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Internal Audit Fundamentals: foundations of internal auditing, ethics and professionalism, governance, risk management, and control, and fraud risks. The widest part, weighted 35/20/30/15.
Practice free → Also: CIA Part 1 glossaryInternal Audit Engagement: engagement planning, information gathering, analysis, and evaluation, and supervision and communication. The applied, scenario-heavy part.
Practice free → Also: CIA Part 2 glossaryInternal Audit Function: internal audit operations, the risk-based audit plan, quality of the function, and engagement results and monitoring.
Practice free → Also: CIA Part 3 glossaryQuick facts
| Governing body | The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) |
| Parts | 3, sat in any order |
| Format | Part 1: 125 MCQs / 150 min. Parts 2 and 3: 100 MCQs / 120 min. |
| Scoring | 250 to 750 scaled; 600 passes |
| Pass rates | About 44% / 48% / 56% by part (IIA published figures) |
| Syllabus | Expanded Test Specifications (2024), examinable from May 2025; 2024 Global Internal Audit Standards vocabulary |
| Computation | Essentially none; the exam is qualitative and standards-anchored |
CIA guides
Frequently asked questions
How many parts does the CIA exam have?
Three. Part 1 (Internal Audit Fundamentals) is 125 questions in 150 minutes; Part 2 (Internal Audit Engagement) and Part 3 (Internal Audit Function) are 100 questions in 120 minutes each. All three are multiple choice with four options, and you can sit them in any order.
What score do you need to pass the CIA exam?
The IIA reports scores on a 250 to 750 scale, and 600 passes. The exam does not publish how many raw questions that takes, because the scaling adjusts for form difficulty. On FreeFellow, mock scoring uses 70% as the working benchmark for that cut.
What is the CIA exam pass rate?
Around 44% for Part 1, 48% for Part 2, and 56% for Part 3, per figures the IIA has published. Part 1 is the widest part by syllabus and the one most candidates sit first.
Is the CIA practice question bank on FreeFellow really free?
Yes. Public CIA samples need no signup. 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. Timed mock exams, flashcards, and analytics are part of the paid Fellow tier.
Does the CIA exam involve calculations?
Essentially none. The CIA is a qualitative, standards-anchored exam: it tests the 2024 Global Internal Audit Standards, governance and risk concepts, engagement practice, and judgment about roles and responsibilities, not computation.