CIA Exam Check-in Guide: Pearson VUE Test Center 2026

The IIA’s candidate handbook page says online testing was discontinued in May 2025, and the March 2026 handbook describes test-center exams only, so every CIA exam is now taken in person at a Pearson VUE test center. This guide covers the check-in you will actually go through, in the order you will meet it, and it notes where the official sources go quiet.

How This Exam Is Delivered

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) runs the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) program through its Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS), and it contracts Pearson VUE to deliver the exams. You apply and pay in CCMS, then schedule an appointment either in CCMS or by calling Pearson VUE customer service. The handbook says walk-ins are not accepted and that you should never call a test center directly to schedule or cancel.

Item	What the official sources say
Exam	CIA, three parts: Internal Audit Fundamentals (Part 1), Internal Audit Engagement (Part 2) and Internal Audit Function (Part 3)
Delivery platform	Pearson VUE test centers only; online proctoring was discontinued in May 2025
Check-in window	Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment
Late arrival	Fewer than 30 minutes early and you may be denied access; after your appointment time you will not be admitted. Both count as a no-show
Questions and time	Part 1: 125 questions, 150 minutes. Parts 2 and 3: 100 questions and 120 minutes each (confirm on the official page)
Passing score	600 on a scale from 250 to 750
Breaks	None scheduled; you may take one, but the time counts against your exam clock
Exam window	180 days from payment, or until your program expires, whichever is sooner
Rescheduling	Up to 48 hours before, with a US $75 change fee each time, paid to Pearson VUE
Retakes	30 days after your last attempt, up to eight attempts per part in your program window

The question counts and times come from IIA’s 2019 syllabus page and from IIA’s exam-change materials, so confirm that they still apply to the syllabus now in use. Some sources give the discontinuation date as 27 May 2025 and others as 28 May 2025, so quote the month and year, not the day (confirm on the official page).

Regional rules matter more than usual. The handbook says candidates in Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Korea, Japan and Indonesia must go through their local IIA affiliate for local certification processes, and that candidates in South Africa and in the UK and Ireland must be members of their local IIA to take part. The timing of appointment changes and the fees also differ in China. If you live in one of those places, read your affiliate’s page before you apply.

Pre-Exam Preparation

What You Need, and What You Leave at Home

Because the test center supplies the computer, the internet connection and the room, the hardware and network checklist is short. There is nothing to install, no system test, no webcam and no bandwidth requirement. What you prepare is paperwork and a lighter bag.

Your appointment confirmation: Pearson VUE emails it after you schedule. If you do not receive it, contact Pearson VUE customer service at once, because the appointment may not have been recorded.
Hard copies of your letters: Pearson’s IIA guide asks candidates to bring a printed confirmation letter and IIA authorization letter. It says they are not required to sit the exam, but print them anyway (confirm on the official page).
Your ID: see the next section.
Nothing else if you can help it: the IIA tells candidates not to bring anything they do not need. Lockers are small.
A calculator: do not bring one. An on-screen calculator is part of the exam, and the test center can offer a hand-held one on request if it has one.

Do the computer-based testing tutorial on the IIA’s website before test day. The handbook says it is not available at the test center.

Exam Tip: If a website tells you to run an OnVUE system test or clear your desk for a room scan, it is out of date. Delete any appointment you made on that advice, check what is on your Pearson VUE confirmation, and treat the IIA’s handbook as the authority.

ID Requirements

The IIA requires one current, government-issued photo ID with a permanently attached photo of your face. The name on it must be exactly the name you gave at registration, which also appears on your Pearson VUE confirmation. The IIA accepts these:

A government-issued driver’s license.
A passport.
A military ID.
An alien registration card (green card, permanent resident card or visa).
A government-issued local-language ID, meaning a plastic card with a photo and signature, accepted only if it was issued by the country where you are testing.

Employee IDs, work badges, university IDs and insurance cards are not accepted. Staff also compare your signature with the one on your ID, if it has one. At some test centers you may be asked for a fingerprint or palm-vein image, and for centers in China a digital signature, palm vein and photograph are required.

For a global audience, bring your passport. The local-language ID works only in the country that issued it, so it fails if you test abroad, and it may not carry a signature. A passport is accepted everywhere on the IIA’s list. Check one more thing on the IIA’s check-in page: it says photocopies “will be accepted”, which reads like a typo for “will not be accepted”. Bring the original (confirm on the official page).

The IIA does not mention a second ID, but one third-party site says two forms are needed. The IIA’s own pages say one photo ID, and Pearson says your confirmation email lists any program-specific requirements, so read that email twice (confirm on the official page).

Name matching is the main trap. The ID must match your CCMS profile and the name on your Pearson VUE appointment. The handbook also says the ID you use for your application must be issued by the same country as your primary address in CCMS. If your name has changed, use “Submit a Name Change Request” on your CCMS home page well before test day, because a test center cannot fix it for you.

Exam Tip: Show up with the right ID and the wrong name and you are still a no-show. The handbook says a candidate without acceptable ID is turned away, recorded as a no-show even though they appeared, and loses the exam fee with no refund. Compare your CCMS name, your Pearson VUE confirmation and your passport the week before.

Testing Environment

The room is the test center’s, so your job is to follow its rules rather than build your own.

Expect to store purses, wallets, watches, jewelry and your phone in a locker or other secured location.
Do not take food or drink into the testing room.
Take only your ID into the testing area, and keep it on you for the whole session.
Use the erasable note board and pen that staff give you, and return them when you finish.
Stay at your assigned workstation unless you are authorized to leave the room.
Keep your appointment confirmation handy, because the IIA says it outlines what you can and cannot bring.

Step-by-Step Check-in Walkthrough

This follows the IIA’s check-in page and handbook. Individual test centers may vary the order slightly (confirm on the official page).

Plan your route a day early. What to do: look up the test center address in your confirmation email, and check opening hours and travel time. Sticking point: closures from bad weather. Fix: if you are unsure the center is open, call it directly. If it is closed, the handbook says you can reschedule without penalty or fee.
Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment. What to do: be at the front desk early. Sticking point: traffic and parking. Fix: aim to arrive 45 minutes ahead, because arriving fewer than 30 minutes early can cost you your seat.
Show your ID. What to do: hand your original passport or other accepted ID to the administrator. Sticking point: a name mismatch or an unacceptable ID. Fix: there is no fix on the day, so confirm in advance.
Store your belongings. What to do: put your phone, watch, wallet, bag and jewelry in the locker you are shown. Sticking point: a smartwatch or fitness band. Fix: leave it at home.
Accept the candidate rules agreement. What to do: read and sign the Pearson VUE agreement. Sticking point: none, except that refusing means you cannot test.
Sign the log and complete security checks. What to do: sign the test center log. Depending on the center, you may give a fingerprint or palm-vein image and have your photo taken. Sticking point: an unexpected biometric request. Fix: it is normal, so cooperate.
Get your tools and go to your workstation. What to do: take the note board and pen, and follow the administrator to your seat. Sticking point: a drying marker or pen. Fix: ask for a replacement before you start.
Confirm your exam and accept the NDA. What to do: check that the exam on screen is the part you booked, then accept the IIA’s Nondisclosure Agreement. Sticking point: a time limit on these screens. Fix: do not dawdle. The initial screens do not count against exam time, but they have their own time limit, and if you exceed it the exam ends and you forfeit the fee. Refusing the NDA also forfeits the fee.
Take the exam. What to do: the screen has a built-in timer, and there is no penalty for wrong answers. Sticking point: a computer problem. Fix: tell the administrator immediately and ask the proctor to log a case. Do not ask staff about exam content or scores.
Finish and check out. What to do: return the note board and pen, then collect your belongings. Sticking point: expecting a score on the spot. Fix: see the results question in the FAQ.

What Staff Look For During Check-in

There is no room scan, so the checks happen at the front desk and in the room. The IIA and Pearson VUE say staff are trained to watch for unusual behavior, and that exam sessions are monitored in real time and recorded on audio and video. These are the things staff look at:

Your ID: the photo against your face, the name against your registration, and your signature against the one on your ID.
Your belongings: nothing prohibited in the testing room. Bringing a prohibited item is itself listed as misconduct.
Your biometrics: fingerprint or palm-vein capture at centers with the equipment, repeated each time you leave and re-enter the room.
Your conduct: following staff directions, staying at your workstation, and keeping quiet.
Your results: the IIA also runs forensic analysis after the exam, looking for unusual answer patterns, inconsistent performance, response similarities to other candidates and signs that exam content was exposed.

Rules During the Exam

The IIA does not publish a warning stage. It describes two categories: problems that cost you your appointment and fee, and misconduct that triggers an investigation. The split below follows the IIA’s handbook.

Tier 1: Problems That Cost You the Appointment and the Fee

These are not misconduct, but each one ends your appointment with no refund:

Arriving after your appointment time, or fewer than 30 minutes before it and being denied access.
Presenting an unacceptable, expired or mismatched ID.
Refusing to accept the Nondisclosure Agreement.
Running past the time limit on the initial screens before the exam starts.
Not appearing at all, which Pearson VUE records as a no-show.

Tier 2: Misconduct That Can Invalidate Your Score or Ban You

The IIA says it may cancel, withhold or invalidate your score, suspend your right to take any IIA exam for a length of time it decides, or permanently ban you. The handbook lists examples:

Bringing prohibited items into the exam room.
Failing to follow test center staff directions.
Using, copying or sharing exam materials, or any other form of cheating.
Taking the exam for someone else, or having someone take it for you.
Discussing exam content with a third party, before, during or after the exam.
Submitting altered or false proof of identity or education.
Creating more than one CCMS account.
Violating Pearson VUE’s scheduling or test center rules.

Falsifying your identity or impersonating someone to get into an exam leads to a permanent ban on entry to any IIA certification program. The IIA will email you a written notice of the violation and the penalty. You can appeal by opening a support case in CCMS within 14 calendar days of that notice, and late appeals are not considered. Three categories cannot be appealed: score invalidation from forensic anomalies outside the IIA’s thresholds, misconduct that video or images show, and helping someone take an exam or sharing exam materials.

Breaks, Scratch Paper, Drinks and Calculators

Breaks. There are no scheduled breaks. You may take one if you must, but the break time counts against your exam clock. If you leave the room for any reason, you sign the test center log and show your ID on the way out and on the way in, and you may give a fingerprint or palm-vein image again. Plan to sit through the whole part.

Scratch paper. You get an erasable note board and a pen, which you return when you leave. You cannot take notes out of the test center, and you cannot bring your own paper.

Calculators. An on-screen calculator is built into the exam. Pearson’s IIA guide says some test centers can issue a hand-held calculator on request, while others allow only the built-in one, and personal calculators are not allowed anywhere. Practice with the on-screen version before test day.

Dictionaries. Pearson’s guide for test centers says IIA candidates may bring a translation dictionary into the testing room, where staff watch for writing in it and inspect it afterwards (confirm on the official page). Ask the test center before you rely on this.

Food and drink. Neither is allowed in the testing room.

Exam Tip: Because break time comes out of your exam clock and the NDA screens have their own timer, do your bathroom run and your water before you check in. Once you sit down, the only thing that should be moving is the exam.

Test Center vs. Online Proctoring

The test center is now the only option, so this table is mainly for readers whose old study guides describe the online version.

Factor	Pearson VUE test center (current)	Online proctoring (discontinued)
Availability	The only way to sit a CIA exam	Ended May 2025
Arrival	At least 30 minutes early	Described in older guides as a home check-in
ID	One government photo ID checked in person, with signature comparison	Not applicable
Equipment	Computer, network and room provided	Candidate’s own computer and room
Note-taking	Erasable note board and pen, returned at the end	Not applicable
Calculator	On-screen; hand-held on request at some centers	Not applicable
Breaks	None scheduled; break time counts against the clock	Not applicable
Main risk	Travel, lateness, the wrong ID	Not applicable

Who the Test Center Suits

Everyone, since it is the only option. It suits candidates who want a ready-made setup with no software to install and no questions about their home network or room, and who can reach a center within a reasonable trip.

If You Were Counting on Testing From Home

Check the Pearson VUE center locator in CCMS today, not the week before your window closes. Schedule as early as you can, because the handbook encourages early booking and says test center schedules vary. If you live far from a center, remember that your exam window is 180 days, so plan the trip around it. If you need an accommodation, start the IIA’s Official Accommodations Application during your program application, and email certaccommodations@theiia.org with questions.

Exam Day Checklist

The Night Before

Confirm your appointment date, time and test center address in your Pearson VUE email.
Compare your CCMS name, your Pearson VUE confirmation and your passport.
Put your original passport (or other accepted ID) where you cannot forget it.
Print your confirmation letter and your IIA authorization letter.
Plan your route and your arrival time, aiming for 45 minutes early.
Do a timed practice session with an on-screen calculator.

60 Minutes Before

Eat, drink water and use the bathroom.
Take off your smartwatch, bracelets and jewelry, and leave them at home if possible.
Pack only what you need: ID and letters.
Leave for the test center.

30 Minutes Before

Be at the front desk, because fewer than 30 minutes early may cost you your seat.
Have your ID in hand.
Store your phone, wallet and other items where staff direct you.

During the Exam

Accept the NDA promptly, because the initial screens have their own time limit.
Use the note board for notes, and the on-screen calculator for arithmetic.
Keep an eye on the built-in timer, since there is no penalty for wrong answers.
Report any computer problem to the administrator at once.
Do not talk to other candidates, and do not ask staff about exam content.
Return the note board and pen when you finish.

FAQ

Format and Rules

Can I take the CIA exam online from home?

No. The IIA discontinued online testing in May 2025, and its handbook describes only in-person testing at a Pearson VUE test center. If a site tells you otherwise, check the IIA’s handbook.

Can I bring a calculator, notes or water?

No to all three. An on-screen calculator is built into the exam, and some test centers can issue a hand-held one on request. You get an erasable note board and a pen. Food and drink are not allowed in the testing room, and you cannot take notes out.

Can I take a break?

You may, but breaks are not scheduled and the time counts against your exam clock. You sign the log and show your ID each time you leave and return, and you may give a fingerprint or palm-vein image.

Timing, ID and Rescheduling

What if I am late?

The handbook says that arriving fewer than 30 minutes early may mean you are denied access and recorded as a no-show, and that arriving after your appointment time means you will not be admitted. Your registration is voided, the fee is forfeited, and you must pay for a new registration. Pearson VUE declares no-shows, and the IIA says you may contact Pearson VUE directly to appeal. Call the test center if you are stuck in traffic, but expect no exceptions.

My ID name does not match my registration. Can I still test?

No. The ID must contain your name exactly as you provided it, and it must match your CCMS profile and your Pearson VUE appointment. Submit a Name Change Request in CCMS well before the exam, and wait for approval.

Can I reschedule or get a refund?

You can cancel or reschedule in CCMS or through Pearson VUE up to 48 hours before your appointment, but each change costs US $75, paid to Pearson VUE. Rules differ in China. The IIA says all fees are final and non-refundable, and that cancelling does not extend your 180-day window.

Results and Problems

What if the test center closes or my computer fails?

If your test center is closed, Pearson VUE will contact you, and the handbook says you may reschedule without penalty or fee. If you are unsure, call the test center directly. For a computer problem, tell the administrator immediately and ask the proctor to log a case.

When will I get my result?

The handbook says your exam record updates in CCMS, with an email to your profile address, and that a passing report shows only that you passed, with no numeric score. A failing report shows a score and the domain areas that need work. The IIA says that if it needs to analyze your result further, the delay can be four to six weeks.

References and Sources

Where the Facts in This Guide Come From

Delivery, scheduling, ID, check-in, conduct, penalties and appeals come from the IIA’s March 2026 Certification Candidate Handbook and its “Checking In at the Pearson VUE Testing Center” page. Calculator and dictionary details come from Pearson VUE’s IIA exam sponsor guide. Question counts and times come from IIA’s syllabus and exam-change materials. Third-party sites were used only to cross-check the discontinuation date and the April 2026 scoring change.

References

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