CIA Part 1 study guide
CIA Part 1 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) is The IIA's flagship global credential for internal audit professionals. According to The IIA, more than 220,000 CIAs from 170 countries hold the designation, and the institute serves a community of over 265,000 members worldwide. The CIA Part 1 study guide has 5 sections and about 1,760 words.
01Foundations of Internal Auditing
Internal auditing is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activity designed to add value and improve an organization's operations. It helps the organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes.
335 words, about 2 min02Independence and Objectivity
Independence is a characteristic of the internal audit activity as a whole: freedom from conditions that threaten its ability to carry out responsibilities objectively. Objectivity is a characteristic of the individual auditor: an unbiased mental attitude.
344 words, about 2 min03Proficiency and Due Professional Care
The Standards require the internal audit activity, collectively, to possess or obtain the knowledge, skills and other competencies needed to perform its responsibilities. Individual auditors need competence suited to their assignments, and the CAE carries the additional duty of matching total resources to the audit plan.
356 words, about 2 min04Quality Assurance and Improvement Program
A quality assurance and improvement program evaluates whether the internal audit activity conforms with the Definition of Internal Auditing and the Standards, and whether it adds value. It covers all aspects of the activity - assurance and consulting engagements alike - and it is mandatory, not optional.
345 words, about 2 min05Governance, Risk Management, and Control
Governance is the combination of processes and structures implemented by the board to inform, direct, manage and monitor the organization's activities toward its objectives. The board sets risk appetite and provides oversight; senior management executes.
380 words, about 2 min