Gleim holds the same position in CIA prep that it holds for the EA and CMA: the default recommendation. 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 built FreeFellow as the free alternative. I am the founder, Jeffrey Ting, FSA, CFA, and this post is self-interested. The CIA banks went live on FreeFellow in August 2026, so Gleim has a long track record here and FreeFellow has none. What FreeFellow has is the entire three-part bank, free.
One thing about the exam shapes this whole comparison. The CIA is 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 on a 250 to 750 scale with 600 passing. There is zero computation on it. Every question is scenario judgment against the 2024 Global Internal Audit Standards: who approves the charter, when objectivity is impaired, what the CAE escalates and to whom. Pass rates run about 44% on Part 1, 48% on Part 2, and 56% on Part 3, so Part 1 is where most attempts stall. An exam like this rewards reading the Standards and drilling a high volume of scenarios. It has no formulas for a lecturer to derive.
The Prices and What They Buy
Gleim sells its complete three-part CIA review at $1,099 (Traditional) or $1,249 (Premium), 2026 pricing as published on gleim.com, with a separate test-bank-only option at $499. The paid tiers buy the SmartAdapt guided course, video lectures, a study text, simulated exams, and access support.
FreeFellow free is $0 and carries the whole bank: Part 1 (Internal Audit Fundamentals, 498 questions), Part 2 (Internal Audit Engagement, 433), and Part 3 (Internal Audit Function, 443), every question with a worked solution plus a written note on each wrong answer choice explaining why it is wrong, plus 62 written lessons, per-part glossaries, mixed practice, and readiness scoring. No trial, no question cap, no credit card. Fellow is $39 per month or $79 per quarter for the CIA track and adds two timed mock exams per part, SM-2 spaced-repetition flashcards, performance analytics, and a study plan; the $199 annual plan is Fellow Plus, the top tier.
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.
| Feature | FreeFellow Free | FreeFellow Fellow | Gleim CIA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $39/mo or $79/qtr; $199/yr (Fellow Plus) | $1,099 to $1,249; $499 bank only |
| Browse the full bank free | Yes, all three parts | Yes | No, paywalled |
| Practice questions | 498 + 433 + 443 | Same | Large bank, paywalled |
| Worked solution + notes on wrong choices | Yes | Yes | Answer explanations |
| Video lectures | None | None | Included |
| Lessons | 62 written | 62 written | SmartAdapt course + study text |
| Guided study calendar | None | Study plan | SmartAdapt sequencing |
| Mock exams | None | Two per part, timed | Simulated exams |
| Analytics | Readiness score | Topic-level plus trends | Performance tracking |
| Track record | New (August 2026) | New | Decades of CIA review |
Gleim sells a guided course with video for four figures; FreeFellow gives the bank, the choice-level explanations, and the lessons away free and charges $39 to $199 only for mocks, flashcards, analytics, and the study plan. Which you need depends on whether you want to be taught or to drill.
What the Paid Course Buys That the Free Bank Does Not
The real Gleim product is the structure. SmartAdapt decides what you study next, folds the videos, text, and question review into one sequence, and manages you to exam day. A candidate coming to internal audit cold, or retaking a failed part and wanting to be led through it, is buying exactly that, and FreeFellow does not sell it. The Fellow study plan schedules your practice, but nobody on FreeFellow narrates the Standards to you on video, and there is no pass guarantee of any kind.
Where the free path covers the same ground is the drilling, and on this exam the drilling is most of the work. With no computation and a scenario format, the skill being tested is recognizing what the 2024 Standards require in a given situation, and the fastest way to build it is a high volume of questions with reasons attached. FreeFellow's bank explains the answer and each wrong choice on every question, including why the tempting wrong answer is wrong, which on a judgment exam is where the learning actually happens. The 62 lessons cover the syllabus in writing. If you were eyeing Gleim's $499 test-bank-only option, that is the direct head-to-head: a question bank with explanations, at $499 or at $0.
Who Should Pick Which
If your employer reimburses prep, or you know material only sticks for you through video, buy Gleim and drill FreeFellow's free bank alongside it. The extra volume costs nothing, and a second bank's phrasing keeps you from memorizing one provider's question style.
If you are paying out of pocket, start free. Read the lessons, drill Part 1, and watch your readiness score. Part 1 has the lowest pass rate of the three, and two weeks of free drilling will tell you whether it threatens you before you have spent anything. Add Fellow for $39 in the month you want timed mocks, or $79 for the quarter. If the reading is not landing and you want to be taught, add Gleim for the video and the structure rather than defaulting to it on day one.
Most candidates who stall on the CIA stall at Part 1, which passes about 44% of attempts. Buying a $1,099 three-part package on day one commits the whole budget before you know which part will actually give you trouble. Free drilling answers that question first.
Sitting today, I would 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 would add Gleim only if I found I wanted video on a domain that was not sticking. Total out of pocket: $0 to $79, against $1,099 to $1,249 for the course route.
FreeFellow's CIA practice pages are open with the full Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 banks free. No signup required to browse. The Fellow tier (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.