Everything you need to know about upcoming CIA exam changes, when the new exam will be tested, and more. Plus, learn about past exam changes to see how the exam and profession have developed over the years.
The IIA is updating the CIA exam to:
The IIA’s updated Global Internal Audit Standards Opens in new window and International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) Opens in new window are effective as of January 9, 2025.
The IIA also updated the CIA exam syllabus Opens in new window.
Beginning in May 2025, candidates will begin to sit for the updated CIA exam. The earliest the new exam will be tested is May 28, 2025, in English.
See the language release schedule below to see The IIA’s release dates for the new exam in additional languages.
The IIA released updated CIA exam syllabi that are available on their website Opens in new window. The syllabi provide topic breakdowns for each exam part, including the weighting of the topics tested.
Keep reading to get an overview of the changes coming to each part of the CIA exam.
Part 1 of the CIA exam, Essentials of Internal Auditing, currently tests 6 sections. On the new CIA exam, Part 1 is being renamed to Internal Audit Fundamentals, and it will be reduced to 4 sections with updates to the emphasized topics.
The current sections titled Independence and Objectivity, Proficiency and Due Professional Care, and Quality Assurance and Improvement Program will no longer be Part 1 sections.
The new exam will still have the Foundations of Internal Auditing and Fraud Risks sections, and both will have a larger emphasis than they do now. The Governance, Risk Management, and Control section will have a slight decrease in emphasis on the new exam. A new section titled Ethics and Professionalism will also be tested on Part 1.
Part 1 – 2019 Syllabus Essentials of Internal Auditing |
Part 1 – 2025 Syllabus Internal Audit Fundamentals |
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1. Foundations of Internal Auditing – 15% | 1. Foundations of Internal Auditing – 35% |
2. Independence and Objectivity – 15% | 2. Ethics and Professionalism – 20% |
3. Proficiency and Due Professional Care – 18% | 3. Governance, Risk Management, and Control – 30% |
4. Quality Assurance and Improvement Program – 7% | 4. Fraud Risks – 15% |
5. Governance, Risk Management, and Control – 35% | |
6. Fraud Risks – 10% |
CIA Part 2: Practice of Internal Auditing is being updated to test 3 sections instead of 4. Part 2 is also being renamed to Internal Audit Engagement.
All of the current sections are being updated, and there will be a greater emphasis on Engagement Planning, Information Gathering, Analysis, and Evaluation.
Part 2 – 2019 Syllabus Practice of Internal Auditing |
Part 2 – 2025 Syllabus Internal Audit Engagement |
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1. Managing the Internal Audit Activity – 20% | 1. Engagement Planning – 50% |
2. Planning the Engagement – 20% | 2. Information Gathering, Analysis, and Evaluation – 40% |
3. Performing the Engagement – 40% | 3. Engagement Supervision and Communication – 10% |
4. Communicating Engagement Results and Monitoring Progress – 20% |
Part 3 CIA exam, Business Knowledge for Internal Auditing, will be titled Internal Audit Function and it will still test candidates on 4 sections.
The section content is being updated with a greater emphasis on Engagement Results and Monitoring and Internal Audit Operations.
Part 3 – 2019 Syllabus Business Knowledge for Internal Auditing |
Part 3 – 2025 Syllabus Internal Audit Function |
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1. Business Acumen – 35% | 1. Internal Audit Operations – 25% |
2. Information Security – 25% | 2. Internal Audit Plan – 15% |
3. Information Technology – 20% | 3. Quality of the Internal Audit Function – 15% |
4. Financial Management – 20% | 4. Engagement Results and Monitoring – 45% |
You can still apply to enter the CIA program at any time. Once you’re approved into the program, you’ll have three years to complete it. So when you schedule your exam, you can either schedule it before or after the new exam releases.
If you’re currently a CIA exam candidate, you should carefully review The IIA’s new exam syllabi. Compare it to the current syllabus to determine which is the best choice for you—sitting for the current exams or sitting for the new exams. Be sure to factor in where you’re at in your program eligibility window to ensure you have enough time to pass all 3 parts within your time limit.
We recommend that current candidates go ahead and complete all 3 exams if possible to avoid the uncertainty of sitting for a new exam. But ultimately, you should make the best choice for your personal situation.
If you pass an exam part before the new exam releases, you’ll retain your passing score for that part when the new exam releases. You’ll only need to re-take exam part(s) if your program window expires.
The IIA plans to offer the updated CIA exam in different languages (and the updated CIA Challenge Exams) according to this release schedule.
To help you determine your CIA exam timeline, take note of when the updated CIA exam will be available in the language you plan to test in. The IIA will be rolling out the updated exams over an extended time period.
Depending on what language you’re testing in, you may have significantly more time to sit for the current CIA exam before the changes go into effect.
The updated CIA Challenge exam will not be tested until 2026, so if you’re currently a CIA Challenge exam candidate, you will still have plenty of time to take the current Challenge exam without any syllabus changes applied.
Language or Exam |
Release Date |
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English | May 28, 2025 |
Japanese | July 28, 2025 |
Thai, Korean | August 28, 2025 |
Portuguese | September 28, 2025 |
Spanish, French | October 28, 2025 |
Polish, German | November 28, 2025 |
Turkish, Russian | December 28, 2025 |
Chinese Traditional | January 28, 2026 |
Chinese Simplified, Arabic | September 28, 2026 |
Challenge Exams | 2026 |
See below for information on previous changes to the CIA exam.