CISA Exam Prep Archives - CRUSH The InfoSec ExamS

Have you been looking for definitive information on the CISA exam, but struggled to find anything of any real substance? The search is over, you just found the ultimate guide! Below I will cover the CISA exam fees, dates, requirements, exam content, and test locations to help prepare you for your exam. Let’s jump right into it.

CISA Exam Fees

In spite of the fact that careers for CISA-qualified individuals are well paid, the CISA exam fee is hardly pocket change. That’s why it is completely understandable that you want to know how much cash you’ll need to spend to take the exam, so that you can then go on to earn an even higher salary.

The CISA exam cost in 2014 is $600 if you register through ISACA. This price includes a discount of $75 for registering online. You can pay online, or mail a check to ISACA, or you can even pay by fax – it’s completely up to you.

Re-examination Fees

Here’s some motivation to make sure you study hard for the exam: If you get into a situation where you need to retake the CISA exam, you’ll have to pay the exam fee again. The CISA pass rate has not been published for the last few years, but historically it has always hovered around 50%. This makes it even more pertinent to study hard and use the best CISA study materials so you can avoid paying the exam fee more than once. The CISA exam is tough, but remember, the fact that it’s difficult is a key reason that CISA certification holders have so much money. The supply of people in this field is low, but the demand for CISA employees is high, which skyrockets their salaries.

CISA Exam Dates

The CISA exam can be taken during the months of June, September and December. The first exam in 2014 will be held on the 14th June. Registration for that exam is already closed though, so the soonest one you can sign up for is in September 2014. The early registration deadline for that exam is on the 11th of June, and the final deadline is on the 21st of July 2014. The actual date of the September exam is September 6th. The next exam after that will be on the December 13th, and CISA registration for the that exam will open in mid-June. Something that’s useful to know is that your CISA exam results will always come back to you in time for you to register and retake the exam at the next available opportunity. So for instance, if you sign up for the September exam, your score will come back to you soon enough that, if you need to retake the exam, you’ll be able to do so in December, which in this scenario would be the soonest opportunity. ICASA’s website states that your results will be mailed to you approximately 8 weeks after the test date. Depending on your specific preferences, this information may or may not be sent to you via email too. Your results package will also make it clear to you how to apply for CISA certification.

CISA Exam Deferral Fees

If you are in a position where you have registered for an exam date, but for whatever reason, you are unable to attend the exam, you can defer your taking of the exam to a later available date. There is a processing fee for doing this, and it will either be $50 or $100, depending on how soon or late you are leaving it to inform ISACA about your deferral. To request a deferral of your CISA exam, go to www.isaca.org/examdefer

CISA Certification Requirements & Eligibility

Here’s a list of the requirements that you must meet in order to be able to claim the CISA qualification: 1. Pass the CISA exam. The CISA passing score is a mark of 450 or higher on the exam. 2. Abide by the ISACA Code of Professional Ethics 3. Promise to obey the CISA Continuing Professional Education Policy 4. Gain at least 5 years of professional information systems auditing, control or security work experience. That said, if you meet particular education and general IS or audit experience requirements, then a waiver may be possible. This, however, is considered on a case-by-case basis. 5. Comply with Information Systems Auditing Standards Note: After you meet the CISA exam requirements and pass the exam itself, you will have 5 years from that date, in which to meet the other requirements and apply for your certification. If you don’t get this done within 5 years, your passing score on the exam will be deemed null and void.

If you’ve passed the exam and believe that you meet those requirements, then you can begin the application for certification here. There is a fee of $50 for this application, and it can be paid here: www.isaca.org/cisapay There’s also a yearly fee that you must pay to maintain this certification after you’ve been granted it. The fee is $40 per annum for ISACA members, and $75 for non-members.

CISA Exam Content

Here are details of the 5 domains covered on the exam: Domain 1—The Process of Auditing Information Systems (14%) Domain 2—Governance and Management of IT (14%) Domain 3—Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation (19%) Domain 4—Information Systems Operations, Maintenance and Support (23%) Domain 5—Protection of Information Assets (30%)

CISA Exam Locations

The CISA exam can be taken from multiple locations around the world, so there’s a good chance that you won’t have to travel too far to do it. Below is a list of the locations for the September 6, 2014 exam, in alphabetical order by country name. The exact location within each city for each exam will be decided once the CISA exam registration deadline date for that round of exams has passed. This is done to make the location of each exam as convenient as possible for the people who sign up. Those that sign up will be informed of the exact location of the exam via email. AUSTRALIA 6206 Sydney CANADA 6606 Toronto CHINA 6620 Beijing 6650 Shanghai 6680 Shenzhen City COLOMBIA 6702 Bogota ENGLAND 9601 London 9602 Manchester FRANCE 7201 Paris GERMANY 7302 Frankfurt GHANA 7450 Accra HONG KONG 7401 Kowloon HUNGARY 7351 Budapest INDIA 7501 Chennai 7502 Mumbai 7503 New Delhi 7505 Bangalore 7506 Hyderabad INDONESIA 7601 Jakarta JAPAN 7903 Tokyo KENYA 8050 Nairobi MALAYSIA 8201 Kuala Lumpur MEXICO 8303 Mexico City NETHERLANDS 6401 Utrecht NIGERIA 8551 Lagos 8553 Abuja Center PAKISTAN 8675 Karachi PHILIPPINES 8726 Manila RUSSIA 9950 Moscow SINGAPORE 8901 Singapore SOUTH AFRICA 6101 Johannesburg SOUTH KOREA 9001 Seoul SPAIN 9101 Madrid SWITZERLAND 9301 Zurich TAIWAN 9351 Taipei THAILAND 9401 Bangkok TURKEY 9450 Istanbul UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 9501 Dubai ———————————————– UNITED STATES CALIFORNIA 0401 Los Angeles 0405 San Jose COLORADO 0501 Denver DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 0701 Washington, DC FLORIDA 0804 Tampa GEORGIA 0901 Atlanta ILLINOIS 1201 Chicago MARYLAND 1801 Baltimore MASSACHUSETTS 1901 Boston NEW YORK 2603 New York City PENNSYLVANIA 3102 Philadelphia TEXAS 3502 Dallas 3503 Houston VIRGINIA 3701 Richmond WASHINGTON 3801 Seattle Now that you know what it takes to CRUSH the CISA exam, your next step is to find the Best CISA study materials to help you pass your first time through!

The CISA-designation or Certified Information Systems Auditor is one of the most globally recognized certifications in the field of information security and systems. This, plus strict requirements and a difficult to pass exam make it an in-demand certification.

In fact, in the U.S., since the Sarbanes-Oxley act of 2002, it is often required for openings in the information’s security fields including auditing, control and security. As of 2014, more than 115,000 professionals have earned the CISA certification.

In 2015, Certification Magazine listed CISA as one of the top three highest paying certifications, and a 2015 IT Skills and Salary Survey listed it as one of the top five highest paying certifications for the second year. If you are planning to take the exam, the following information will help you on your way to success and a certification.

CISA Requirements

CISA has several requirements that you have to meet before you can achieve certification. The minimum requirements are 5 years of work experience in a related field, passing the CISA certification exam and agreeing to the code of ethics as well as the code of continuing education. Once you pass the exam, you have to accrue 20 hours of continuing education per year in order to retain your certification. You can substitute formal education for up to three years of your work experience. Some substitute options include:

ACCA Member Status for a 2-year educational waiver
CIMA Certification for a 2-year educational waiver
60-120 credit hour education in a relevant field for a 2-year educational waiver
Masters degree in information technology or security for a 1-year educational waiver

Therefore, you need a minimum of two years of work experience and a relevant degree and certification or a relevant degree and Master’s degree if you do not have five years of work experience.

CISA Certification Cost

The CISA exam costs vary depending on whether you are an ISACA member or not, how you apply, and how quickly you register. The online, early registration fee is $625 for non-members and $440 for members while the mailed or faxed early registration costs $75 more. The final registration costs $675 for non-members and $490 for members, with a $75 processing fee for applying via mail or fax rather than the web.

Changing your exam costs $50 and changes must be submitted before you receive an exam ticket. Cancelling your exam costs $100 and the cancellation must be processed one month or sooner before the exam. Deferrals cost $50 before one month and $100 after one month to the exam.

You also have to pay a $50 processing fee when you apply for your certification after you pass the exam.

CISA Online Training

The CISA exam is notoriously difficult with only an average of 50% of test takers passing, and even lower numbers for first time participants. For that reason, it is important to study and learn for the test before taking it. A CISA Review Manual offers everything you need for self-study with practice questions, information, question and answer breakdown, and course information. Most also include at least one preparatory exam.

The ISACA offers multiple CISA study materials including study guides, CISA practice questions, the CISA Review Manual, and several supplemental materials including a CD Rom. These materials are offered in English as well as in other languages. You can also look for CISA review and guidebooks from non-ISACA learning sources.

A CISA prep course is an option if you are not good at self-study or want to ensure that you know enough to pass the test. The ISACA offers several classroom training and preparatory CISA review classes around the globe with options ranging from one week to one day, which you can use to ensure that you are ready for the test.

CISA online courses include a variety of non-ISACA study options, which offer online practice questions, quizzes, and usually tutor guidance. We have compared some of the best online CISA Study Materials for you to check out.

CISA Practice Questions

You can choose to purchase CISA practice questions online from the ISACA’s learning resources, choose an online prep course with a CISA question bank, and take the ISACA’s self assessment exam to ensure that you are ready for the test.

The CISA Exam

The CISA certification exam is held three times per year around the globe in June, September, and December. While offered in up to ten languages, English is available throughout the year, while several other language options, such as Chinese Mandarin and Korean are only available in June. You can register for the next upcoming CISA Exam via ISACA.org.

The CISA Exam consists of five parts with 200 multiple choice questions, with one correct answer per question. You are scored based on the pre-determined value of each question, but not all questions have a value but are, instead, for statistical purposes. A minimum passing score of 450 will earn you your certification, but you need an 800 for a perfect score.

The five parts include “The Process of Auditing Information Systems” which includes 14% of the questions you need for a passing grade, “Governance and Management of IT” which includes 14% of the questions needed for a passing grade, “Information Systems Acquisition, Development, and Implementation” which includes 19% of the questions needed for a passing grade, “Information Systems Operations, Maintenance and Support” which includes 23% of the questions needed for a passing grade, and Protection of Information Assets” which includes 30% of the questions needed for a passing grade.

The exam itself is four hours in length, but you have to show up at least 30 minutes in advance, or before the orator begins explaining the exam.

Once you pass the exam, you will receive your test results in the mail within five weeks. From there, you have to apply separately for your certification, where you have to prove your five years of work experience or substitute with education achievements and agree to continuing education and ethics standards. There is a $50 processing fee for the CISA application.

How to Excel at the CISA Exam

The CISA Exam is notoriously difficult and with a low passing rate and a 75% pass rate requirement, it is important that you know the information in order to pass the CISA exam. For this reason, allowing yourself a minimum of 3-4 months to study for the exam is important. You can choose to purchase the ISACA CISA Review Manual or go with a CISA Prep Course, but in either case, it is important to familiarize yourself with all of the material.

Supplementary material can help with clarification and explanation if you do not understand what is in the review manual. The Review Manual clearly outlines what you will and will not be tested on, which allows you to make notes for quick study and memorization. The most important part of the test is to familiarize yourself with the core concepts of the test and learn question logic by studying correct and incorrect answers.

Best CISA Study Materials

CISA Courses
RANKINGS	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5
OVERALL RATING	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★
COMPANY	CISA SuperReview	Gryfin CISA Prep Course	SimpliLearn CISA Course	CISA ExamMatrix	CISA ExamPractice
PRICE	~~$600~~ $449 Get Coupon	~~$347~~ $267 Show Coupon	~~$599~~ $450 Show Coupon	~~~~$349~~~~ $244 Show Coupon	~~$599~~ $499 Get Discount
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS	900+	1,650+	79	1,500+	N/A
PRACTICE EXAMS	4 Full Simulation Exams	Unlimited	5 Full Simulation Exams	Unlimited	N/A
VIDEO LECTURES	30-40 Hours	N/A	27 Hours	N/A	15 Hours
COURSE ACCESS	6 Months	12 Months	6 Months	12 Months	6 Months
GUARANTEES	6 Month Extension If You Don’t Pass	Pass or Refund	3 Day Money-Back Guarantee	100% Pass Guarantee	None
COURSE UPDATES	Every 6 months
CERTIFICATE & 40+ CPE CREDITS
INSTRUCTOR EMAIL SUPPORT
INSTRUCTOR PHONE SUPPORT
FREE DEMO	Try Now!
READ FULL ANALYSIS	Read Full Review	Read Full Review	Read Full Review	Read Full Review	Read Full Review
GET STARTED	START NOW	START NOW	START NOW	START NOW	START NOW

CISA Jobs

The CISA designation is an important certification in many jobs, and CISA holders work in all levels of Information Technology and Information Security, including as CEOs. The vast majority (over 39,000) CISA holders work as Information technology audit managers, directors, and consultants. Information’s security director, manager and consultant are also job openings for CISA holders. Chief risk, compliancy or audit officers also require CISA-designation.

CISA designation can help you to achieve success in the information technology or information security field and may be necessary for a desired job. However, with only a small percentage of first time test takers earning a passing grade, it is important that you take the time to study for the exam before you take it.

CISA Exam Information