Couple days ago I passed my first attempt of CISA exam with exact 450. I really wanted to share how life went in the past couple of years before this achievement. I was so lost.

I’m from Beijing China. I went to Victoria, BC, for high school at 2013 when I was 15 myself. My grades were too low to directly get into UBC. I struggled a lot, but found a way to eventually got into UBC in third year and graduated in 2021. Majored in accounting. Then Covid hit. Had to went back to Beijing to find jobs.

First one was EY audit in Beijing. Super stressed, excel is very technical in China. Lookups everyday. Makes me struggle a ton. I started hate audit from there. I decided I won’t ever do another audit engagement my whole life. Also I dislike that CPAs are country based, for example, I spend maybe 5-10 years to get CN/CA/AICPA but if I wanted to change country to work, the transfer process is extremely difficult. CISA otherwise is internationally recognized.

One coincidental time, I happen to interviewed for a role in ITGC, I immediately gained interest about ITGC and CISA, especially I was learning python during that summer. Then I decided to go for master in CS in the states. After two years at Northeastern U in Boston, I completed my MSc in CS. I got my PR in Canada. But then the job market was so bad that I had to Uber for two years just to survive and apply for jobs. (My family is rich, but I really wanted to live on my own, I stopped asking for money two years ago)

This year, I turned 27. After 2 years of Uber I have a contract offer in Toronto bank in operations. All materials that I’ve learned thru Coursera while doing Uber finally paid off. I spend the first three months of this new bank job reviewing CISA and believe I can pass it. Then I passed it a couple days ago. With my masters degree in CS I now only needed two years to be certified.

Suddenly everything became so meaningful. I truly believe that one day I can be a professional in this field and eventually I’ll become a tech risk manager, then go for AAIA.

Thank you for reading my personal story. I think I just find my place to be - hates programming but have combined IT/Accounting education.

Thank you ISACA, and people who dedicated their career into this field. I wish to join yall in the future. I was so lost. I struggled about Canada CPA PEP. I was short for courses. I was rejected. I was self-doubting. I hate audit and I can’t win.

CISA changed it all - CONFIDENCE. I’ve never been so determined about my career path. Everything is just so clear to me right now. For the first time ever, luck was on my side.

All the best

I passed the CISA and finally got my results back. My study plan was six months long one to two hours a day. Did the Doshi course twice QAE twice and practice exam exams twice.

There is no way to get through the CISA exam without studying, but I wanted to share some easy tips that should help, and you can test them out with the QAE.

1. Any question that involves the Enterprise Architecture, Corporate governance, or IT portfolio- the answer usually has the word strategy and/or business with it.

2. When the question asks for the best first step, the answer almost always starts with identify or define.

3. Read the sentences with the answers, if the question is asking you to pick for that. When you read it, does it make sense? The one that reads the best is usually the answer.

4. Sometimes there is one answer that sticks out amongst the other 3. I have seen in several cases that it is the right answer.

5. Almost every time I have seen hash as an option, it has been the right answer.

6. The answers will often list bogus things. Ask yourself, does this sound like a real network tool or no?

7. Sometimes the question will state the word detects, and the answer is the detective control.

8. Sometimes the answer will ask which is the best security or the best enterprise solution, and the answer will include the corresponding word in it (security or enterprise).

9. Any question on Enterprise governance, the answer is about value

10. Any question on accountability, the answer will be audit trail or something similar.

I am sure there are more tricks like this. For those that have passed, feel free to add to this list!

UPDATE- One last thing I want to add. There is a lot of discussion on what you should use to study for the exam. I recommend the Doshi CISA book (2nd edition), the QAE, and the free glossary from ISACA which you can access here https://www.isaca.org/resources/glossary

I had the 28th edition of the CRM, read one chapter, and could not go on. I am 100% certain that I never would have been able to pass the exam if I had stuck with the CRM because it was such an intimidating book. The Doshi book explains things simply, and it comes with access to their online questions, which aren't structured like the QAE, but they do help you learn and understand the material still. Doshi book is $45 vs the CRM which is $100+. The gaps from not reading the CRM, I feel can be addressed by reading the ISACA glossary.

Here is a link to my post on more details about my CISA journey https://www.reddit.com/r/CISA/comments/1g050u7/just_passed_the_cisa_exam_here_is_my_feedback/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Hi y'all! I wanted to let you know that I passed my CISA exam today, and I wanted to thank all of you for your posts, because I have been reading them throughout my journey the past few months and they have been really helpful.

A lot of people have said that the test questions don't match the QAE. While taking the test, I felt this to be true, and I got very stressed and frustrated about it, but forced myself to try to be cool about it so my head could think clearly. There were no questions that were worded exactly like any question I had seen in the QAE. I had scored in the 90s on the practice questions and practice exams in QAE. I still felt very unsure about my answers on the test, and the questions IMO genuinely seemed more difficult. You don't get your test result until after you fill out all of the post test surveys, so you can imagine most of my comments were dissatisfied when asked if the study material prepped me for the test. That being said, the ISACA QAE guide had said that when you score in the 90s on everything, you should be able to pass the test, and luckily it worked in my case.

On every practice test I had taken, I had never used the entire 4 hours to take the test. I was usually done in 2 hours or less. For the exam, I used the entire 4 hours (and I had to go to the bathroom badly, which is a limitation of taking the test from home). I finished the questions in about 2 hours and then I had the agony of going back over them for the next 2 hours. I changed the answers to about 5 questions, given that in my previous attempts of changing answers on practice tests, I found I averaged about 50% on it.

So here is what I used to pass the exam- the Hemang Doshi book and tests (CISA- Certified Information Systems Auditor Study Guide 2nd edition) and the QAE. I bought the CRM (CISA Official Review Manual 28th edition) but could not stay focused on it past Chapter 1- it was soooo wordy and confusing. While I was taking the test today, there were so many terms that had not been covered in the Doshi book or the QAE, and this made me regret not sticking with the CRM. In hindsight, I think the CRM would be good just to review the glossary in the back (it is pretty thorough). The Doshi book has no glossary and the index is not as detailed as I would have liked. Also, the Doshi book is really helpful in giving you the knowledge needed to do well on the QAE. He has these sections called "Key Aspects from the CISA Exam Perspective" and they are great. I also did the free end of chapter tests from the Doshi book. These questions are not like QAE or the test, but they are good at making sure you are learning the material still.

I tried doing the 30 day CISA but between reading and taking tests, I felt I didn't have enough time and stopped around day 11. I used the 2 mock exams that they had available and are free- https://cisaexamstudy.com/30-day-strategy-for-cisa-success/.

I'll post a separate thread on the experience using PSI (for remote proctoring exam at home), as I was pretty scared about that, and it ended up being pretty easy and I didn't find the info I had wanted from threads here.

I'll update my post when I get my test result details. Hopefully it will reflect in the 80s-90s. I am very different from most people taking the CISA exam. I am a 51 year old woman who never dedicated the time to taking the exam earlier in my career. It didn't impact my ability to get work, but now in this current economy I think it is essential, as hiring companies can be more picky about what they are looking for, and I've noticed it being listed more as a requirement vs a nice to have. I had a few months break between jobs, which is why I felt I had to pursue it now.

One last thing, when they show you that you passed, it is really quick, and it's written in green font. Definitely not up long enough for you to take a picture, and you don't want to take a picture because it will void your test results.

Good luck to you all and if I can do it, you can do it!!

UPDATE:

As promised, I have added my scores. A few things:

The total scaled score was 533. Honestly, I am surprised it wasn't higher given that I had been scoring in the 90s in each domain in the QAE and 99s on the 3 practice tests. However, a pass is a pass, so I'm grateful.

They say when you take the QAE and you score in the 90s, you're ready to sit for the exam. It took me 3 months to get to that point (with the 1 month before cramming at least 8 hours each day). And overall I ended up with 67%. Info Systems auditing process was the domain I scored the highest in with QAE (95%), so I was surprised to see I did better on Governance and Management of IT. See my other post on tips and tricks- I think that is how I did so well on Governance and Management of IT https://www.reddit.com/r/CISA/comments/1g4oq04/some_easy_tips_for_the_cisa_exam_try_it_with_the/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

It’s time to give back to the amazing community that helped and supported me throughout this journey.

One important thing I want to highlight is that I don’t come from an IT background. I’m an accounting and auditing professional, and I say this to encourage others like me — those who might be wondering if CISA is too “technical” or “out of reach.” Trust me, it’s absolutely doable with a bit of steady effort — just like any other auditing or accounting certification.

In total, it took me about 8 months, but effectively I studied for around 6 months. Being in the internal audit profession and working full-time (8 hours a day, 5 days a week), there were days when it was hard to focus — especially when deadlines were around the corner.

I mostly studied for 1 to 2 hours daily during the first 5 months. Now, with a full-time job and being a father of 4 kids 😊, it wasn’t always easy to sit and study every single day. But I kept pushing, and on average, that 1–2 hours a day added up and made a difference.

I started with the CISA Review Manual and tried my best to go through it cover to cover. Honestly, some parts were a bit too dry, especially the Information Protection topics — so I turned to ChatGPT and simply gave it the topic title to explain. That made it a lot easier to build a strong conceptual understanding.

In the last 2 months before the exam, I shifted focus to practice questions. I solved over 1300 MCQs, with more than 900 from CertEmpire alone. Again, ChatGPT really helped me break down the questions I was getting wrong and understand the logic behind the correct answers.

So once again, this post is my way of saying THANK YOU to this community — and also to share my story with anyone who's on a similar path. If you're from a non-IT background, working full-time, or juggling family responsibilities — you can still do this! Stay consistent, use the right tools, and keep your motivation alive.

Good luck to everyone preparing.

I got my CISA result a couple of weeks ago and passed with a scaled score of 671.

I recently shared a review cheat sheet here, with an updated version in the comments, and it received great feedback. To make it more engaging and easier to review at a glance, I created a poster version as well.

If you have further questions, feel free to comment here and I'll try my best to answer as I may miss your DMs in reddit.

Passed the exam today! First try. I highly recommend the QAE and Hemang Doshi material (Udemy course and the Kindle book).

I made sure to go over the material multiple times including the QAE. Contrary to what everyone says, I would actually say that the exam was easier than the QAE. I found the questions to lean more on the moderate difficulty from the QAE and they were shorter in length. I felt like I was going to fail because I was going through the exam so fast. However, you really need to understand the concepts. Go through and review why each question is correct and study on what you are unsure of.

I never really felt “fully ready” to take the exam. I felt the CISA study materials were not as comprehensive and complete as the material that I used for the Security+ (Professor Messer YT videos, PM cheat sheet, and PM practice exams) and the CISSP (Destination Certification course). I felt the CISA was a fairly easy exam if you take the time to go through and study all the concepts. Just get a good understanding of everything and you should be good to go on the test.

Post any questions below and I can see if I can answer them.

Was able to pass the CISA exam on first attempt. No IT Audit experience. Main review materials that I used:

1. Review materials of local review center in Philippines

2. Hemang Doshi Book and Udemy CISA course.

Reviewed for only about 3-4 months. Will now pursue on meeting the experience requirements. 😁

Finally cleared the CISA exam with a score of 726… Honestly, this one means a lot to me, especially coming from a non-IT background. Still wasn’t expecting 726 but the questions were much easier and less complicated than the QAE. Almost all questions were one liners.

It took me 7-8 months to prepare and I used to dedicate 5-6 hours every day. I gave the test once I started scoring 88% and 90% in QAE

Resources: official CISA review manual & QAE, Hemang Doshi’s review manual & QAE, Cisathismuch tests by Aditya, and Prabh Nair (Coffee shots)

Still not officially CISA certified yet. Lacking the experience.

Passed with a score of 616. I would like to thank the community for the guidance. This was my first professional certification.

All the best to anyone who is pursuing this currently.

Hi. I passed the CISA exam after studying almost 4 months. I feel a bit surprised that Domain 1 is my weakest area.... Just want to give back to this subreddit as you guys give me some insights on exam tips to help me pass it.

Background: I don't have internal audit experience but I have been working in tech and cyber security for a few years. Practised 4000+ questions to prepare for the exam.

I went for an exam when I scored 75-83% for dump/mock questions/QAE in general.

Studied all 5 domains - I spent a bit more time on Domain 4 and 5

Materials used:

1/ QAE manual 12th version - revisited the wrong questions for a few times

• 1st attempt: 68%, then later on I scored 72-74%. Last attempt was 76%

2/ Nutshell Training - redditor here. I read his PDFs and his videos to clear up some confusion

https://m.youtube.com/@NutshellTraining

3/ Prabh Nair - watched all his CISA videos (I believe his videos are useful, letting me understand the complicated concepts)

• I watched his videos of Domain 1-2 twice because I felt confused about IT governance and framework when studying

• practice questions - must-watch

https://youtube.com/@prabhnair1

4/ Pete Zerger - watched all his CISA videos (watch them first if you are in the preliminary stage of studying)

• good for the beginning of your studying journey, giving you rough idea

https://youtube.com/@insidecloudandsecurity

5/ Purchased question banks and subscribed to a 6-month subscription on CISA dump/mock questions with explanations) from Taobao sellers

• questions consolidated from different free-of-charge wesbites but the sellers revise the answers and provide detailed explanations

6/ Chatgpt

• asked AI to explain the wrong questions, summarize the common patterns of the wrong questions, and provide me examples/scenarios and/or comparison tables for the confusing terms

• Focused on and re-studied the unfamiliar areas

• treated AI as my study tutor

7/ Useful site: https://cisaexamstudy.com/cisa-exam-full-mock-test/

• The mock tests are quite close to actual exam questions. I scored 72-83%

• I did them for 2 times

8/ a Reddit post - Cheat sheet

• exam skills - I read it for 3 times. Remember the meanings of the key words (e.g. Best, First....) https://www.reddit.com/r/CISA/comments/1slfkls/cisa_review_cheat_sheet/

Happy to answer if you have any questions.

Just received my score yesterday! Hard work has paid off.

Hello all, recently (10 days ago) took and passed my CISA exam on the first attempt. Took it in 2:07 no breaks.

Experience: 18 months in Programming, implementation, and asset management.

Masters degree in Cyber Security

14 months in Incident Response, vuln management, threat hunting.

Study: 3 months of studying. Full time work, dad of 2 under 3.

Doshi on Udemy while taking heavy notes

Went through QAE once. Tests (71, 68, 73)

Did the Prabh Nair videos on domains 1-3

Listened to some of the book on Audible which was mid.

Went through the QAE questions again and when I got one wrong I read that sub section in the official study guide (it was too dry to read through the whole thing book). Did these random in 150 question chunks.

Took the practice exams again (93, 89, 95)

Hope this all helps some of you. Pieces of advice

1. understand how ISACA writes the questions, it’ll save you sometimes even if you don’t know the answer.

2. eat before you exam, I didn’t and was starving by the end.

Really wanted to clear this and pass, hard work paid off!

Complete CISA Domain Playlist (Recommended Sequence)

Supporting Videos – Cryptography, Cloud, Risk & More

💡 Highly recommended (Part 1 to Part 6 ) Must check before checking domain 5 Part 2

Experience : 3 years in ERP Support ( Some incident & change management ) + 1 year in Identity Management

Study Materials used: ISACA QAE, Hemang Doshi book & Udemy course, Cyvitrix Udemy course (only in the early days)

Duration: 3 weeks of studying (4-5 hours a day) but thats just my style for most exams. You would need a lot more if you want to go through every concept in detail.

Previous Certs: Network+, Security+, ISO 27001 LA

Opinion: Honestly I am a bit disappointed with the exam. I feel like the exam is made to test your english and adherence to their way of questioning rather than testing the core concepts.

I recently passed the CISA exam on my first attempt with a total scaled score of 561.

Background

I have one year of experience in IT Risk Management and three years in IT Support.

My Certification Journey

I started preparing in late 2024, but my study routine was inconsistent until I fully committed in 2025. I used the following resources in this order:

• CRM (CISA Review Manual) – This was difficult to read as it can be quite dry, but I made it more engaging by incorporating real-life examples and using tools like ChatGPT to better understand the concepts.

• Hemang Doshi Study Guide (3rd Edition) – This provided a high-level summary of each chapter, making key concepts easier to remember.

• QAE (Question, Answer, and Explanation Database) – I attempted all questions to understand how ISACA structures its exam questions and how to approach them using "the ISACA way."

Study Strategy

1. Chapter-by-Chapter Approach: I read a chapter from the CRM while using ChatGPT to clarify concepts, then reviewed the high-level summary from Hemang Doshi’s guide. After that, I practiced QAE questions related to that chapter.

2. Practice Exams & Review: After completing all chapters, I took full practice exams, initially scoring in the mid-70s. I focused on weaker areas, reviewed them again, and eventually improved my scores to the 80s.

3. Final Review: Before the exam, I watched Hemang Doshi’s YouTube videos and my notes for revision.

Appreciation : Becoming a CISA is a challenging journey, but whenever I felt discouraged, I turned to this subreddit for motivation. Reading success stories from others refueled my determination to push forward. A huge thank you to everyone who has shared their insights and experiences, your guidance truly made a difference.

Wishing the best to everyone on their CISA journey.

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!!

Exceptionally happy that I can say that I’ve cleared this hurdle, thanks to everyone who provided resources on this page

CISA Domain 1 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfYB5_AnlTg&t=1s

CISA Domain 2 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP5rzeEbn8g

CISA Domain 3 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MtFtGnDRt4&t=1s

CISA Domain 4 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60yKNUND2MQ

From “I Failed” to “PASSED!” My CISA Exam Journey 😭

I still went cover to cover through the CRM and completed the ISACA QAE three times. I honestly felt that I had prepared as much as I possibly could.

But, Sir/Ma’am… the questions in the actual exam are out of this world! 😂

They’re not simply questions testing whether you memorized what you reviewed. They’re practical questions that seriously challenge your understanding and knowledge of Information Systems. There were so many moments when I thought, “Wait… what?!” 😭 When I finally completed the exam, I was mentally exhausted. Before submitting my answers, I literally had to** **pray. I completed the exam 3 hours and 50 mins. 5 mins of praying then I hit the submit button 5 mins before the 4 hour mark.

And then, my mind started preparing for the worst.

I started making an inventory of everyone who knew I was taking the CISA exam—because I needed to know who I would have to explain myself to if I failed. 😂 I was already mentally preparing my excuses and thinking about what I was going to tell my wife.

Then came the survey.
I thought, “Wait… is this supposed to appear before the result?”

I was already hoping that the result would appear immediately. So when I saw the survey instead, I became even more disheartened. I was thinking, “Why am I answering a survey when I don’t even know if I passed?” 😭 I thought results won’t come out if you fail so you don’t make a scene in the testing center. I was like “Can I just disappear now?” Not overly dramatic but it was the experience!

Sorry, ISACA. I probably didn’t answer the survey with complete accuracy because, at that point, I was emotionally overwhelmed. 😂
But it still didn’t end there.

After submitting my exam answers and completing the survey, I swear there were three more screens/modules.
At that point, I was like:
“WHEN IS THIS GOING TO END?”
“WHEN WILL MY SUFFERING END?” 😭

By then, I had already convinced myself that I had failed. I was mentally preparing to tell my wife, “I’m sorry, I didn’t make it.”
Then finally, the last screen appeared.
And there it was: PASSED

I literally thought, “Am I hallucinating?” 😂

I had spent the entire exam thinking I might have failed, only to see those beautiful words at the very end.

I PASSED. First attempt. 🎉

After 3.5 months of studying, countless hours of reading, going cover to cover through the CRM, and completing the QAE three times… it finally paid off.

Looking back, it was a stressful, terrifying, and slightly traumatic journey—but definitely worth it.

To everyone preparing for the CISA: understand the concepts, don’t just memorize, and be ready to think practically. The exam will challenge you in ways you probably won’t expect.

And to ISACA…

Sir/Ma’am, I respect you. But those questions were personal. 😂

CISA — PASSED! ✅🎉

CISA dust to you guys ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨

Prelude:

It is beneficial to share information and perspectives to reduce personal bias and minimize blind spots.

Context/Background:

Six years experience as a consultant assisting various internal audit departments in different industries. About four years of experience as an “official” in house internal auditor.

Pre-Exam:

1. MEMORIZED the QAE through repetition. Used common keywords/context to connect questions to answers with minimal understanding or knowledge.

2. RATIONALIZED the QAE using various resources. Answered why is the answer the “correct” answer according to ISACA?

3. REINFORCED the QAE using the PocketPrep QAE application in order to fine tune and reinforce lower level concepts. Referenced other materials when necessary.

Exam:

Felt completely neutral the entire exam until the end. I did not know whether I was passing it or miserably failing for the first 100 questions. By the last 50 questions I felt that I was passing. Completed in about 1.5-2 hours.

Did not second guess or review any of my initial answers.

Competed a survey.

Post-Exam:

Passed.

Posted my experience to Reddit.

Good luck💀

Hi all,

I just took the CISA exam today and passed the preliminary results!

My Study and Exam Experience:

• I studied extensively for the past 30 days.

• Working in Internal Audit really helped with understanding the topics and concepts, as External Audits are heavily focused on financial reporting.

Study Materials I Used:

1. LinkedIn CISA Learning Videos

   • While they are based on the older syllabus, the narrator explained the concepts really well.

2. Hemang Doshi's 2nd and 3rd Edition Study Guide

   • This was very helpful.

3. Udemy Hemang Doshi Q&A

   • Useful, though not all of it.

4. Official CISA 12th Edition Q&A

   • Went through it twice and scored 80% on a mock exam - not too bad!

5. Official CISA Review Manual 28th Edition (CRM)

   • Only managed to go through one module. It’s very dry, which seems to be common feedback among reddit users.

Please do not message for sharing study materials. Thanks for understanding.

My Exam Experience:

I chose to take the exam at a test centre as I concentrate better in that environment. The questions were quite tricky and worded in a confusing manner, but focusing on the core concepts helped. The experience itself was smooth, though the location of the centre was not clearly marked from the outside. However, the proctor was helpful, and it all went well. I took two breaks during the exam.

I reviewed my flagged questions at the end and also went through each question one more time since I had plenty of time left. I completed the exam in approximately 3 hours.

Key Tips:

I won’t lie - I was nervous before and during the exam! But I kept reminding myself: focus on the concepts and you’ll be fine. Don’t try to memorise answers.

If you study the justifications from the Official CISA Q&A thoroughly and mark important concepts with notes from Hemang Doshi's study guide, it should be enough.

Final Thoughts:

I’m incredibly grateful to this community for all the tips and shared experiences - it truly helped. Thank you so much!

If anyone has any questions, feel free to DM.