800 |
$800 |
|
Total |
$2,245 | $2,010 | $1,915 | $1,765 |
$1,540 |
As you can see, the cost of the CIA certification is comparable to the cost of the CMA certification. What’s more, the CIA is more affordable than the cost of the CPA license or the cost of the CFA designation.
Therefore, depending on your career goals, the CIA may be just as useful to you and cost you a lot less than other accounting certifications. And remember, the benefits of the CIA will more than compensate your investment in the years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the CIA exam cost in 2023 substantially different from CIA fees of 2022?
The CIA fees structure for the actual exams and extensions is the same. However, some of the CIA membership fees have increased slightly since last year.
How much is the CIA exam registration fee?
While there is no separate registration fee, “CIA registration fees” may refer to the application fees you must pay to be part of the CIA program. Currently, this is $115 for IIA members, $230 for non-members, and $65 for professors or students. You will pay it along with your other certified internal auditor exam fees for Part 1.
Is there a CIA renewal fee?
If you have previously been a member of the IIA but were inactive for over 12 months, you can pay $100 to reinstate your membership.
Help Earning the CIA Certification
If you’re ready to put the time, effort, and money into passing the CIA exam, then find out which CIA review course is right for you so you can get everything you need to succeed.
Also, discover the entire CIA process and how to pass each exam part the first time in my free CIA e-course. Learn more or sign up below!
About the Author Stephanie
I am the author of How to Pass The CPA Exam (published by Wiley) and the publisher of this and several accounting professional exam prep sites.
