Exam Dates

The CISA exam is offered annually during the months of June and December.

ISACA Membership

While ISACA membership is not required to take the exam, you can enjoy substantial cost savings on exam fees and study materials by joining now. To take advantage of these benefits, please complete the membership section of the CISA exam registration form. For additional member benefits, please see page 7.

Registration Form

Complete both sides of the registration form provided in this brochure (or a clear photocopy) or obtain the registration form from www.isaca.org/cisaboi. Print or type clearly in black ink in block letters. Be sure to include your test center and language preference.

Register Online and Save on the Registration Fee

Online registration via the ISACA web site (www.isaca.org/examreg) is encouraged. Candidates registering online will save US $35. Nonmembers can also maximize their savings by joining ISACA at the same time as they register.

Registration Fees and Payment

NOTE: Registration form and payment must be received on or before 8 February 2006 to qualify for the early registration rate.

Enclose the appropriate payment amount by check (cheque) or draft in US dollars drawn on a US bank. Provide your credit card information or indicate payment by bank transfer on the registration form. DO NOT SEND CASH.

For payments received in 2006, pricing is based on the registrant’s ISACA member status as of the exam date. Additional nonmember fees will be added to member pricing for all registrants paying in 2006 whose membership is not renewed as of May 2006. Any remaining balance due as a result of a change in membership status will be invoiced and must be paid in full before test results will be released.

A US $50 fee is required for all changes to CISA exam registration information received between 14 April 2006 and 28 April 2006. No changes will be accepted after 28 April 2006.

Due Dates

Online registration in accordance with the exam deadline dates is based upon the date/time in Chicago, Illinois, USA (Central Standard Time). If you do not register online, please mail or fax the registration form to ISACA. Do not do both. Submitting duplicate registrations online or by hard copy to ISACA may result in multiple registrations and charges. To qualify for the early registration fee, the registration form and payment must be postmarked or received by fax on or before 8 February 2006. Final registration forms and payment must be postmarked or received by fax on or before 5 April 2006. Both sides of the registration form must be received to complete a registration.

Acknowledgment of Registration and Receipt of the Candidate’s Guide to the CISA Exam

A letter acknowledging your CISA exam registration and a copy of the Candidate’s Guide to the CISA Exam will be mailed to you within six weeks of the completed processing of your registration form and payment, unless you fail to sign your registration form. An acknowledgement also will be sent via e-mail to candidates who register online.

Refund and Deferral of Fees

Refund: Candidates unable to take the exam are eligible for a refund of registration fees, less a US $100 processing fee, if such a request is received in writing on or before 14 April 2006. All requests for a refund after this date will be denied.

Deferrals: Candidates unable to take the exam can request a deferral of their registration fees to the next exam date. Deferral requests received on or before 1 May 2006 will be charged a $50 processing fee. From 2 May 2006 through 2 June 2006, a processing fee of $100 will be charged. Deferral requests will not be accepted after 2 June 2006. To request a deferral, please go to www.isaca.org/examdefer. No refunds or exchanges will be given for study aids, associated taxes, shipping and handling charges or membership fees.

Assignment of Test Centers

ISACA will make every effort to assign you to the exam center of your choice. However, if an exam center is cancelled, you will be assigned to the nearest available exam center. Should you not wish to sit for the exam at the newly assigned exam center, you may receive a full refund or deferral of the exam fee.

Request for Additional Test Centers

If an exam center is not available within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the location in which you want to be tested and if there are five or more candidates who wish to enter as a group at this location, you may request that a new exam center be established. Written requests for establishment of new exam centers, including a minimum of five paid registration forms, must be received at ISACA International Headquarters no later than 13 January 2006. While there is no guarantee that a new exam center can be arranged, every attempt will be made to provide one.

Special Arrangements

Upon request, ISACA will make reasonable accommodations in its exam procedures for candidates with documented disabilities or religious requirements. These candidates may request consideration for reasonable alterations in exam format, presentations, food or drink in the exam site or scheduling. Requests for food or drink at the exam site must be accompanied by a doctor’s note; otherwise, no food or drinks are allowed in any exam sites. You must submit your request for consideration to ISACA International Headquarters in writing, accompanied by appropriate documentation, no later than 5 April 2006.

ISACA Member Benefits

By joining ISACA now, you can immediately take advantage of a variety of cost savings. If you are a nonmember paying the higher rate for the CISA exam, you can apply the difference between the member and nonmember registration fee (US $120) toward an ISACA membership. Simply indicate pending on item 1 of the registration form and include the total association membership dues (including local chapter dues) on the remittance schedule located on page 2 of the registration form. In addition to a lower fee for the CISA exam, you will also enjoy immediate benefit through reduced costs for your CISA study aids.

Description of the Examination

The tasks and knowledge required of today's and tomorrow's information systems audit professional serve as the blueprint for the CISA examination. These areas are defined through a Practice Analysis that is conducted at regular intervals and consists of both process and content components in a CISA's job function. Accordingly, exams consist of tasks that are routinely performed by a CISA and the required knowledge to perform these tasks.

The following is a brief description of these areas, their definitions, and approximate percentage of test questions allocated to each area. Click on a title or an area of the pie graph for a more detailed description, or consult the Candidate's Guide to the CISA Examination.

CISA Content Areas Effective 2006

Content Area 1: IS Audit Process

Provide IS audit services in accordance with IS audit standards, guidelines, and best practices to assist the organization in ensuring that its information technology and business systems are protected and controlled.  Tasks and Knowledge Statements

Content Area 2: IT Governance

To provide assurance that the organization has the structure, policies, accountability, mechanisms, and monitoring practices in place to achieve the requirements of corporate governance of IT.  Tasks and Knowledge Statements

Content Area 3: Systems and Infrastructure Lifecycle

To provide assurance that the management practices for the development/acquisition, testing, implementation, maintenance, and disposal of systems and infrastructure will meet the organization’s objectives.  Tasks and Knowledge Statements

Content Area 4: IT Service Delivery and Support

To provide assurance that the IT service management practices will ensure the delivery of the level of services required to meet the organization’s objectives.  Tasks and Knowledge Statements

Content Area 5: Protection of Information Assets

To provide assurance that the security architecture (policies, standards, procedures, and controls) ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information assets.  Tasks and Knowledge Statements

Content Area 6: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

To provide assurance that in the event of a disruption the business continuity and disaster recovery processes will ensure the timely resumption of IT services while minimizing the business impact.  Tasks and Knowledge Statements

       Want to have some fun and test your IS audit knowledge?
Take the CISA ® Sample Question Challenge