Interactive preview — the real experience

Opening — why the Challenge is a "compressed" exam, not a lighter one

Aïcha, CRMA for five years, applies internally for a promotion requiring the CIA. Her deadline: 90 days. She discovers the CIA Challenge Exam — a single 3-hour, 150-question exam that replaces all three Parts. Initial relief. Then she opens the official syllabus: the entire 3-Parts material is testable. Compressed, yes. Lighter, no.

That is the Challenge’s trap #1: thinking it’s a "lite" version. In reality, every domain in the 3-Parts syllabus can appear on the exam, with lower probability per topic but higher penalty — you cannot retake by Part.

Eligibility profile (memorise it)

The IIA reserves the Challenge for seven professional certifications:

Exam format — one deliverable

• Format: 150 MCQ, 3 hours, computer-based testing.
• Score: 250–750 scale; passing = 600.
• Coverage: full Common Body of Knowledge (CBOK) — basics, practice, knowledge.
• Attempts: 4 per calendar year (vs 3 per Part on the 3-Part route).

The 8-week method Aïcha used

Aïcha split her prep into four blocks:

1. Weeks 1–2 — Compressed basics: IPPF, charter, independence, ethics. 60% of the time.
2. Weeks 3–5 — Audit practice: planning, execution, supervision, reporting. Targeted Part-2 bank.
3. Weeks 6–7 — Knowledge: governance, risk, controls, IT, fraud — focus on detected gaps.
4. Week 8 — Three full mock exams: 150 Q timed, AI debrief, final attack plan.

How Aïcha scored 678 / 750

At D-7, Aïcha was at 565 in mock (below the line). She ran the "recurring errors only" method: 48 hours revising only failed questions in packets of 20 + auto-generated flashcards. On exam day: 678 — well above target, in the comfort zone.

Key takeaways

1. Eligibility: CCSA, CFSA, CGAP, CRMA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA (only).
2. Format: 150 Q in 3 h, 250–750 scale, pass at 600.
3. Coverage: full CBOK — every 3-Parts domain is testable.
4. 8-week method: compress, target gaps, finish on 3 timed mocks.