Thinking about getting the CISA Certification? Chances are you’ve done the research on the CISA certification process. But what’s next on the agenda? These tips for CISA certification are intended to help you make your next moves carefully. Keep reading to find out how best tackle this unique exam, dos and don’ts to pass the first time, and important points to use along your journey! Don’t want to wait? Get started with the best CISA study materials & discounts here.
Why get a CISA Certification?
The world of information security auditing is growing at exponential rates. Demand for information security auditors has increased year after year.With all the recent changes in IT and business in general, the scope for CISA certified professionals has increased. These changes and more are encouraging a host of new security professionals to take up the CISA exam. Many large financial institutions and banks across the world have started hiring CISA certified candidates to ensure the most effective security assessments. This bears great news for those of us who are certified as salaries and benefits are rising across the board.
How difficult is the CISA Exam?
We’re not kidding when we say the CISA exam is one of the toughest around. It’s even notorious for a less than stellar pass-rates. While the ISACA, (the officials administering the exam) have stopped publishing information about pass-rates in recent years, feedback suggests that less than half of candidates pass. After all the weekends and time you put into studying that’s the last thing you want to do is fail the CISA.
Top 3 Reasons You Could Fail The CISA Exam
Questions are subjective and sometimes ambiguous or vague.
The focus is on memorization and rote learning.
The CISA is not a vendor specific test.
How to study for the CISA Exam?
These are the most important tips to keep in mind when preparing for the CISA exam.
1. Become An Accountant
The CISA focuses on real world applications, so being an expert exam taker won’t help you here. You’ll need to sharpen you IT auditing and accounting skills or else.
2. Read The Most Important CISA Study Materials
You’ll have a love-hate relationship with the CRM from the ISACA. It’s not exactly exciting but it’s a comprehensive guide for all candidates. The CRM has the details you need related to the exam plus defines the roles and responsibilities of IS auditors. It’s a must have study guide for all CISA exam takers and you better read it more than a couple times if you want to pass.
3. CISA Study Planner
Planning your study time will be crucial to your success. If you work full-time you’ll need at least a few months to prepare. Set aside at least 1-2 hours a night to to sit down and cram. Recommended CISA Study Times
35% on the manual
20% on coaching
45% on simulations/practice tests
4. Use The Free CISA Study Materials
The ISACA has a lot of what you need to get started.
5. Practical Information Security Audit Experience
You’ll want to make friends and get acquainted with IT Security processes ASAP. Getting hands on experience will definitely he helpful in your journey to becoming certified. Information security audits are different from financial and resource audits so you’ll need to have a good idea of the business processes required. Seek out other CISA professionals on Linkedin or other social media sites to help familiarize yourself with the roles and responsibilities. Better yet they may be able to provide you with even more tips or tricks.
6. CISA Courses
There are many great choices when it comes to CISA prep courses. They are typically offered online or live online. Each concept has it’s own pros and cons. If you want to pass then you’ll definitely want to pick at least one even above and beyond the free CISA study materials available across the web. The best CISA courses include practice exams, video lectures, lot’s of MCQ’s and instructor support. Although the CISA isn’t easy, with proper planning, determination, and the right guidance, clearing the exam on your 1st try is definitely possible. If you’ve followed the tips and tricks presented in this article and created a study-plan customized to you and your unique needs, passing the exam is almost a given.
RATING:★★★★★Surgent CISA Review has over 20 years of experience under the Exam Matrix CISA brand and leads the CISA review industry in product development and innovative technology. Despite it’s new name this course has helped thousands of people pass the CISA exam over the years and if you want to remove all doubts about failing your exam then this is your best bet.
Surgent CISA Review Features
Unique Adaptive Learning Technology
1650+ Mulitiple Choice Questions- with full text answers!
Surgent CISA Review software has an easy to use interface that makes it easy to track your progress in great detail. It utilizes “adaptive-learning technology” which allows you to create a customized study program that caters to your specific needs. This is an excellent tool to help you identify your weak areas and the topics you need to spend more time on. By focusing your studies on the areas you need it most, you are able to optimize your study time and retain more information. Their software has a reporting function built in it which allows you to easily see a progress report, reference report, or your last session’s results. You can choose to view each of these reports in either a detailed or summarized format depending on what you’re looking for.
Practice Questions
Their complete CISA review course comes equipped with over 1,650 multiple choice questions. Even though there are courses out there with more practice questions, Surgent CISA prides themselves on having the most difficult and relevant ones, many which have come directly from previous exams. All questions come with detailed explanations most contain a link to the page(s) in the book that covers the content relevant to that specific question.
Course Access and Practice Exams
The Surgent Certified Information Systems Auditor review course gives you 12 months access to their online material as well as unlimited practice exams. These simulate the computerized exam environment you will see on your actual exam day and include the same tools and functionality. This will help prepare you for when you actually take the exam by minimizing your test anxiety and increasing your level of preparation.
Pass or Refund Guarantee
Surgent CISA Review guarantees that you will pass the CISA exam or they will refund your money. To find out about the details, select Pass or Refund Guarantee from their main menu bar’s “About” tab drop down list.
Price
The Surgent CISA course costs $419 but is currently marked down to $349. Save $70 with an exclusive Crush discount today! Show Coupon
RATING: ★★★★★Gryfin Test Prep makes a great CISA exam review course that is based on two main ideas: adaptive learning and minimalism. By offering the bare essentials, coupled with included adaptive and customizable technology, this course is offered at a much lower price than competitors without sacrificing on quality. The Gryfin CISA exam review course comes replete with 1,600+ practice questions, 12 months of access, and a number of other great features. Despite these great offerings, however, the course is hundreds of dollars less than what is available from other test prep companies.
PROS
1. Adaptive Learning Software
TheGryfin CISA exam review course is so effective because of one unique asset: its adaptive learning software. This technology enables each user to have a customized learning program and greatly increases the chances of passing the test. Basically, you take an assessment that comprises several sections of multiple choice questions. Then, based on your performance, the course engineers a specific study plan for your needs—you essentially test out of certain topics. Gryfin’s adaptive learning platform generates questions based on your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to improve upon areas with which you are struggling. No more wasted time studying the same old materials—Gryfin focuses your learning on what you need to know, not what you already understand.
2. Pass or Refund Guarantee
While some companies may be reluctant to offer this type of assurance, Gryfin fully stands behind its products. This is why it’s able to provide this pass or refund guarantee. If you qualify, you’re able to get your money back.Also, if you don’t pass the exam within the allotted access period but still want to use the Gryfin review course, you can sign back up for half price. This means that you’ll get an unparalleled amount of time to study for a fraction of the price.
3. Price
You’re not going to find a better option with regard to price. It’s that simple—other courses will cost you hundreds of dollars more, despite not having much more to offer. This type of value is a differentiating factor for the Gryfin CISA review course. Given that you’re still getting a great prep tool, it’s hard to
overlook this excellent price point.
4. Access Period
The other courses in the CISA prep world tend to provide 5-6 months of access, which some would consider plenty of time. Gryfin gives you a little more wiggle room, as it allows for an entire year of use before the time period expires. If you’re the type that has a busy schedule or if you simply will require more studying to ensure passage, this is the course for you!
5. Multiple Choice Questions
While the other courses may rely on the use of full simulation exams to justify their price points, Gryfin’s offering provides you with more multiple choice questions—many more questions, in fact! With more than 1,600 multiple choice questions, it blows the competition out of the water. This is done so that potential test takers get a chance to use the adaptive learning software and master every topic.
6. Ease of Use
This course is designed with the user in mind, as the dashboard and layout are very intuitive and minimal with regard to buttons and clutter. You’re not going to have a wealth of features available at your fingertips, but this was the desired result for Gryfin Test Prep. Substance over style was the name of the game for this offering and it shows. You’re going to be in and out of study sessions in no time—no gimmicks and frills will save you time and money!
CON
Simplicity
Some people prefer the simple method, but if that’s not you, then this may not be your best bet. If you’re the type of studier who needs a video lecture that’s full of exciting popups and flashy graphics, then steer clear of this course. For self-studiers who can motivate themselves, this is a perfect balance of cost and comprehensive questions. For those who like a little pizazz, look to another course.
Ideal User
The ideal user for this course is someone who can self-motivate, get right to business, and learn by doing rather than listening or watching. The Gryfin Test Prep strategy is based on adaptive learning technology replacing video lectures or fancy dashboard and unnecessary metrics. If you were the person in college who skipped the group study sessions and was fine studying on your own at the library, this is for you. If Gryfin Test Prep was a car, it would be a Toyota or Honda—it’s a dependable course, but it doesn’t attract any attention with it’s design. Simple and reliable, that’s the name of the game. This will get you from point A to point B on a budget and within your desired timeframe. What more could you want?
My Suggestion
When it comes to review courses for the CISA exam, it’s a matter of determining which prep program will work best for you. If you want the most affordable option, this is your course. Sure, it lacks all of the gimmicks that other options may have, but it’s going to be enough to help you pass. It’s good enough to make this list, but it’s not going to blow you away. But, with its great guarantee and adaptive learning, you won’t be disappointed you made this purchase!GO TO GRYFIN CISA REVIEW!
Summary of Course Features
Top-Level Instructor Sourced Content
Adaptive Learning Software
1,600+ Multiple Choice Questions
Pass or Refund Guarantee
12 Months Of Online Access
Customizable Study Plans
Pricing
CISA Exam Full CoursePrice:$347$267Show CouponIncludes: 12 months of access to full review course, more than 1,600 multiple choice questions, adaptive learning software that adjusts to your strengths and weaknesses, expert-source questions, a pass or refund guarantee, customizable study plans, easy-to-use dashboard and layout, and so much more.GO TO GRYFIN CISA REVIEW!
CISA SuperReview was created by Allen Keele, who comes across as extremely knowledgeable about the CISA exam right from the first module of his course. Allen is great teacher who is able to clearly and concisely explain the test material. CISA Super Review requires approximately 30-40 hours of study to complete, and it contains over 600 narrated slides. It also contains over 890 practice questions, which cover all 5 of the CISA domains on the exam. Each lesson within a module begins with a pre-assessment test and finishes with a post-assessment test. Additionally, each module finishes with a test that includes all the practice questions from that module. The CISA Super Review leaves no ground left uncovered.
Exam-Identical Practice Tests
The course also includes 4 timed practice exams which contain 200 randomly selected questions each. This is the same format as the actual CISA exam and will help you get comfortable answering so many questions while your on the clock. This truly is a CISA exam prep on steroids!
Other Course Features
There’s a lot of material in this course, which means it’s definitely worth mentioning that the interface and organization of the content is very simple and easy to use. So whichever part of the course you need to access at a particular time, you are always just a click away. There’s also a search function for those times when you need to really narrow it down in terms of what info you need to find. CISA Super Review has an automatic bookmark function that remembers where you left off, so you can resume at just the right point in the course without having to search for it after you login. This course can be accessed from any computer, anywhere in the world, at any time.
Customer Service and Support
The best thing about this course though is the author’s continuous maintenance of it and the way he replies to students questions so clearly and quickly. He updates the course twice a year, which is particularly important when you consider that the CISA exam material is modified from time to time. All the updates to this course include those exam modifications. As mentioned above, Allen (the author) is superb at customer support. He recognizes that although his material makes everything super clear, there will still be times when you can’t quite figure something out, and this is when he’ll be on hand to give you answers within just a few short hours.
Free Online Demo
Before you commit to anything, you can test drive this course and see first-hand the overall value it provides by checking out their Free Online Demo. This gives you the chance to find out if this course fits well with your personal learning style and preferences.
Price
So what’s the price for the CISA Super Review? Well, it’s not the most expensive, and it’s not the cheapest either. For most products, you often find that the best value option is somewhere in the middle in terms of price, and I think that’s the case here. The total package price is $449.95, and for that you get access to all materials for 180 days and have unlimited access to them in that time. You also get a course guarantee that lets you use the course for an extra 6 months for free if you fail the CISA exam on your first time through.
FREE CPE Credits
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons to choose CISA Super Review is that after you pass your CISA exam (and you will pass, or why would Allen offer the guarantee shown above?) you will receive a certificate which gives you 40 continuing professional education (CPE) credits. You’ll need 40 of these per year to maintain your CISA certification regardless of which course you select, so choosing this one will save you a TON of time, energy, and cash! GO TO CISA SUPERREVIEW!
RATING:★★★★★ExamMatrix CISA Review has over 20 years of experience and leads the CISA review industry in product development and innovative technology. New for this year ExamMatrix CISA is now Surgent CISA Review. Despite it’s new name this course has helped thousands of people pass the CISA exam over the years and if you want to remove all doubts about failing your exam then this is your best bet.
Software
Surgent CISA Review software has an easy to use interface that makes it easy to track your progress in great detail. It utilizes “adaptive-learning technology” which allows you to create a customized study program that caters to your specific needs. This is an excellent tool to help you identify your weak areas and the topics you need to spend more time on. By focusing your studies on the areas you need it most, you are able to optimize your study time and retain more information. Their software has a reporting function built in it which allows you to easily see a progress report, reference report, or your last session’s results. You can choose to view each of these reports in either a detailed or summarized format depending on what you’re looking for.
Practice Questions
Their complete CISA review course comes equipped with over 1,650 multiple choice questions. Even though there are courses out there with more practice questions, Surgent CISA prides themselves on having the most difficult and relevant ones, many which have come directly from previous exams. All questions come with detailed explanations most contain a link to the page(s) in the book that covers the content relevant to that specific question.
Course Access and Practice Exams
The Surgent Certified Information Systems Auditor review course gives you 12 months access to their online material as well as unlimited practice exams. These simulate the computerized exam environment you will see on your actual exam day and include the same tools and functionality. This will help prepare you for when you actually take the exam by minimizing your test anxiety and increasing your level of preparation.
Pass or Refund Guarantee
Surgent CISA Review guarantees that you will pass the CISA exam or they will refund your money. To find out about the details, select Pass or Refund Guarantee from their main menu bar’s “About” tab drop down list.
Price
The Surgent CISA course costs $349. Or if you just want to purchase their Theory Reference book then that will cost you $55. Save $70 with an exclusive Crush discount today! Show CouponGO TO EXAMMATRIX!
