CIA Part 3 exam: format, syllabus, cost and passing score

What is the CIA Part 3 exam?

The Certified Internal Auditor credential from The IIA (Institute of Internal Auditors) is earned through three exams on the traditional pathway: internal audit fundamentals, internal audit engagement and internal audit function. Part 3 is the last of the three, and under the revised syllabus it is called Internal Audit Function.

Where Part 1 tests the foundations and Part 2 tests how a single engagement is planned and performed, Part 3 looks at the audit function as a whole: how it is run, how the audit plan is built, how quality is assured, and how engagement results are communicated and followed up. Several of its topics are framed around the chief audit executive’s responsibilities.

The IIA aligned the revised syllabi with its Global Internal Audit Standards, which took effect in January 2025. The IIA states that the new exams replaced the old ones no sooner than May 2025, initially in English only, and other languages have been moving over since.

Source: The IIA — CIA Exam: Why and How It’s Changing. Checked 10 October 2026.

Is the CIA exam part 3 still on the old syllabus in some languages?

Yes, for a short time. The IIA lists Arabic as available for the 2019 syllabus through 27 December 2026, with the switch to the 2025 syllabus on 28 December 2026. Simplified Chinese moves to the 2025 syllabus during the December test window. Vietnamese is offered from 28 August 2026.

If you plan to sit Part 3 in a language other than English, check which syllabus applies to your language and date before you start studying. This page describes the 2025 version.

Source: The IIA — Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Checked 10 October 2026.

How much does the CIA Part 3 exam cost?

The IIA lists the CIA Part 3 exam at US$280 for IIA members and US$415 for non-members. Part 2 is priced the same; Part 1 is higher at US$310 and US$445.

Before any exam can be booked, you pay a one-time CIA application fee of US$120 for members or US$240 for non-members. That fee covers the programme, not a single part, so if you already passed Parts 1 and 2 you have paid it already.

Each exam registration gives you an authorization window of 180 days, or until your programme expires if that comes first. A retake is a new registration, so a failed attempt is a second exam fee, not a free resit.

Source: The IIA — Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Checked 10 October 2026.

CIA Part 3 exam format and how long it takes

The revised Part 3 exam has 100 questions and a time limit of 120 minutes — the same length as Part 2, and shorter than Part 1, which has 125 questions in 150 minutes. That gives you a little over a minute per question.

The IIA explains that some questions on every exam are being field-tested: they appear on the exam but do not count toward your score. You cannot tell which ones they are, so every question deserves the same care. The IIA does not publish how many field-test items Part 3 contains.

The exam is computer-based and taken at Pearson VUE test centers around the world. The IIA’s Candidate Handbook describes test-center delivery only and does not mention online proctoring for the CIA, so plan for a trip to a test center.

Source: The IIA — CIA Exam: Why and How It’s Changing. Checked 10 October 2026.

What score do you need to pass CIA Part 3?

The IIA converts raw scores to a reporting scale from 250 to 750 points, and a score of 600 or higher is required to pass any part of the CIA exam. Part 3 follows the same rule as the other two parts.

600 is a scaled score, not a percentage of correct answers, so it does not translate into a fixed number of the 100 questions. None of the IIA pages cited here gives a pass rate for Part 3.

If you do not pass, the earliest you can sit the same part again is 30 days after your last attempt, and the Handbook limits you to eight attempts per exam during your programme eligibility window.

Source: The IIA — Certification Candidate Handbook (March 2026). Checked 10 October 2026.

CIA Part 3 syllabus: what is on the test

The IIA’s expanded test specifications for Part 3 set out four sections with fixed weightings. The largest by far is engagement results and monitoring at 45%, so almost half the exam is about what happens after fieldwork: communicating results, deciding on recommendations or action plans, closing communications, residual risk, risk acceptance, and monitoring whether management actually implements agreed actions.

Internal audit operations covers how the function is planned, organised, directed and resourced, and how its strategy is aligned with stakeholders. The internal audit plan section covers sources of potential engagements, building a risk-based plan, and coordinating with other assurance providers. The quality section covers the quality assurance and improvement program, disclosure of nonconformance with the Standards, and key performance indicators for the function.

• Section A. Internal Audit Operations — 25%
• Section B. Internal Audit Plan — 15%
• Section C. Quality of the Internal Audit Function — 15%
• Section D. Engagement Results and Monitoring — 45%

Source: The IIA — CIA Part 3 Expanded Test Specifications. Checked 10 October 2026.

Who can take the CIA Part 3 exam?

You take Part 3 as a candidate in the CIA programme, which starts with an application. The IIA lists the experience required for certification by education level: one year of internal audit experience with a master’s degree or equivalent, two years with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Separate routes exist for active IAP holders, qualified accountants, CISA holders and students or candidates without a degree.

Once accepted, you have three years to complete all requirements, which on the degree paths means passing all three exam parts within three years of applying. Because Part 3 is usually taken last, keep an eye on that deadline as you schedule it.

Source: The IIA — Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Checked 10 October 2026.

Keeping the CIA after you pass Part 3

Passing Part 3 is not the end of the obligations. The IIA requires certified individuals to self-attest every year that they have met the renewal requirements. Active, practising CIA holders need 40 CPE hours a year, and annual renewal is open from 1 October to 31 December.

Source: The IIA — CPE Requirements. Checked 10 October 2026.

How to study for the CIA Part 3 exam

Start from the official Part 3 test specifications and weight your time the way the exam does. Engagement results and monitoring carries 45%, so it deserves more study time than the other three sections combined would get on a simple equal split. The Global Internal Audit Standards are the reference behind every section.

The IIA sells its own CIA Practice Questions, built from retired questions from past CIA exams, with detailed rationales for both correct and incorrect answers and a maximum of two attempts per practice examination. The IIA also publishes sample questions on its exam prep page.

Be careful with anything that claims to contain live exam questions. The IIA Handbook states that reproducing, sharing, discussing, posting or uploading any exam content is strictly prohibited, and violations can lead to a permanent ban on obtaining an IIA certification.

Source: The IIA — CIA 2025. Checked 10 October 2026.

CIA Part 3 practice questions

Certsqill’s CIA Part 3 practice questions are expert-developed and come with an explanation for every answer option, and your readiness score is broken down by the four Part 3 sections, so you can see whether engagement results and monitoring — 45% of the exam — is where your score is strong or where it is weak.

CIA Part 3 questions people ask

How many questions are on the CIA Part 3 exam?

100 questions in 120 minutes. Source: The IIA, CIA Exam: Why and How It’s Changing, checked 10 October 2026.

How much does the CIA Part 3 exam cost?

US$280 for IIA members and US$415 for non-members, plus the one-time CIA application fee of US$120 or US$240. Source: IIA CIA page, checked 10 October 2026.

What is the passing score for CIA Part 3?

A scaled score of 600 on a 250–750 scale. Source: IIA Certification Candidate Handbook, checked 10 October 2026.

What topics does the CIA exam part 3 cover?

Internal audit operations (25%), the internal audit plan (15%), quality of the internal audit function (15%) and engagement results and monitoring (45%). Source: IIA Part 3 test specifications, checked 10 October 2026.

Can I take the CIA Part 3 exam online?

The IIA Candidate Handbook describes computer-based testing at Pearson VUE test centers and does not mention online proctoring. Checked 10 October 2026.

How soon can I retake CIA Part 3 if I fail?

No earlier than 30 days after your last attempt, with at most eight attempts per exam in your eligibility window. Source: IIA Candidate Handbook, checked 10 October 2026.

Do I have to take the CIA parts in order?

The IIA pages checked do not state a required order. They do require all three parts to be passed within three years of acceptance into the programme. Checked 10 October 2026.

Does the IIA offer official CIA practice questions?

Yes. The IIA sells CIA Practice Questions built from retired exam questions, with rationales for correct and incorrect answers and up to two attempts per practice exam. Checked 10 October 2026.