IIA IAP study plan
IIA IAP · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Internal Audit Fundamentals
Define internal audit's purpose, authority, and scope in your own words using the IPPF mission and core principles
Distinguish assurance engagements from consulting engagements and correctly classify 10 short scenarios
Map each IIA Code of Ethics principle to concrete auditor behaviors and resolve 8 ethical dilemmas against them
Contrast internal audit's role with that of external audit, the audit committee, and management
Describe the attribute and performance standards at a headline level and state what each requires of the auditor
Your checkpoint
A one-page personal summary sheet of Domain 1 concepts plus a 40-question Domain 1 practice set scored at 80% or higher, with every miss logged alongside the principle it tested
Internal Audit Fundamentals & Internal Audit Engagement Basics
Sequence the engagement lifecycle from planning through follow-up and state the key output of each stage
Draft engagement objectives and a scope statement for a hypothetical procurement audit
Identify the components of an engagement work program and explain how each links objectives to procedures
Rank eight types of audit evidence by reliability and justify each ranking
Explain the auditor's responsibilities for supervision, workpaper documentation, and engagement communication
Your checkpoint
A one-page engagement planning memo containing objectives, scope, criteria, and evidence plan, self-scored against a 10-point planning checklist
Internal Audit Engagement Basics
Write three complete findings in criteria-condition-cause-effect format from a short written fact pattern
Differentiate observations, findings, and recommendations and select the correct label for 10 examples
Apply risk-based selection logic to choose a sample from a described population and state the limitations of the approach
Distinguish the audit conclusion from the audit opinion and explain when each is appropriate
Describe the follow-up process and the criteria for escalating unresolved findings
Your checkpoint
Three polished findings in criteria-condition-cause-effect format plus a written conclusion paragraph, scored against a rubric of at least 8 of 10 points
Governance, Risk Management, and Control
Differentiate governance, risk management, and control and articulate internal audit's role in each
Compare the components of the COSO enterprise risk management and internal control frameworks at a headline level
Classify 12 organizational risks on a likelihood-impact matrix and justify each placement
Explain the three lines model and identify threats to internal audit independence in 8 scenarios
Your checkpoint
A risk register of 12 risks with likelihood and impact ratings, an overall rating, and a one-sentence rationale for each
Governance, Risk Management, and Control & Internal Audit Engagement Basics
Categorize controls as preventive, detective, or directive and match the correct type to 12 scenarios
Map each of the five COSO internal control components to at least two sample controls
Identify common fraud red flags and describe internal audit's role in fraud risk assessment versus investigation
Explain how control design differs from control operating effectiveness and how each would be tested
Your checkpoint
A control matrix linking 10 risks to specific controls, with control type, COSO component, and the assertion or objective each control supports
Internal Audit Fundamentals & Governance, Risk Management, and Control & Internal Audit Engagement Basics
Integrate the three domains by tracing a single end-to-end case from governance structure through engagement reporting
Answer 30 mixed-domain questions without advance notice of topic to build switching stamina
Re-teach your three weakest concepts aloud or in writing without notes
Rewrite every missed question from weeks 1 through 5 into a corrected one-line rule
Your checkpoint
A consolidated error log of no more than two pages containing a corrected rule for every previously missed concept, reviewed end to end
Internal Audit Fundamentals & Governance, Risk Management, and Control & Internal Audit Engagement Basics
Complete a timed 100-question mixed practice exam under exam conditions and record section-level accuracy
Rank your five weakest subtopics by error rate and drill each with targeted review and 15 focused questions
Practice pacing by completing two 25-question sets within the proportional time budget
Rehearse the ethics and independence distinctions most easily confused
Your checkpoint
A score report showing at least 75% overall, plus a written remediation list of the five weakest subtopics with the specific action and date for each
Internal Audit Fundamentals & Governance, Risk Management, and Control & Internal Audit Engagement Basics
Review the consolidated error log twice, once early in the week and once 48 hours before the exam
Complete a second timed 100-question practice exam and exceed your week 7 score
Verify exam-day logistics, including timing per question and the format of any scenario-based items
State the key distinction for each of your remaining weak subtopics in one sentence each
Your checkpoint
A final readiness sheet listing your two practice exam scores, the delta between them, and a one-sentence rule for each remaining weak area, all scoring at or above 80%
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 80% on the Domain 1 practice set and produce a planning memo that passes 8 of 10 checklist points
Week 4: Score at least 75% on separate Domain 2 and Domain 3 practice sets and submit a completed 12-risk register
Week 6: Complete the mixed 30-question set at 70% or higher and finish an error log with no unresolved entries from weeks 1 through 5
Week 8: Both timed 100-question practice exams at 80% or above, with the second score higher than the first