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Stephanie, thank you so much for this very helpful website. I have been following the stories of other aspirants, success stories, and exam tips. I am pleased to inform that I cleared CIA level 1 today on my 1st attempt. I used Gleim Premium as well as IIA’s CIA Learning System. I found both of them very useful. While IIA’s CIA learning system is very detailed, Gleim helps you grasp the key points and I especially found their vast question bank very useful. I will be ordering both the courses for the 2nd level as well. Thank you again for the guidance and tips!
Hi
Thank you for providing such insightful tips for the CIA exam parts.
I recently took the part 3 exam and unfortunately failed it. My score was 571. I found the exam to be pretty hard even after studying for about 3 months with the Gleim system. I’m kind of disappointed as all questions were tricky and much harder than what I studied/expected.
From my personal experience, I studied CIA part 1 and 2 for two months each and cleared. I only studied Gleim book and review questions for three times. First reading for a basic understanding, second for in-depth understanding of concepts, and finally for revision. This approach has helped me clear the exams.
I just wrote part 3 today and unfortunately did not pass with a 565 score. I only used Gleim material to study and I clearly see that the material is not enough to prepare for this tough part. The questions were mostly new/ never saw on Gleim – I had to apply my practical experience to many of them. Financial calculations were very minimal, in fact, less than 3. The questions that I think really got me we the CSR and ISO3100 which are not covered in Gleim. There were quite a number of those. In terms of IT, most of the questions were sourced from IIA practice advice I guess and quite difficult to answer without any thorough theoretical knowledge.
Today, on my 3rd attempt I finally passed the part 3!!!! My first exam score was 548, then 574, and finally today PASSED!
Thanks to all of you who provided a very useful information and lots of hints.
I used Gleim book and test bank to study accounting and finance section. However, there was only 3-5 questions total on the exam related to finance or accounting and those questions were very simple. For the rest of the section I studied using IIA Learning System books, test bank software and Gleim test bank also.
From my point of view, for part 3, IIA learning is better that Gleim) but i really needed to have Gleim for part 1 and 2 specially to gain confidence and understand how it works.
Hello everyone! I just finished my Part 3 exam today and I’m glad to announce that I passed it on the first attempt. I’m only using Gleim test bank and books plus IIA resources.
I can confirm how hard it is and I can say that you don’t have to memorize everything on part 3 but to understand it very well so that you can apply it on the exam questions.
I passed part III on my first try on 12/18/17!!! I am so thankful for this blog as it really helped me in my studies. I took the advice of many of the people who passed on here. All the supplemental documents helped to further my knowledge. I used Gleim: books, video lectures, and practice questions.
I cleared the CIA last part 3, happy to pass!!. This website has helped me a lot. After preparing in-depth I thought the exam will be a breeze or at least a manageable one but was mistaken. I studied Gleim theory 3 times, Gleim questions 2 times, Gleim videos. But to my surprise, most of the questions were never heard of, I felt that 85% of questions were a level above. I was initially tensed during the exam, remembering the efforts put in and may not lead to a favorable result. Slowly I gathered my balance, took each question at a time. Finally at the close of the exam, felt confident.
Hi,
I finally passed part 3 last week and I would like to share my experience with the community.
As already mentioned the majority of the questions are on
Governance and CSR
Risk Management (ISO 31000)
IT (COBIT)
I used Gleim for part 1+2 and 3 and as I did not pass part 3 at my first attempt I also purchased the IIA Learning System.
I liked Gleim much better than the Learning System, because Gleim actually focuses on the Content that is asked in the exam while the IIA Learning System provides you with a lot of Information that is not necessary to pass.
Hello all,
I passed my CIA part 3 exam this weekend and I can’t describe how happy I am after being studying for more than probably 8 months to approve this last part. The first time I failed. I believe it was even more difficult since English is my second language.
I would like to thank all your comments, advice, and recommendations. It was a blessing to find this site. It became my guide.
I studied from Gleim and Wiley book and CIA excel. The last week of preparation I dedicated my time to practice questions and exams from both software and also took the IIA exam practice questions and whenever I failed a question I reviewed the reason and the concept behind.
Hope this helps others
I have passed CIA part 3 today! it is such a big relief! great start for the year.
I have subscribed to the IIA and Gleim materials but at the end, I stuck with Gleim. I find better off to stick with one material and google if can’t understand anything. Gleim has a good summary of all key concepts so it is good for revision I find. I also like how Gleim breaks down the many sections which help a lot in your weak area.
Gleim also has good question bank, except that their calculation questions are way too complex.
Just one month before the exam, I keep trying the practice questions until i score 80%. I skip all the calculations but I make sure I understand the concept behind it.
The first thing I did after passing the exam was to store all my books away!!! wooohooo! my desk is so much cleaner!
I passed CIA Part 1 in May 2018 and appeared for Part 2 today and failed with a score of 588.
While I used Gleim material for both parts and Gleim and Wiley for practice papers, in Part 2 I was faced with a number of questions from topics that are not covered in Gleim, which is extremely disappointing. One example, three lines of defense, on which I had at least 3 questions on the exam and had to simply guess.
I read the comments below and apparently one is also supposed to read Practice guides and practice advisories, and rightly so, I can see a document covering all aspects of the three lines of defense.
My question here is, why aren’t these topics included in Gleim material or why does it not come with a disclaimer that one should also read from other sources. I feel like I just missed from passing not because I was not fully prepared (I gave 20 practice papers including Gleim and Wiley, scoring average 78), but because I had no clue there were other topics as well.
I passed my CIA level 3 exam today. Finally, I am a Certified Internal Auditor!!!! For Level 1 and 2, I studied with both Gleim and IIA materials. But for level 3, I used only Gleim. I wanted to do it in 3 months and could barely cover Gleim materials. The width and depth of level 3 syllabus is monstrous compared to level 1 and 2. But this blog helped me find the areas to focus on. As many people have mentioned, you get heavily tested on IT. I felt like every other question was IT based (especially General and Application controls). Definitely study the GTAGs and PAs on IT controls. I had quite a few questions on CSR and ISO 31000. Definitely read PAs on these as well. Other areas of focus were leadership styles and strategic decisions.
I think Gleim along with GTAGs and PAs mentioned here on this blog are more than enough for level 3.
I recently passed my part 3 of CIA and now thankfully hold the CIA title.
I used the Gleam Study Pack for all three papers and as Stephanie has mentioned in one of her videos, if you are from an accounting and finance background Gleim is sufficient otherwise you would have to consult other material. I also had the IIA’s Study Material and questions bank but I believe Gleim gave me more confidence.
I just passed part 1 after studying with Gleim for a week and a half. I already scheduled my assessment and severely procrastinated studying and really stressed myself out. I have 1 year of Internal Audit experience and an accounting degree which both helped significantly. Taking the tests in Gleim multiple times was not helpful since the questions repeat themselves and I remember the answer just based of the answer choices. I always studied with answers that offered feedback right away so I knew immediately why that answer was correct. It does no good to know you got an answer wrong and not know why. While taking the test I did not feel very confident and was confident I failed. The exam really tests your ability to apply concepts.
I passed part 1 in December 2017. Thanks to Gleim (Online book and test prep)!! Hoping to sit for Part 2 end of July. Word of advice to those intending to take CIA: take your time in understanding the concepts in the short notes. They may be short but they are loaded. Then after that practice! practice! practice!
Hi everyone,
After almost four years of study, I have finally passed all three parts of my CIA test and I can finally join my fellow CIA members.
I took Part 1 two times, Part 2 one time, and part 3 two times. Part three definitely was the most challenging one. I spent 6 months studying part 3. I purchased Gleim, IIA material, and used efficiency learning software. I can say I like the IIA book format. The Gleim material was definitely not good enough since it did not cover a lot of materials.
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for your help! I passed my exam for Part 1 this week (phew). I found the exam to be difficult (nerves and first exam). I used Gleim Test Bank & CIA learning system and I found the Gleim questions were useful in showing how the IIA could ask questions (not that they are familiar, in fact, I found only 2% to be recognizable from Gleim test bank). And CIA learning system to be useful in explaining in more detail.
However, I did find that Gleim’s book was more up to date. Gleim’s book seems to be more Sparks Notes version while CIA learning system is more like a textbook. I think I can only pick one for the other two parts of the exam, guess I’ll pick Gleim again.
There is hope for Part 1! I have been an internal auditor for the past 3 years and I have worked with other internal auditors that have been auditors for decades. I was very nervous about Part 1 because I know of at least two people who have failed the exam. I purchased Gleim, the questions and the text. I read and answered all 744 questions in the text bank, prayed and passed Part 1 on my first attempt. I am so happy and I do truly feel as if the content provided by Gleim in the book and study questions prepared me to pass this test. I learned about the stem of the question and how to exclude two of the four answers quickly. I did not use any material to supplement what was in the textbook.
My advice would be to study until you feel comfortable with the entire book. I also practiced the questions until I was in the green in all areas. The study method of answering questions was really helpful. I would agree that the answers have to be read slowly and carefully. To be honest, I had flagged some questions and answered the questions that I knew right away. I had enough time to go back through the flagged questions and through the entire test 1 more time.
Gleim’s materials are the reason that I was prepared. I prayed for mental stability and calmness because I was nervous as can be. Once I realized that I had done all that I could do to prepare for the test, I knew I could answer any question placed in front of me.
Today I failed in CIA part1 exam with score of 585.
I have studied well and did practice exams from GLEIM that I was approaching 100% in such exams.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find any similar questions in the exam.
I got a good experience with Gleim for CIA, I have used only Gleim to pass all the 4 parts from the first sitting. This is due to the quality of the material:
1- The books look like a resume that concentrate on the important concepts and for each paragraph there’s a summary for the core concepts.
2- The questions in the test preparation software are very hard even harder than the exam and covers all the possible areas, this is at my point of view the most important tool for success in the exams.
3- The online contain 40 questions for each chapter and 30 True false questions that help to memorize the core concepts.
I used the lectures to be familiarized with the material before reading from the books.
4- I went to the last 3 exams confident that I will succeed because after passing the first part and get familiarized with the exam tricks, I have realized that Gleim materials are really the right choice for the CIA exam.
Since the page helped me a lot for the preparation of the exam, I wanted to share my experience after passing part 3 today.
First of all, I took the exam in Germany. I used only Gleim for the preparation and the additional IIA guidance mentioned above. In my opinion, Gleim does a good job covering all the necessary areas. Only the calculations on accounting and costing don‘t reflect the actual exam.
Hi everyone!
Finally, my CIA exam process is done I take and did well on part 3.
Thanks all of you and especially Stephanie for interest and this amazing website.
I used Gleim but it is not enough anymore. because u must read practice guide and gtag. for example ıso 31000, maturity model or bt governance are not enough on gleim, it must reviewed.
Hi everyone,
Just wrote my CIA Part 3 exam yesterday and passed on the first attempt. I’m now a CIA, passing all three parts on first attempt, in total I’ve spent about 1.5 years to reach certification. I can’t thank Stephanie and Art and everyone’s feedback on this website enough.
I used Gleim Premium for Part 3 (having used just the Test Prep and Book for Part 1 and Part 2), and also supplemented with the suggested supplementary reading (above) and I read through IIA’s books. I found IIA’s books really detailed and useful for IT part, but generally Gleim plus the suggested readings above sufficient for the other parts.
How I studied: I read through the IIA books, then read the Gleim books and the supplementary materials and made my study notes, I’ve also watched the videos and listened to the audio lectures of Gleim (while at the gym and on transit). I went through the Gleim study process, and once that’s complete (which was two months before my exam), I started revising and reviewing the materials in depth. I actually did all the questions in the Test Prep (yes, even the complicated calculation questions).
I’ve spent more time on the focus areas suggested above. I’ve also run the test prep in exam mode, giving me 100 questions at a time using Gleim’s Adaptive Technology, which I find helped. I went into the exam hitting above 90% on my Practice Exams in Gleim.
Hi All
I finally passed the 3rd part yesterday after failing twice. The first 2 parts I passed with the first try and used IIA material. However, for the 3rd part, the content of IIA might be good enough (still you have to read the recommended materials listed here) but the questions were not sufficient at all.
I used GLEIM when preparing the 3rd part. The best thing of GLEIM system for me is that it provides me better time management visibility when answering questions since I had 30 min left for reviewing tagged questions.
I just passed part 3. I am now a CIA! I feel so happy , I want to help others. I used Gleim to study for all 3 parts. For part 3 I also bought the IIA study book.
I read Gtag 1,4, 17
I also read the IIA guides on ISO 3100 and Risk Management in the Private sector.
I spent time actively reading the chapters of Gleim by taking notes. Then I took notes on the IIA study book. I did the questions on Gleim and IIA after reading the chapters. I did not max out on the questions.
My test focused heavily on governance, risk management and business life cycles. Due to timing and the fact I am comfortable with accounting I did not spend much time on Financial Accounting. I just reviewed the basic ratios. I figured based on others, financial management is not tested heavily.
My advice would be to understand the concepts. Read the practice guides, take notes on them and make flash cards. A month of this and you will be successful. I did not recognize any questions that I studied on the test. But I found the test relatively straightforward since I had studied the concepts.
Good Luck!
I have passed CIA part 1 and 2 by just using Gleim.
As for part 3, I plan to study all materials from IIA and Gleim, as well as the supplemental guidance on the IIA website.
I will focus less on Finance and Accounting (as recommended by other users) and focus more on IT, Governance, Risk Management, CSR, business process, etc..
My technique is to study from both Gleim and IIA and after each chapter I will make summary notes.
I just started Governance and Risk Management… planning to take the exam on September or October 2017.
I am confident that I will pass the first time if I study from both Gleim and IIA + supplemental guides, and essentially do the Gleim questions..
Hello to all,
I finally passed part 3 in 3rd attempt. It was not easy but the battle is finally over.
I used IIA Learning System material (books and practice questions), Gleim (just practice questions), Exam Matrix, and peaked a little bit to Wiley`s practice questions and books, and read some of IPPF literature. But relax, you don`t need all of this to pass. IMO, the best time/effect relation in order to increase your chances to pass, would be IIA Learning System + one additional material with practice questions.
For learning the theory for the exam, I like the concept written in IIA Learning Material hard copy books. I also like how Gleim has organized video lectures and presentations (try the demo), and If you more prefer this concept of learning, and not old school learning from hard copy books, maybe you should try it with Gleim. But when I was reviewing their questions (more than 2000), and than compared them with exam, I felt that they actually cover more stuff than it is actually need (especially for the financial part – exam questions are more simplified). Wiley`s book I don`t recommend to use, it is not really user friendly.
Hello all! I just passed Part 2 today! This was a big confidence boost after failing Part 3 on March 1.
I really like the Gleim materials. If you have access to the full kit then great. If there is a practice exam of questions you haven’t seen before, then I’d take that last.
I used mainly Gleim (only the ebook and test questions). I also used the post-test in the IIA learning system. These questions helped me to prepare for those tricky questions that the actual exam is notorious for.
I also did not use the GTAG’s for IT Assurance. I do recommend studying what’s in the Gleim subunit on assurance engagements as it relates to IT audits and the test questions in that subunit (I actually missed those questions on the practice exam and that’s how I remembered them for the exam). Gleim lists the different types of assurance engagements. I would know these front and back. That was really helpful. As I stated before, I had several questions on CSA. Know the concept of CSA and how it helps auditors. Gleim covers this very well.
One of Gleim’s major strengths is in its attention to unknown/less well-known complex subjects, subject matter and testing question over them. When one hits the examination room, the testlets constantly confound folks with questions from topics/themes/areas no one had heard of or have not seen in reviewing up to this point. Gleim addresses this very well and covers it in multiple choice, topics deconstruction in the books and (partly) in simulations.
When I took the CIA exam, I used the Lambers CIA review along with the Gleim CIA books. They were absolutely instrumental in covering all those little areas of less importance, more unknown and uncommon themes and what examiners really want you to know about items most of us don’t see all that often.
Finally…I PASSED the CIA Part 3 exam yesterday on my 3rd attempt. I am so happy!!!
As the advice obtained from this forum helped me to prepare and pass, it is only right that I share my experience for the benefit of others who are preparing for the exam.
I passed parts 1 and 2 on my first attempt using Exammatrix materials exclusively.
For part 3, I used the GLEIM test bank and study notes only, PLUS the recommended IIA materials (GTAG 1,4,17; CSR; Governance and the Risk Management Practice Guides that were recommended on this page. I studied the GTAG and PGs in depth – It is true as stated above that you need to be able to remember the content during the exam. I believe that these materials are sufficient to pass the exam. I even recognised a couple of questions from the GLEIM test bank in the actual exam.
Yesterday I passed CIA part 3 on my second attempt. (Completed all parts)
About exam preparation after failing first attempt:
I used primarily Gleim learning material by comparing with IIA learning material. Each learning system has it’s cons and pros. In some topics Gleim material is very detailed and in another topics IIA does as well in my opinion. Additionally practiced each Gleim test questions except financial calculations.
I finally passed part 3 last week and I would like to share my experience with the community.
I used Gleim for part 1+2 and 3 and as I did not pass part 3 at my first attempt I also purchased the IIA Learning System.
I liked Gleim much better than the Learning System, because Gleim actually focuses on the Content that is asked in the exam while the IIA Learning System provides you with a lot of Information that is not necessary to pass.
Hi Stephanie and everyone
I’ve just passed Part 3 on first attempt on the Friday 24th. I couldn’t believe my CIA mission was accomplished! I found the exam really not challenging than the first two parts. I believe that the secret is just getting the balance with the relevant Practice Guides and Advisories as already been suggested here by Art and others. IT was the most ‘aggressive’ followed by Governance/CSR and Risk Management. The remainder just requires AWARENESS.
I used Gleim Test Prep, Practice Guides and Practice Advisories and spontaneous googling to brush up comprehension of the concepts. I did not experience difficult formulas, hence, really no need to memorise any formulas, just understand the underlying objective of the formula.
I would like to thank you Stephanie and everyone on this platform by keeping up the profession’s motto: PROGRESS THROUGH SHARING!
God bless
Hi everyone, I just passed my part 3 exam this week on my third attempt. Just wanted to share more from the last time I tried.
I used Gleim for my 1st attempt and I didn’t read any extra materials. On my 2nd attempt, I wanted to try additional resources so I used Gleim, IIA learning system and read all materials and was close for passing and performed competently on some parts which made it more frustrating not to pass.
I decided to try a third tool which was Exammatrix just cause I felt that I started to memorize Gleim and IIA questions which I was trying to avoid. I have to say Exammatrix had so many new questions which made me glad to test and measure my understanding from the other previous systems.
I had a bad experience a few weeks ago. I used Glein exclusively and got 594. After failing I decided to buy the IIA learning system. Didn’t want to spend 380 bucks but must confess it offers a much better approach to Part 3.
Glein is useful to train on how to answer, get prepared to exam format ant etc…however IIA learning system uses exactly the language covered in the exam. I totally recommend Glein for parts 1 and 2 but for Part 3 without IIA learning reading we might focus wrongly.
One quick example was about out-sourcing, poorly covered in Glein and when you see IIA Learning system it gives the real picture and concepts to be ready to the exam. I have missed 4 or 5 questions in the real exam because I either didn’t know important concepts or got confused with Gleim writing style.
IIA learning is designed in a way to focus only on the concepts you need to be comfortable to answer real exam questions. That’s my feeling so far.
I passed my CIA Part 3 Exams today on my first attempt. Many thanks to the success stories and advice shared on this blog, they were very useful.
Gleim CIA Book and test prep is very sufficient for passing all parts of the exams. Make adequate study notes as you study each study unit and endeavor to go through your notes at least twice. Please do not spend time repeating gleim’s test prep questions. If you have made a detailed note from each study unit, revise them as many times as possible and you will be fine.
I took the cia part 3 yesterday and passed from first attempt.
Gleim is more than enough and a very efficient and quick method to rely on. However, you will need to do your own google search for anything that seems unclear especially if you lack substantial experience in the field of internal audit. I did all questions from the test prep Gleim, doing so many questions were indeed a key success factor. So spend your time in those questions as 2 hours is not enough for 100 qs!
I used IIA materials, and Gleim test bank. I little bit overlearned and failled.
For the next attempt I just reviewed with Exam Matrix and pass. I don’t think that EM was crucial, I just think that I needed a break, better emotional preparing, and of course – luck.
IMO Gleim has about 35% more things that you need and it misses about 15% which you can find in additional guideliness mentioned on this site. In review, skip the large questions (especially in accounting) , and your head will be much clearer and you will save your time.
IIA has also good and bad sides (I like IIA hard copy learning material) , but if you used them both that is lot of time – over 2000 questions in Gleim and 1000 in IIA, and there is a risk of overlearning as well as price factor. Someone who is used to IIA i would suggest to stick with it and try to find some additional test bank, and those who are used to Gleim, to stick with Gleim and mentioned IPPF guideliness.
If that does not help in first 2 attempts, than maybe different strategy shoul be applied.
I took my exam yesterday and passed on my first attempt. I used the Gleim material and question bank and everything said on this site with the following practice guides is pure gold.
Today I passed CIA part 3 :))
Thanks to all the comments posted here it helped me alot. The topics I got were mostly from Governance and I.t. And yes reading the supplementary material other than Gleim really helps. Gleim doesn’t cover enough.
I passed part 3 a couple weeks ago and wanted to pass on some tips that I found helpful and accurate. To give you some background, I passed the first time and studied about 10 hours a week (for 3.5 months) until two weeks before the exam, when I put in a considerable more time. In fact, the week before my work let me study from home so I probably studied 8 hours a day. I used Gleim and read every section, viewed the videos and answered all the practice questions. I found this to be helpful. Here are my tips:
1.) My exam was very heavy on CSR and ISO 31000 – more than what was in Gleim. I would suggest using supplemental material for these topics.
2.) Definitely focus more on the IT, risk and governance sections than the finance sections. I made the mistake of spending too much time on the 5 finance chapters then on the test there was approx. 5 questions and none of them were as hard as some of the Gleim questions (especially the managerial accounting chapters). And in fact, I had only one financial ratio on the exam. I would cover the material and know it but on my exam the questions weren’t very technical.
3.) Definitely spend time on the 5 chapters comprising managerial/leadership principles…
4.) I had numerous IT questions and found Gleim to provide the information I needed to pass the exam.
5.) During the test, try and give yourself enough time to go back over every question again – not just flagged ones. In fact, I had enough time to do that and more. Sometimes you realize the correct answer by going through the other questions on the exam.
6.) Put in the time for this test – it is different from part 1 and 2 and requires more studying. Get into a study routine and stick to it.
Hopefully these tips help! Again, I only used Gleim and for me, it worked! But I was very diligent and studied every week (Monday thru Friday) for two hours from January through April. I took the test the last week of April and studied about 8 hours a day for a week before the test.
I want to share my experience here, and let you know that passing CIA is possible. I´m an internal auditor, and my native language is Spanish, and I’m from South America, so the CIA here is almost like a dream, the main drawbacks is that EVERYTHING is in English.
The overall process to pass the 1, 2 and 3 parts took me 5 months. The part 1 and 2 I did with gleim and standards. And when I started to study for the third part, was the main shook, the amount of material was overwhelming, and I felt that was almost impossible to understand everything and my brain started to melt. The financial and accounting part was the most challenging due to the amount of information and again in another language where nothing makes sense.
After that, I came across to this website, and everyone was talking about the financial and accounting part as not as difficult as Gleim present it, and I thought if I do not trust my colleagues what I am? A monster? jajaja . So, I put all my trust on the tips and I simply did not study the Gleim questions for the financial and accounting part and I just read the concepts, every page with calculations I just skipped that section (It was hard, believe me). Additionally, I just took the syllabus, and I tried to match the IT concepts with the GTAGs , I did the same thing for Governance and Risk management.
The night before the test I did not sleep, the only thing that was in my head was the words of most of my bosses saying that for a staff auditor will be impossible to pass the cia because they hold higher positions in the company and they could not make it (Senior managers and Directors).
The day of the test (Today), I was so nervous that I could not eat, or drink anything, when the test started I felt like this is it, I have to answer every question thinking that this must make sense in the reality in every day business.
About the questions, 20 IT, 30 Governance, RM and CSR, the rest was a mix of the syllabus but common sense questions. And JUST 3 BASIC CALCULATIONS, one depreciation, acid test, and variable costing ( did not know that one).
Finally, when I pressed send, I think my heart stop for a while ( Sorry the dramatism but I´m latin). And the printer started to sound and I felt like that moment took an eternity. And the results were there: Pass, I love that word know. ( I had my Hollywood moment, like in the movie pursuit of happiness)
Overall, I want to let you know that is possible, you must overcome everything that is in your head and think positively. In my case, only 30 people are CIA in my country and they are Directors and Senior manager. And now I am a CIA too.
I just took and passed CIA part 2 on my first try! I used Gleim and there were only a few minor updates to that book. I purchased the book and test prep around Thanksgiving 2017 and began to study in December. I registered for the test at the end of January and passed on 2/8/2018. I only used Gleim and no other supplementary readings.
I passed Part 3 yesterday on my 2nd try. Big thank you to this site and the contributors for the tips and tricks. I’ll quickly reiterate what may others have said. In addition to your study guide (I used Gleim) you absolutely need the supplemental readings covering CSR, ISO 31000, and IT. GTAG 1, 17, and 4 were key. COSO and COBIT readings will help as well. Thanks again to everyone for the helpful advice on topic covered.
I sat and passed CIA part 1 on November 16, 2017. I purchased the Gleim book and the test prep. Those were the only materials I used, no supplements. I was adequately prepared, maybe even over prepared (if that’s possible).
Hey,
I passed my CIA Part 3 exam today – this morning – on my first attempt! I feel so great and so relieved ? I am done now! Of course, I am still waiting for my official result in CCMS, but I already got my printed out result from the PearsonVue Test Center – pass! ?
I learned with Gleim Premium, watched all the videos, read all the sections in the book, read all recommended GTAGs, PG (even about EBR), Standards etc, but focused more on CSR, ISO, RM, Compliance, IT, Marketing, Porter, Management etc. as it is already stated here in this forum. I wrote a lot of cards, by myself, handwriting – this helps me to concentrate on the content, and I read them again and again.
This all helped me a LOT!
I did almost NO questions in the Gleim Test bank according to Finance, just to Managerial Accounting. You really Need a good understanding, but not excactly to know all.
An yes, I had a few calculations – but basics – you need to know a few basics and have a good understanding, than u can do it!
I wish u all the best for everybode who is still on the way – You can do it!
Melanie
Sharing my experience on the struggles of the Part 3 exam. I finally passed the exam today after getting the painful score of 594 previously. I had used Gleim before (including for my Part 1 and 3) but decided to use the IIA for Part 3 this time and I’m glad that I switched. To sum up,
IIA provided more in depth coverage of the material and it covered all topics that you can expect on the exam. I remember the last time I had topics on the exam which were not covered at all in my Gleim material (eg. floating exchange rate risks and ISO 3100)
The IIA material really gives you a deeper understanding of the subjects instead of the outline format that Gleim provides without context at times. For me, this really helped me understand the topics and thus helped me apply them better in the exam.
I passed CIA part 3 on 11/23/17, 2 days before my wife and I had our first child. I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to this site, especially Stephanie! I used Gleim, IIA, GTAG’s, PA’s, Udemy, Youtube, trade publications, and countless google searches to deep dive on areas I felt weak on. I filled up a 400 page notebook of notes and utilized 4 white boards at home that I would continuously update and erase with info that I thought I should know or was struggling with. In retrospect it may have been overkill but I wanted to make sure I passed first time as I did with the prior 2 exams.
I took the exam in March this year and successfully passed on my first attempt.
Gleim is pretty good for part 2, however, due I had many surprises in part 1 and I felt I had to guess in many questions I decided to supplement the review courses with few practices guides.
Questions at Gleim are the best and prepares you very well to the exam.
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you. I passed Part 1 today as well. I used Gleim book and IIA’s CIA Learning system + I did extensive reading of IPPF. Additionally, I did about 1000 Gleim questions. I personally think the IIA book is not necessary if you already have Gleim.
Hi everybody!
Today, on my 3rd attempt I finally passed the part 3!!!! My first exam score was 548, then 574, and finally today PASSED!
Thanks to all of you who provided a very useful information and lots of hints.
For those who are still studying or struggling to pass as I did, I am telling how I studied and what helped me to pass.
1) I used Gleim book and test bank to study accounting and finance section. However, there was only 3-5 questions total on the exam related to finance or accounting and those questions were very simple.
2) for the rest of the section I studied using IIA Learning System books, test bank software and Gleim test bank also.
3) for every chapter in IIA Learning System i made notes. For example, IT section took me 39 pages of handwritten notes. Everyday before going to sleep I would read my notes for one of the sections.
4) for very difficult topics as IT and Management for me, I also made flesh cards.
I also read GTAGs 1,4,17 many times highlighting and rereading important paragraphs.
On the actual exam there was lots of IT related questions..maybe 40-50%. The rest of the questions were on Governance, Outsourcing, Risk Management.
Good luck!
Hello.
Yesterday I passed CIA part 3 on my second attempt. (Completed all parts)
About exam preparation after failing first attempt:
I used primarily Gleim learning material by comparing with IIA learning material. Each learning system has it’s cons and pros. In some topics Gleim material is very detailed and in another topics IIA does as well in my opinion. Additionally practiced each Gleim test questions except financial calculations. GTAG 1, 4,17, ISO 31000, CSR is very crucial to read in detail, please do not overlook appendix in GTAG material.
I have used Gleim CIA (certified internal auditor) review to successfully obtain my CIA certification. I found the program to be very detailed with many questions to practice with. My learning style is to do problems until I receive a high score in that area. Gleim was a great tool for CIA study!
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