The Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) is the globally recognized internal audit credential from The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA). It's three multiple-choice exam parts, about $990 in exam fees for IIA members, and a passing score of 600 on a 250 to 750 scale. Internal audit departments name it in job postings the way public accounting names the CPA.
Internal auditors work inside an organization. They check whether its governance, risk management and controls work, and report what they find to management and the board. The CIA shows you can do that job to the IIA's professional standards. Since January 2024 those are the Global Internal Audit Standards, organized into 5 domains and 15 principles, and the current exam syllabus is built directly on them.
The three exam parts
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| Part | Name | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Internal Audit Fundamentals | 125 questions, 2.5 hours |
| Part 2 | Internal Audit Engagement | 100 questions, 2 hours |
| Part 3 | Internal Audit Function | 100 questions, 2 hours |
Part 1 covers the foundations: the purpose of internal auditing, the internal audit charter and mandate, independence and objectivity, ethics and professionalism, governance and risk concepts, and fraud risks. It's the most conceptual of the three parts.
Part 2 is about running an engagement from start to finish, including setting objectives and scope, assessing risks, building the work program, gathering and weighing evidence, documenting workpapers and supervising the work. It's the most applied part, with scenario questions that ask what the auditor should do.
Part 3 is about managing the internal audit function itself. It covers the risk-based audit plan, resources and operations, the quality assurance and improvement program, communicating results, and following up on management action plans.
All three parts are computer-based and offered on demand at Pearson VUE test centers year-round. There aren't any exam windows, so you schedule each part when you're ready, and there's no penalty for wrong answers.
What it costs and who it's for
For IIA members, the traditional path costs about $990 in total: a $120 application fee, $310 for Part 1, and $280 each for Parts 2 and 3. Nonmembers pay about $1,515 for the same path. For prep, Gleim's three-part CIA review costs $1,099 to $1,249 from Traditional to Premium in the August 2026 price record, on top of the exam fees. I haven't verified other providers' prices. Even with a course, the CIA is one of the cheaper major finance and audit credentials, and the finance credential ROI map compares the full economics with the CPA, CFA, CMA and the rest.
The CIA fits three groups best. Working internal auditors get the field's standard credential. External auditors and accountants moving in-house to internal audit, SOX or controls roles get something more on point than a second accounting license. IT auditors and risk professionals get a governance-and-controls credential that's recognized across industries and countries.
Indeed puts average US base pay for internal auditors at about $102,000, and Robert Half's 2027 Salary Guide puts the top of its projected starting base salary for experienced internal audit managers at $159,750. To be certified, you need 24 months of internal audit or equivalent experience with a bachelor's degree (12 months with a master's), and it's verified at certification, not before the exams.
The CIA exam study guide has part-by-part advice. If you'd rather start practicing, FreeFellow has free CIA practice questions for all three parts, each with a worked solution and notes on the answer choices, plus a 30-term glossary in the current Standards vocabulary. The samples and glossary are open to anyone, and the full question bank needs a free account.