It can be well worth your time to become a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Currently, it’s the only globally recognized internal audit designation, and it can help increase your income from internal auditing by over $30,000 a year.
The best way to get started is to try out a CIA review course. This can help you pass the CIA exam on your first attempt — whether you’re fresh out of school or not — and teach you valuable professional skills along the way.
The following 5 picks are the best CIA review courses currently available on the market!
A Full List of the Best CIA Courses Worth Considering
| Rank | Company | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. |  | Surgent CIA | $499 | Go To Surgent CIA |
2. |  | Wiley CIA | $750 | Go To Wiley CIA |
3. |  | Gleim CIA | $949 | Go To Gleim CIA |
4. |  | Powers Resources CIA | $495 | Go To Powers CIA |
4. |  | IIA CIA | $895 |
Choose the Best CIA Review Course for You
1. Surgent CIA Course Review
Best overall CIA review course
Surgent combines well made lessons with an adaptive learning program to ensure you’ll pass the CIA exam with time to spare.
Course Details
Surgent is one of the most effective adaptive learning platforms on the market. Every aspect of this course feeds into Surgent’s ReadySCORE and A.S.A.P. adaptive learning technology. This means your exam prep will shift to focus on your problem areas; studying the video lectures and answer explanations recommended by this algorithm will have the most substantial effect on your actual CIA exam score.
Surgent CIA Features
- 2,500+ Practice Questions
- 3 PDF Textbooks
- ReadySCORE
- Automatic Content Updates
- 18 Months Course Access
Surgent CIA Pros and Cons
- ReadySCORE: Surgent includes an exam readiness indicator with your course materials. Each lesson you complete updates the ReadySCORE and shows you exactly when you’re ready for the test.
- Mobile-Friendly: Every lesson included with Surgent’s course is fully compatible with mobile devices. This makes it easy to get some quick study sessions in while you’re not home.
- Unlimited Exams: Students enrolled in this course can take as many practice tests as they like while studying. After all, practice makes perfect!
Surgent CIA Bottom Line
Surgent is an excellent platform for anyone preparing to become a CIA. They offer extremely powerful learning tech to ensure you’re very satisfied with your exam performance.
| Course | Price |
|---|---|
| Surgent CIA Prep Part 1: Internal Audit Basics | $229 |
| Surgent CIA Prep Part 2: Internal Audit Practice | $229 |
| Surgent CIA Prep Part 3: Internal Audit Knowledge Elements | $229 |
| Surgent CIA Review Essentials Pass | $599 |
2. Wiley CIA Training
Wiley prepares students for the CIA exam with a huge bank of practice questions. Aside from these, the other features offered are modest but effective.
Course Details
Wiley wants you to be prepared for the CIA without wasting any of your time. Lessons are kept intentionally short and easy to understand so you’re never overwhelmed with information. Plus, everything you learn is reinforced by a series of study notes and practice quizzes. Each question comes with a detailed answer explanation— so you’re still learning even when you get something wrong.
Wiley CIA Features
- 34 Hours of Video Lessons
- 3 Full Length Exams
- 6,800+ Practice Problems
- 2 Year Access Period
- Mobile Compatible
Wiley CIA Pros and Cons
- Efficient Learning: Wiley applies its “efficient learning” motto to every aspect of its course. You’ll learn what you need to know without wasting any time. Plus, each lesson is reinforced by a well-made series of study notes and practice quizzes.
- Focus Notes: Wiley includes a series of focus notes to supplement everything you learn in each video lesson. This is an effective way to flesh out the concepts covered in the video and ensure you actually understand each lesson.
- No Live CIA Course: Currently, Wiley only offers self-study materials with their CIA program. The lack of live instruction means you miss out on a traditional classroom experience.
Wiley CIA Bottom Line
Wiley is an excellent choice for people who want to learn without wasting any time. If you’re self-motivated, this is a perfect fit!
| Course | Price |
|---|---|
| Wiley CIA Exam Review Package: Part 1 | $125 |
| Wiley CIA Exam Review Package: Part 2 | $125 |
| Wiley CIA Exam Review Package: Part 3 | $125 |
| Wiley CIA Exam Review Package: All Parts | $375 |
| Wiley CIA Review Course: Part 1 | $300 |
| Wiley CIA Review Course: Part 2 | $300 |
| Wiley CIA Review Course: Part 3 | $300 |
| Wiley CIA Review Course: All Parts | $750 |
3. Gleim CIA Study Materials
Gleim is able to use traditional self-study materials to create an effective course. Whether you prefer audio or video lectures, there’s plenty of content to work through.
Course Details
Gleim uses a blend of video lectures, textbooks, and practice exams to create a traditional classroom environment while still enabling you to study at home. Whether you’re in a distraction-free home office or are at a busy coffee shop, there are exam prep resources that will enable you to get into the studying mindset and stay on task for extended study periods.
Gleim CIA Features
- Audio and Video Lectures
- 6,800+ Practice Questions With Detailed Answer Explanations
- Digital Flashcards and Unlimited Practice Exams
- Access Until You Pass Guarantee
Gleim CIA Pros and Cons
- Gleim Instruct Videos: This course comes with videos breaking down specific examples and past CIA exam prep questions. These do such a good job covering exam topics that many students compare them to a university course!
- Access Until You Pass: Gleim will never cut you off from your study materials before you’ve passed the CIA exam. This means you can take as long as you like to work through their gargantuan collection of study materials.
- Old-Fashioned Approach: Although Gleim is an effective resource for CIA exam study materials, it’s not as engaging as Surgent. If you have a short attention span, this may not be the best fit for you.
Gleim CIA Bottom Line
Anyone interested in a more traditional classroom experience should check out what Gleim has to offer.
| Course | Price |
|---|---|
| Gleim CIA Test Bank | $447.00 |
| Gleim Traditional CIA Review System | $799.00 |
| Gleim Premium CIA Review System | $949.00 |
4. Powers Resources Corporation CIA Course
PRC offers an affordable collection of CIA prep courses— complete with the standard library of practice questions, flashcards, and mock exams.
Course Details
Powers Resources consist of textbook study sessions followed up with practice exams. As a result, this course is entirely self guided and self paced. However, students can contact an instructor for help if they ever get stuck in their personal studies. Each of these industry experts should be able to easily put you back on track towards passing the CIA exam.
Powers Resources CIA Features
- 3,700+ Practice Questions
- Custom Mock Exams
- Digital Flashcards
- Instructor Support
- 18 Month Access Period
Powers Resources CIA Pros and Cons
- Affordable: The materials on offer here are more affordable than the other CIA courses on this list. You should consider this option if you need to save money on your study materials.
- Mock Exams: Much like Surgent, this course comes with lots of mock exams to practice with. These are designed to perfectly replicate the real CIA exam.
- No Lecture Content: Currently, all study content provided by Powers Resources is text based. A lack of audio or video lectures is disappointing, but the flashcards and practice questions are helpful in a different way.
| Course | Price |
|---|---|
| Ed2Go CIA Self-Paced Course | $695.00 |
| Ed2Go CIA With Excel (State Specific) | $1,195.00 |
| Ed2Go CIA With Excel and Voucher (State Specific) | $1,295.00 |
5. IIA CIA Training Review
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) are the best informed on what internal auditors need to know— considering they’re the organization that created the CIA designation in the first place.
Course Details
It makes sense to go to the source for CIA study materials. The IIA CIA Learning System is available both as self study CIA exam preparation or live online classes. Students primarily learn via video lessons and study guides. This knowledge is then tested via quizzes and a final practice exam. Anyone interested in some extra learning can complete flashcards between lessons to keep information fresh in their mind.
IIA Features
- Video Tutorials
- Practice Quizzes
- Searchable CIA Glossary
- Custom Study Plans
- 12 Month Access Period
IIA CIA Pros and Cons
- Pre-Test: The IIA starts each course by asking you to complete a pre-test. Your performance on this exam will help shape your lesson plans to better suit your educational needs.
- Group Training: Anyone interested in group or corporate training can get a discount when signing up with the IIA.
- Limited Bonus Material: Students have access to very few study materials that can be used outside of the main study lessons.
IIA CIA Bottom Line
This course is an excellent no-nonsense study option that benefits from being created by the IIA. However, it’s not as good as Wiley, Surgent, or Gleim.
CIA Exam Review Courses Conclusion
Hopefully a CIA exam review course from above will fit your needs for study material and the price you are looking for. Certified Internal Auditor courses will get you closer to becoming a CIA and accounting professional, and we suggest Surgent, Wiley, or Gleim as the best CIA exam preparation courses.
Bryce Welker is an entrepreneur and owner of over 20 test prep websites dedicated to helping professionals earn certifications and pass their licensure exams. Bryce is a regular contributor to Forbes.com, Inc.com, and Business.com where he shares his knowledge to help others boost their careers.
