For candidates applying under the Qualified Accounting Bodies: Applicants must contact their respective accounting body to obtain a letter of good standing prior to submitting their application.

Candidate must be an active CPA or CA from one of the following accounting bodies: 

• CPA license from any US State Board

• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

• Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)

• Chartered Accountants Ireland

• Chartered Professional Accountants Canada (CPA Canada)

• CPA Australia

• FSR - Danske Revisorer

• EXPERTsuisse

• Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA)

• Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (CPA Ireland)

• Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK)

• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)

• Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG)

• Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)

• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)

• Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU)

• Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA)

• Koninklijke Nederlandse Beroepsorganisatie van Accountants (NBA)

• Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA)

• Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA)

• Registro Oficial de Auditores de Cuentas (ROAC)

• Saudi Organization for Chartered and Professional Accountants (SOCPA)

• South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)

• State of Israel Ministry of Justice-Board of Accountants

For candidates applying under the Qualified Information Systems Auditors: Applicants are required to obtain proof of good standing from the public registry prior to submitting an application. 

Candidate must be an active CISA holder. 

CISA is a trademark of ISACA. 

For candidates applying under the Experienced Internal Auditors: This professional pathway is a pilot programme for experienced internal auditors with at least 10 years of relevant experience across internal audit, compliance, quality assurance, external audit, risk management, internal control, or other audit and assessment disciplines. 

Applicants must complete all fields in the experience verification form and upload it during the application process.

PROGRAMME TIMELINE (FOR EXPERIENCED INTERNAL AUDITORS)

Candidates have three years from the date of acceptance into the programme to complete the one-part exam and meet the exit requirements. 

CIA Challenge Exam Application Window: 1 April to 30 September 2026

CIA Challenge Exam Testing Window: June, September and November 2026

Once the programme application is approved, candidates have 180 days to register, schedule, and sit for the exam. Candidates must take their first attempt during the three pilot testing windows in 2026 (June, September and November). Retakes will be available for a candidate's three year programme.

STEPS TO APPLY:

1. Prepare the required documents and information.

2. Log in to the Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS).

• First-time users who are IIA Singapore members: Please click RESET under Forgot your password? to activate your account.

  i. Ensure your name in CCMS matches your photo identification document (NRIC/FIN or Passport).

  ii. Use the same email address registered with your IIA Singapore membership.

• First-time users who are non-members: Please click CREATE ACCOUNT under Don’t have an account yet? to create a new account. 

• Existing CCMS users: Please proceed to register for a new programme (see Step 4) or schedule an exam (see Step 7). 

3. For IIA Singapore members: Please check that your membership status is correctly displayed in your profile before proceeding to the next step.

4. On the CCMS Home page, select APPLY FOR NEW CERTIFICATIONS. Click on Apply for Certified Internal Auditor, followed by CIA Challenge Program for Qualified Chartered Accountants and Certified Public Accountants (for CAs/CPAs) or CIA Challenge Program for Qualified Information Systems Auditors (for CISAs) or CIA Challenge Program for Experienced Internal Auditors (10+ years). Complete the required information and declaration. This step must be completed within 90 days of application. Click SUBMIT.

5. Pay for the application fee by credit card or PayPal on CCMS. Credit card and PayPal are the only modes of payment for IIA Singapore members. 

6. After document approval by the Certification Team, you will receive an email from IIA Global confirming your application. You can then register for the exam.

7. Complete the payment for the exam registration fee on CCMS. Your exam status will update to Registered. The system will also allow you to schedule and sit for the exam within one of these test delivery windows that fall within your authorised exam window. There is no provision for programme or exam extension for Challenge Exam. You must complete the exam within the 180-day period granted.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (FOR CPA / CA OR CISA HOLDERS)

All new candidates must submit the following:

• Proof of Identification – NRIC, FIN or Passport.

• Letter of Good Standing – To obtain from a qualified accounting body (for CPA/CA) or public registry (for CISA).