CISA study materials 2025: Comprehensive guide to pass the exam

Consisting of 150 questions, the CISA exam thoroughly tests both technical knowledge and real-life job practices. It dives deep into IS auditing, structure, protocols and more. Take a look at the CISA exam outline here. 

Key domains 

The CISA exam covers five domains, and each domain is weighted differently. 

Domain 1: Information systems auditing process (18%) 

This portion of the CISA exam covers industry-standard audit services that help organizations protect and control information systems. It covers both planning, such as business processes and risk-based audit planning, as well as actual execution, including project management, sampling methodology, data analytics and more. 

Domain 2: Governance and management of IT (18%) 

This segment of the CISA exam demonstrates to stakeholders your ability to identify critical issues and recommend specific practices to safeguard the governance of information systems. This includes IT-related frameworks, enterprise architecture, maturity models, resource management and more. 

Domain 3: Information systems acquisition, development and implementation (12%) 

In the smallest section of the exam, candidates will be tested on their understanding of how IT relates to business. This includes business case and feasibility analysis, system development methodologies, testing methodologies and post-implementation review. 

Domain 4: Information systems operations and business resilience (26%) 

This domain is a thorough examination of standard information, system operations and business resiliency, including continuity plans, disaster recovery plans, business impact analysis and more. In case of a real-life disaster, this portion of the exam covers your ability to bring services back online and mitigate disaster damages. 

Domain 5: Protection of Information Assets (26%) 

The final section of the CISA exam is dedicated to the protection of key information assets. It also tests your knowledge of basic principles, best practices and pitfalls of asset security and control and security event management. 

Exam eligibility and prerequisites 

The CISA exam is for security professionals with a few years of experience. You must submit verified evidence of at least five years of professional information systems auditing, control, or security work experience. Other requirements can potentially waive up to three years of experience. 

The challenge of the CISA exam 

The CISA exam is known for being challenging, but with proper preparation and the right study strategies, you can alleviate some of the worry over your performance on the CISA exam. The CISA exam is extremely thorough and rigorous in its examination process, with the average pass rate averaging around 40 to 50%. 

While the CISA exam does have a low pass rate, this is often because professionals try to take the exam without adequate preparation. However, as ISACA's number one partner, Infosec candidates have one of the highest pass rates. "Ninety-two percent of cybersecurity learners who sat for their exams passed their exams," said Bret Fund, SVP and General Manager of Infosec, in a recent joint webinar with ISACA CEO Erik Prusch. 

Comprehensive study strategies 

The CISA exam does require rigorous study, and although there is no set-in-stone requirement of how long to study for the CISA, the common advice is to study for two to three hours a day, beginning at least two months before your exam date. It's not an entry-level certification, so it's highly recommended that you have a combination of experience and a solid study strategy to pass. 

Finding the time might be daunting, but remember that passing the CISA exam is more about consistency and following a plan. Set a training schedule that fits your needs — whether that's three hours every night, 30 minutes every lunch break or a long cram session on the weekend. How you study isn't as important as the fact that you do it and do it consistently. Find a schedule that works, and make sure you have enough time planned. Maybe you need six months or a year to properly prepare if you're doing less prep!  

If you already have on-the-job learning, you can easily apply that to your study schedule. Another solid strategy is to see if a coworker is taking the CISA exam at the same time and set up accountability check-ins for each other.  

Explore John Badler's practical advice for passing the CISA certification as well. 

Exam preparation resources 

Below, you’ll read about some of the best study resources that are currently available for the CISA exam. These include everything from membership benefits to the ISACA to online courses and physical books. 

Membership 

Membership to the ISACA not only offers savings and discounts on boot camps, training materials and more, but it also allows you access to a wide variety of self-study materials through their webinar library. It also offers a community for professional networking, allowing you to meet and connect with more experienced security professionals who have taken the CISA exam. 

Online courses and self-study materials 

Here are some self-paced and live online courses, as well as free and paid study materials. 

CISA all-in-one exam guide 

Published through McGraw Hill, this guide is ideal for those who already have some knowledge of the exam’s content but need to bring their terminology in sync with ISACA’s standards. 

CISA review questions, answers and explanations manual 

In this 1000 multiple-choice question book, you can see detailed answers and explanations, which is incredibly helpful. This thorough set of questions allows you to test for strengths and weaknesses of your skill set. 

Free CISA practice quiz 

A practice exam with 50 questions, the official ISACA practice exam is a great way to assess the domain areas where you need more study. 

CISA Boot Camp 

Infosec's live CISA Boot Camp is a five-day online, in-person or structured as a team onsite and is incredibly helpful for passing your exam. On-demand options are also available. Boot camps include a 12-month subscription to the ISACA Official Question, Answer & Explanation, which is valuable for practice question simulation, as well as on-demand training, which allows you to adjust your schedule around studying. On-demand training includes practice exam questions as well. 

CISA review manual by ISACA 

Available in multiple languages, The CISA Review Manual (28th Edition) is the most comprehensive study guide for the CISA exam, including details on all core topics and domains. 

Practice and simulation 

One of the best ways to prepare for the exam emotionally and intellectually is to take several practice exams. Practice exams allow you to time yourself, making sure you're adhering to the 90 minutes, and question banks allow you to test yourself on a wide variety of questions. When taking practice exams, make sure to time yourself and simulate a test-taking environment. Minimize distractions, turn off notifications and silence your phone. The best way to self-test before the exam is the ISACA Official Question, Answer & Explanation (QAE) database, but there are numerous other options like the books listed above and online practice exams. 

When it comes to time management during the exam, always skip and come back to any questions you're unsure of. This makes sure you can move through the majority of the exam and not spend a large amount of time on a few questions you're unsure about. 

CISA exam day 

On the day of the exam, don't worry about last-minute cramming. Be confident in your months of studying and preparation. Make sure to eat a healthy breakfast before your exam and try to remain calm and focused throughout. 

After completing the exam, the CISA exam is graded on a scale of 200 to 800 points, and anything over 450 is considered passing. If you received a passing score, congratulations! Your hard work and dedication paid off. 

However, if you received a failing grade, you must wait 30 days before attempting the exam again. You are then allowed four separate attempts to pass within a 12-month period. 

The CISA certification's role in cybersecurity careers 

A CISA certification is advantageous for a successful career in cybersecurity, especially as enterprise organizations have increasingly complex and defensible information systems. A CISA certification demonstrates not only your commitment to learning and development but also technical and practical application. The certification also opens significant career opportunities and growth, and is one of the most highly regarded auditing certifications globally. 

CISA study resources 2025 

The CISA exam is a highly impactful next step in your cybersecurity career, and it can also feel daunting to approach such an important certification. With months of studying, practice tests and sample questions under your belt, rest assured you've done everything in your power to adequately prepare yourself for the CISA exam. 

Visit the Infosec CISA hub for more, including multiple free and self-study CISA materials to put your knowledge to the test. Free, self-paced YouTube videos like "ISACA CISA Overview: The 'gold standard' for IT auditing certifications" allow you to hear more information straight from the source. 

FAQ summary 

Here are some frequently asked questions about prepping for the CISA exam. 

What is the best way to prepare for the CISA exam? 

The best way to prepare depends on your situation, motivation and existing CISA knowledge. However, a live five-day boot camp condenses your study time and ensures that you'll cover what you need to pass. If you need a more time-flexible, economical approach, or you're already familiar with key topics and want to brush up on a few selected areas, self-paced online courses may offer a more flexible way to study. Sample questions, practice tests, books and more are excellent ways to practically test yourself within the allotted amount of time. 

How many hours of study to pass CISA exam? 

Studying for two to three hours a day is recommended beginning two months before your exam date. 

What is the passing grade for CISA exam? 

The CISA exam is graded on a scale of 200 to 800 points, and a passing score is 450 or higher.