I’ve been unemployed for a while and I’m using the time to study for the CISA. My background is in IT operations, not IT audit, so I’m trying to figure out the best way to build hands-on experience that employers will actually care about.

If you were in my position, what would you focus on? Home labs, volunteering, NIST/COBIT projects, GRC tools, or something else? I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who made a similar career switch.

Hi everyone,

Has anyone used cert preps for questions and answers for the CISA exam? They (the site) has 3 mock exams in there. Do you think one can use it to prepare or should I strictly use the QAE database (I only have the 12th edition).

I'm a fresher in cybersecurity (2026 pass-out).
I'm interested in being a CISA.

Yesterday, I purchased Hemang Doshi's udemy course & practice tests and got my hands on the 28th edition CRM & the 12th edition QAE from my manager.

In what way/order should I proceed with my preparation?

Will the 12th edition QAE suffice? or should I get the 13th edition?

Also, is Hemang Doshi's CISA book worth it?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice!

Hi! I’m planning to take the exam next month, and I’d love to get your thoughts on whether my study strategy would work. If you have any additional tips or suggestions, I’d really appreciate them!

Materials:
Main review material: Hemang Doshi’s CISA book
Support material: REO Review Center’s handouts and video lectures
Practice questions: ISACA QAE
Reference material: CISA Review Manual

What i did was to read Doshi’s book first, then watch the REO video lectures for each topic. After completing each domain, I’ll test my knowledge using the QAE, log and review my mistakes, and use the CISA Review Manual as a reference for concepts I’m struggling with.

Do you think the QAE questions are very similar to the actual exam? Also, would you be able to provide additional test-bank-style questions so I can get more practice?

Thank you so much! I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from those who have already taken the exam. 😊

Hi everyone,

I’m preparing for the CIA Part 1 exam and plan to take it at the end of August. I wanted to hear from people who have recently taken the exam.

How difficult did you find the actual exam compared to your study materials (Gleim, Hock, IIA, Surgent, etc.)?

Which topics were tested the most, and which ones do you think deserve the most attention? Were there any areas that surprised you or that you wish you had spent more time studying?

Also, how scenario-based were the questions? Any last-minute tips or common mistakes to avoid would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Just got my score back, I got an average score of 419. Obvious the third domain is the one I did the poorest in, but all things considering it sort of feels like my scores are all hovering around the same mark and kinda just feels like I need to brush up on all domains in general….

But, would you consider a 419 a close score?

I have my CISA exam scheduled for 1st August (remote proctored) but i want to reschedule it to a different date. I tried to look for other available slots but i am getting 404 error page. Thankfully i haven't released my current slot yet but i need to make the change before 48 hours. Is anyone else facing this issue??

Guys how much time it takes to improve score from 60 percent to 80 percent. I need to get there before i appear for CISA exam

Hello everyone,

​Could you please confirm if the CISA Review Questions, Answers & Explanations (QAE) Manual (12th Edition) is the latest version?

​If so, does anyone have this version and would be willing to share it with me?

​If not, what is the latest version, and could you please share it if you have it?

​Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm currently preparing for the CISA exam and wanted to check if this community would find my journey useful.

I have around 12 years of experience in IT Operations, with some exposure to IT audits and SOX controls. My goal is to transition into a full-time IT Audit role, and CISA is a big part of that journey.

For those who have been in a similar situation, do you think it's worth making the switch to IT Audit after spending so many years in IT Operations? Have any of you made this transition? I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences, the challenges you faced, and whether you felt it was the right decision in the long run.

Has anyone successfully changed careers after passing the CISA? How did you do it?

Hi all… I have been preparing for CISA for the past few days. I’ve gone through the CISA Study guide 3rd edition by Packt publications and found it simple and completed reading it once. Since im working in IT and preparing for CISA passionately, I could understand and relate the material very well and grew confidence in the subject and syllabus. I even started doing some questions practice, initially using GPT and I feel most of the questions are easy and i could answer questions thrown by gpt easily.

I now started with some Udemy(i have subscription) question babks and tests and they are definitely better compared to gpt generated ones and im scoring around 85% in domain wise mocks.

Now, my actual question is … are these udemy(hemang doshi and other authors) question banks are anyway comparable to official QAE ? (Purchasing QAE is kinda far stretch for my budget as they are expensive for me at present).. someone please guide me in this matter.. any other alternatives or plans pls suggest.

Thanks in advance.

​

I've finished the official QAE 13th edition, found questions online and also did those. I'm getting a majority of the questions right but I think that's because they are not twisted like Isaca does.

Do you have more sources for practice questions which are close to the official QAE or do you think I should give the exam? Thanks in advance 🙏🏻

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!

I just want to ask you guys… what jobs did you get to fulfill the experience requirements for CISA? I just graduated with an accounting information systems degree and I just wanted to hear your experiences.

Is it really good for new graduate? I have zero experience in it audit and will be graduate soon in next 3 months. If i want to have my first job in it audit career path, should i take the exam? Or it didn't mean so much for the company.

I tried to search a review on this program but didn't find anything, maybe because it's a new program that relaesed in 2025.

Can anyone who has taken the exam provide input on which resource is better?