<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nItem<\/th> What the official sources say<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Exam<\/td> CIA, three parts: Internal Audit Fundamentals (Part 1), Internal Audit Engagement (Part 2) and Internal Audit Function (Part 3)<\/td><\/tr> Delivery platform<\/td> Pearson VUE test centers only; online proctoring was discontinued in May 2025<\/td><\/tr> Check-in window<\/td> Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment<\/td><\/tr> Late arrival<\/td> 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<\/td><\/tr> Questions and time<\/td> Part 1: 125 questions, 150 minutes. Parts 2 and 3: 100 questions and 120 minutes each (confirm on the official page)<\/td><\/tr> Passing score<\/td> 600 on a scale from 250 to 750<\/td><\/tr> Breaks<\/td> None scheduled; you may take one, but the time counts against your exam clock<\/td><\/tr> Exam window<\/td> 180 days from payment, or until your program expires, whichever is sooner<\/td><\/tr> Rescheduling<\/td> Up to 48 hours before, with a US $75 change fee each time, paid to Pearson VUE<\/td><\/tr> Retakes<\/td> 30 days after your last attempt, up to eight attempts per part in your program window<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe 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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Pre-Exam Preparation<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/span>What You Need, and What You Leave at Home<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBecause 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your appointment confirmation:<\/strong> 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.<\/li>Hard copies of your letters:<\/strong> 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).<\/li>Your ID:<\/strong> see the next section.<\/li>Nothing else if you can help it:<\/strong> the IIA tells candidates not to bring anything they do not need. Lockers are small.<\/li>A calculator:<\/strong> 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.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nDo the computer-based testing tutorial on the IIA’s website before test day. The handbook says it is not available at the test center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exam Tip:<\/strong> 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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/span>ID Requirements<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe 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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A government-issued driver’s license.<\/li> A passport.<\/li> A military ID.<\/li> An alien registration card (green card, permanent resident card or visa).<\/li> 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.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nEmployee 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exam Tip:<\/strong> 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.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Testing Environment<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe room is the test center’s, so your job is to follow its rules rather than build your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expect to store purses, wallets, watches, jewelry and your phone in a locker or other secured location.<\/li> Do not take food or drink into the testing room.<\/li> Take only your ID into the testing area, and keep it on you for the whole session.<\/li> Use the erasable note board and pen that staff give you, and return them when you finish.<\/li> Stay at your assigned workstation unless you are authorized to leave the room.<\/li> Keep your appointment confirmation handy, because the IIA says it outlines what you can and cannot bring.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Step-by-Step Check-in Walkthrough<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThis follows the IIA’s check-in page and handbook. Individual test centers may vary the order slightly (confirm on the official page).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plan your route a day early.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>Show your ID.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>Store your belongings.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>Accept the candidate rules agreement.<\/strong> What to do: read and sign the Pearson VUE agreement. Sticking point: none, except that refusing means you cannot test.<\/li>Sign the log and complete security checks.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>Get your tools and go to your workstation.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>Confirm your exam and accept the NDA.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>Take the exam.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>Finish and check out.<\/strong> 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.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n