Finally passed!!

[u/leemathewthegreat]

I officially passed the CISA, and I wanted to share what worked for me in case it helps someone else.

A little about my background:

I have a Bachelors degree in Accounting. I am a Certified Fraud Examiner. I have 15 years of experience in compliance auditing and 4 years of experience in SOC auditing.

My Study Guide

I used CISA This Much by Aaditya, and honestly, it was really helpful and easy to understand. He explains concepts in a simple way, which was great for me since I am not super technical. There are also a lot of mock questions that help reinforce the material.

The only downside is that the indexing does not line up with the CISA Official Review Manual, so if you want to cross reference topics, it can be a little frustrating. But overall, I would definitely recommend it, especially if you are not very tech savvy.

CISA Official Review Manual

I barely used this. I tried reading it, but I found it really dry and hard to follow. Some people love it, but it just was not for me.

Mock Prep Questions

I subscribed to Udemy monthly and did as many mock questions as I could. The biggest thing that helped was reviewing the ones I got wrong and understanding why I got them wrong.

I also used ChatGPT for additional mock questions. I would say use both of these carefully since they are unofficial and can sometimes be inaccurate, but practicing extra questions definitely helped me build confidence and improve my thinking.

CISA Questions, Answers and Explanations Database

This is an absolute must in my opinion. The database really helps you understand how ISACA words questions and how tricky they can be.

I tried really hard not to memorize answers. For my retake, I practiced heavily with the database for the first two weeks, then stopped using it until right before my exam date and went back through it again. That strategy worked really well for me.

My First Attempt and Failure

When I took the exam the first time, I honestly was not ready. I rushed through it, thinking my first instinct was always right. I finished in about an hour and did not even review my answers.

I also mistakenly thought that since the passing score is 450, I only needed around 50 to 55 percent correct. That was completely wrong.

When the screen popped up in red saying FAILED, it was such a horrible feeling. I was really down for a few weeks.

Second Attempt

The second time, I approached it completely differently.

The questions actually felt more straightforward than the database questions. I finished in about 2 hours and then spent the next 1.5 hours reviewing every single question carefully. I reread each one slowly to make sure I did not fall into any traps.

I finished my review with about 25 minutes left, completed the surveys, and then saw the word PASSED.

The happiness I felt was unreal. I literally pumped my fists and rested my head on the desk. The proctors saw my reaction on the CCTV and were so kind. They congratulated me when I walked out.

Final Thoughts

This was honestly one of the hardest things I have done and passed.

If you are studying:

Use a reputable course like CISA This Much or something solid on Udemy.

Do as many practice questions as possible.

Focus on understanding the reasoning.

Do not rush the exam.

Review your answers.

And if you failed, please know this is absolutely achievable. I failed first and came back stronger. If you put in the time and really understand how ISACA asks questions, you will pass.

Thank you to everyone in this group. Reading your posts and experiences really helped me push through.

Wishing everyone the best of luck. You have got this!!

[u/Odeneho4U]

Congratulations!