FreeFellow vs Gleim CIA: 2026 Comparison

Gleim's CIA review page lists its complete three-part review at $1,099 (Traditional) or $1,249 (Premium), matching the August 2026 price record, and the separate Gleim CIA Test Bank at $499 (checked September 7, 2026). FreeFellow's whole CIA bank is free: Part 1 (498 questions), Part 2 (433) and Part 3 (443), each question with a worked solution and a note on every wrong choice, plus 62 written lessons. Gleim's price buys a guided course and video, which FreeFellow doesn't have.

Gleim is the default recommendation in CIA prep, the same as for the EA and CMA. Ask an audit manager or the internal audit forums what to buy and Gleim comes up first. The test bank is large, the SmartAdapt course walks you through the material in order, and the company has been selling CIA review for decades. I'm Jeffrey Ting, FSA, CFA, and I built FreeFellow as the free alternative, so I'm not neutral here. The CIA banks went live on FreeFellow in August 2026, so Gleim has a long track record here and FreeFellow doesn't have one yet.

The CIA's format shapes this comparison. It's three parts of pure multiple choice: 125 questions in 150 minutes on Part 1, then 100 questions in 120 minutes on each of Parts 2 and 3, scored from 250 to 750 with 600 to pass. There's no computation on it. Every question is a judgment call about a scenario under the 2024 Global Internal Audit Standards: who approves the charter, when objectivity is impaired, what the CAE escalates and to whom. Start by checking your command of Part 1's foundations. You prepare for an exam like this by reading the Standards and working through a lot of scenarios, and there are no formulas for a lecturer to walk you through.

Prices and what they buy

Gleim's paid tiers buy the SmartAdapt guided course, video lectures, a study text, simulated exams and access support.

FreeFellow's free tier carries the whole bank: Part 1 (Internal Audit Fundamentals), Part 2 (Internal Audit Engagement) and Part 3 (Internal Audit Function). Every question has a worked solution plus a written note on each wrong choice explaining why it's wrong, and you also get the 62 lessons, a glossary for each part, mixed practice and the readiness score, with no trial period or credit card. Fellow is $39 a month or $79 a quarter for the CIA track and adds two timed mock exams per part, spaced-repetition flashcards, performance analytics and a study plan. The $199 annual plan is Fellow Plus, the top tier, which adds Common traps. Prices are in USD, and each subscription covers one credential track (check pricing for your track and country).

The full original question bank is free with an account, subject to usage limits. Worked solutions, written lessons, mixed practice, and your readiness score stay free.

For scale, the exam seats themselves run $310 for Part 1 and $280 each for Parts 2 and 3 at the IIA member rate, plus a $120 one-time application fee. Gleim Traditional costs more than all three seats and the application fee combined.

What Gleim's course gives you that the free bank doesn't

Gleim's SmartAdapt decides what you study next, puts the videos, the text and the question review into one sequence, and manages you to exam day. If you're coming to internal audit cold, or retaking a failed part and want to be led through it, that structure is what you'd be buying, and FreeFellow doesn't sell it. The Fellow study plan schedules your practice, but nobody on FreeFellow walks you through the Standards on video, and access until you pass isn't included.

For the drilling, which is most of the work on this exam, the free bank covers the same ground. With no computation and a scenario format, the skill being tested is recognizing what the 2024 Standards require in a given situation, and you build it fastest with a lot of questions that come with reasons. FreeFellow's bank explains the answer and each wrong choice on every question, including why the tempting wrong answer is wrong, and on a judgment exam that's where most of the learning happens. If you were eyeing the $499 Gleim CIA Test Bank, compare it with FreeFellow's free bank and explanations first.

Which one to use

If your employer reimburses prep, or you know material only sticks for you through video, buy Gleim and work through FreeFellow's free bank alongside it. The extra volume costs nothing, and a second bank's wording keeps you from memorizing one provider's question style.

If you're paying yourself, start free. Read the lessons, drill Part 1 and watch your readiness score. Free Part 1 practice will show you where your gaps are before you've spent anything on prep. Buying Gleim Traditional's three-part review at $1,099 on day one commits your whole budget before you know which part will give you trouble. Add Fellow for $39 in the month you want timed mocks, or $79 for the quarter, and if the reading isn't landing and you want to be taught, add Gleim for the video and the structure at that point.

My own plan would be to read the 62 lessons, work through all 1,374 questions with the choice notes on, and buy one quarter of Fellow ($79) in the final stretch for the six timed mocks and the study plan. I'd only add Gleim if I found I wanted video on a domain that wasn't sticking. That's $0 to $79 out of pocket, against $1,099 to $1,249 for the course route.

The full Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 banks are on FreeFellow's CIA practice pages. Samples are open to anyone, and the full banks and written lessons need a free account. Fellow (mocks, flashcards, analytics, study plan) is on the pricing page.

FreeFellow is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by The Institute of Internal Auditors. CIA and Certified Internal Auditor are registered trademarks of The Institute of Internal Auditors, Inc. Gleim is a trademark of its respective owner and is named here for identification and comparison only.