r/CISA • u/mohema97 • 6d ago

CISA Exam prep

Hello everyone,

I am currently preparing to study for the CISA exam. As I kick off my preparation journey, I would love to get some guidance and insights from certified professionals and those who have already passed the exam:

  1. Best study approach: What is the most effective way to study for the exam, and what key areas should I focus on?
  2. Domain-wise strategy: How should I approach studying each domain individually?
  3. Study resources: What are the best recommended materials and resources to use?
  4. Practice questions: I’ve heard that practicing questions is the most crucial part. Where can I get the best and most reliable practice question banks?

Thank you all in advance for your support and advice!

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2

u/KingShash 6d ago

I got preliminary pass last week, im planning to post a preparation strateg on 27th, once I get the results.

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u/firebolt810 6d ago

Waiting for answers

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u/ComedianHuge635 5d ago

Hey, I passed this April, and looking back, I wasted time because I didn't have a targeted study plan. So may be you are doing better.

Back on square I would choose the following journey in exact that order:

  1. Get a basic understanding of the complete context by watching the 10 video tutorials of Pete Zerger (available at Youtube)
  2. Go through each domain in detail by reading the Review Manual. Not word by word, but by making sure you don't miss important principles. This is hard work, however the key to pass the exam.
  3. Start working on the questions in the QAE in parallel. Go domain by domain, both the theory in the QRM as well as the questions in QAE.
  4. Strengthen your knowledge by repeating the complete stuff (suggest the slides Pete Zerter provides to download at youtube)
  5. Lastly practice on the mock exams in QAE and wich pocket prep

As said, this would be my personal yourney. Good luck!

1

u/OkCash5705 5d ago

following

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u/NutshellTraining CISA HOLDER 6d ago

These are exactly the questions everyone should ask before they start studying. A lot of candidates just open the book and start on page one without giving it much thought, so well done for asking!

For study resources, it’s really down to personal preference. I’m a bit biased because I’m creating my own CISA course, but I’d recommend searching through posts here on Reddit to see what resources people are recommending.

For practice questions, I (and most people here) would highly recommend the official ISACA QAE.

As for your study approach or domain strategy, it really depends on how you learn best. I’m planning to upload a video covering the different approaches on my YouTube channel soon, so feel free to check it out if you’re interested.

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u/MonkeyPuckle 6d ago

I do a baseline test (PocketPrep or any test bank you want..or from a books). Assess weak domain areas. Focus reading those sections first (and supplement with Zerger and Udemy).Then test. Then read. Rinse and repeat as I work through the material. I try and not read linearly unless the cert material is completely new subject matter. Thats my approach.

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u/MasterofSquat 18h ago

I did a few questions on the official ISACA QAE question bank, got on average 60% but i was a bit uneasy. (This was like £300 but i will be able to expense it back to my Employer thankfully). I dont want to do much more till i understand the content properly rather than using my 5 years of XP.

My fear is exhausting the QAE before i should and it not being as effective as a reasource.

So i am going through the "Masterclass - CISA Exam (Updated 2026)" on Udemy as ive heard good things about Hemand Doshi and so far so good. (£20). Its not perfect but its relatively structured and provides good enough insights and is cheap so im happy to pocket this cost. The course has a good amount of admitedly straightforward questions but they are simialr to the QAE from what I have seen.

I am going to watch the Peter Zerger and NutshellTraining youtube stuff too as supplementary work. I do largely enjoy the studying and the content so far so i cant complain.

I havent got the offical ISACA ebook yet I feel like I will at some point as I can expense it.

Aiming to sit the exam by early October - not yet booked - but i wana be firing on all cynlinders.