CISA Examination is a globally recognized certification for IS Control, Audit and Assurance. Herein, we would be discussing certain tips to follow to clear the CISA Certification.
Tips to Pass the CISA:
1. Judicious Utilization of CISA Review Manual (CRM).
You should utilize the latest CRM that would be obtainable on the ISACA Bookstore for purchase. It’s believed to be the Bible for CISA Applicants and while it’s very effusive, it’s well laid out with exhaustive and well-constructed sentences with suitable examples. However, the CRM is not the keystone, meaning you would not find questions in the CISA unswervingly from the CRM.
2. Using CISA Review QAE Manual
CISA Review QAE Manual also has a full-length Mock exam at the end. These are considered to be quite good resources as well as a nice confidence booster for your preparation. Moreover, do note that the CISA questions wouldn’t be coming directly from the QAE for obvious reasons.
3. Using Online resources
Using Online course portals such as SPOTO Club have self-paced and instructor-led courses for CISA that would be aligned to the CRM. A better and clearer understanding of the concepts in CRM is considered to be one of the advantages of using Online Resources. Online video courses would be able to help you for retaining the attention span. It’s thus proven that visual aids are going to have you better retention and attention than textbooks. Thus, it would be highly recommended to register into a self-paced teaching program such as the one found on SPOTO Club for CISA.
4. Proper Planning
There would be no better guide or tool for the CISA than commencing proper planning. The ideal preparation time is believed to be 4 months for those who are going to have a background in IT Security or Auditing and about 6 to 8 months for those who are going to new to these areas. Defining your exam date in advance as well as detailing your study plan systematically. It’s quite good to prepare a Preparation Chart of your study plan within week-wise milestones.
5. Avoid Free Materials and Tests
You need to avoid using such free materials and Tests as mostly they are going to be outdated or having wrong solutions that would be confusing the course taker. The CISA Certification is believed to be more application based and hence the candidates need to understand the concepts thoroughly rather than takes scores of tests. If you have done the QAE utterly and acquire a good and reliable training provided by the SPOTO Club, it would be enough.
6. Practicing for Mock Exam Before a Week
As we would have mentioned earlier, the QAE affords 1 full-length mock exam. Do that on the weekend about 5 to 7 days before the actual exam date. Constructing an exam atmosphere as well as avoiding family disturbances. It is quite important to re-establish an exam situation because the CISA is an exhausting 4-hour long exam. Most candidates are inclined to take the entire 4 hours’ time given the complexity of the exam. Hence, it’s massively important to sit through a simulator exam or mock of parallel structure.
7. Practice on Mock Exam
It doesn’t hurt to analysis the CRM, speedily browse the QAE and revisit bookmarked sections of the online training. But evade trying to understand new concepts. Squander time reviewing and revisiting the concepts and understanding your areas of weaknesses and strengths.
8. Relax Before Exam Commencement
It’s easy to misplace your cool and hassle about the exam the next day. However, you must loosen up and keep fresh for the exam. Drink lots of liquid the day before, invigorate your body well, play a sport or watch some TV shows and most importantly make certain that you get enough sleep. Again, the CISA is quite an exhausting exam.
9. Carry Some Refreshments to Examination Hall
The exam hall would provide you the basic amenities which would be including restrooms and drinking water. You are also allowed to clutch refreshments but the same should be kept unconnectedly and not on your desk. You could just have in a sugar toffee or a good and healthy glucose drink just before the exam. Keep your electronic devices especially your mobile, in silent mode and inside your bag, which would be kept at a designated area only and far from you.
10. Never Rush to Exam Center
Make sure that you have enough time to be at the exam center at least an hour before the beginning of the exam time. It might help you out to gain the knowledge of the precise location of the exam center a pair of days prior so you wouldn’t get tensed trying to find the center locality on the exam day. It might be a good idea to have a shawl or sweater just in case your seat is under the AC or near a cooler.
11. Have a Deep Breath and Begin the Exam
If the first few questions make you worry, simply mark them for review and move ahead. Stop wasting time on the questions on which you are unsure. Such questions would be only consuming your time as well as creates fear in you. You might, later on, revisit these questions at the end. Answer those, first are comfortable and confident for you to answer.
12. Find Answer Choices Which Could Be Ignored
The format of the exam is the Multiple Choice Questions and it will have 4 options per question. In most cases, all 4 or min 3 would seem to be the correct option choice. Nevertheless, you should be eagerly appreciating the question. Read the question once, twice or even thrice. A single word or a phrase might be able to create a different which would be meaning altogether.
13. Analyze The Answers Thoroughly Before Submitting.
It’s highly likely that the exam would be stressing and you would feel quite relieved to have completed it in time. But ensure to keep 10-15 minutes for analyzing your answers, at least the ones which would be marked for review or the ones that might seem tricky. Avoid forcing yourself for changing the answer. Investigate and understand why a particular option would be correct or enhanced suited and not the others.
14. Review and Submit your Answers Finally
Review your provisional result as well as jump up if you would have cleared! The CISA Examination is now attempted Online. You could read more info, by reading the blog which is related to the titled Changes to the CISA Exam Structure from 2017. This might mean that you would be able to gain a provisional score as soon as you have clicked on the submit button.
15. Begin the Detailed Application Process
The application might include the details on the work experience like the waivers if any etc. ISACA might take about 6 weeks for processing the application. To ensure you would be filling that early and presenting it quickly. Only after you have conceded the exam and submitted the application, you would become approved by ISACA, the title of the CISA Certified Professional.
So, if you follow the above-mentioned tips and gain the online training courses like offered at the SPOTO Club, you would be able to crack the CISA Certification exam quite easily.
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