Question 1Financial, human and technology resources of the function
Because of staff shortages, the in-charge auditor on an engagement at a logistics firm performed half of the testing personally. Who should review those working papers?
How hard is Part 3?
Part 3 has 100 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes, a little over a minute each, across four sections led by engagement results and monitoring at 45%. The questions are about running the internal audit function: its resources, plan, quality program and reporting.
| Questions | 100, multiple choice |
|---|---|
| Time | 120 minutes (2 hours) |
| Where | Pearson VUE test centers |
| Passing score | 600 on a 250 to 750 scale |
What makes it hard
- Pace: 100 questions in 120 minutes is 72 seconds a question, including reading the scenario.
- Perspective: many questions put you in the chief audit executive's position, deciding what the board should hear and when.
- Weight: engagement results and monitoring is 45% of the exam, so reporting, action plans and escalation decide most of the score.
- No published pass rate: the CIA page and candidate handbook give none, so the only way to gauge your readiness is to test it.
What makes it easier
Part 3 has the fewest moving parts of the three: four sections that follow the life of the function, from its strategy and plan to quality and reporting. Candidates who have read engagement reports or quality reviews will recognize much of it, and the parts may be taken in any order.
How to find out where you stand
- Take the free diagnostic: 12 questions from every section, scored by section.
- Fix the weakest section with its lesson, then practice fresh questions on it.
- Sit a full 100-question mock in 120 minutes before you book.
Try 4 questions
Question 2Developing and updating the risk-based internal audit plan
A logistics company's board has set a low appetite for health and safety risk and a higher appetite for risk in marketing campaigns. Both areas have similar risk scores in the internal audit assessment. How should the risk appetite affect prioritization?
Question 3The quality assurance and improvement program: internal and external assessments
A manufacturer is choosing who will perform its internal audit function's external quality assessment. Which candidate is most acceptable?
Question 4Attributes of effective engagement communication
A finding in a retailer's inventory report states the criteria, the condition and the cause, and recommends a weekly cycle count. It says nothing about the shrinkage losses or stockouts the condition is causing, so readers cannot judge why the recommendation matters. Which attribute is weakest?
Next step
Questions people ask
What is the Part 3 pass rate?
The CIA page and the certification candidate handbook do not publish one, so we do not estimate it. Our diagnostic and mocks score you by section instead.
Is Part 3 about running an audit function?
Yes. Part 3, Internal Audit Function, covers operations, the audit plan, quality and engagement results and monitoring, mostly from the chief audit executive's point of view.
Do I have to take the parts in order?
No. The CIA page says the parts may be taken in any order, and all three must be passed within three years of acceptance into the program.