Preparing for a certification exam can be intimidating, but fortunately, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from those who have successfully navigated the exam prep process before. Better yet, the ISACA professional community is always ready to share their knowledge and experience with one another.
Below, five ISACA certification-holders share their top tips for exam success. Read on for their exam prep tips, and learn more about ISACA certifications here.
“Before answering a question, I first identify whose perspective the exam expects me to take—management, governance, risk owner, auditor, or technical specialist. Many difficult questions become clearer once you distinguish between the person who identifies an issue, the person who recommends an action, the person who performs the task and the person who owns or approves the final decision. This approach helps me choose the response that best matches the level of responsibility and decision-making the question is designed to assess.”
- Tamim Ahmed, CISSP, CISM, CRISC, PMP, Cybersecurity & Risk Management Specialist
“What worked best for me is to spend time understanding why an answer was correct and I always reviewed the questions I got wrong because that’s where the real learning happened. And for exam day: stay calm, trust your preparation and remember that every question is an opportunity to earn a mark. Even if you’re unsure, eliminate the obviously incorrect options first and then make your best choice based on the principles you have learned whilst reviewing the questions. Use your time well and you will succeed. Godspeed!”
- Chidambaram Narayanan, CA, CISA, Internal Audit Professional, Author, Trainer, Mentor, Lifelong Student
“When answering professional certification exam questions, I always advise students to read the question carefully before looking at the answer choices. First, identify the subject of the question, which is often a process, role, framework, organization type, or governance function; then determine the key issue, challenge, risk, control, or objective being asked, while paying close attention to timeline indicators such as what should happen first, next or last. Only after understanding these elements should you evaluate the answer options and select the one that best aligns with the subject, context and sequence described in the question, rather than choosing an option that merely sounds familiar.”
- Ts. Alan Yau, CISA, CISM, CGEIT, CRISC, CDPSE, AAISM, AAIA, AAIR, Director, Technology & Cybersecurity Leader, ALE Advisory, M.Sc.
“I earned my CISA early in my career. I found that the most effective way to prepare was to start with practice questions first, then group the ones I got wrong by topic. That helped me quickly identify the areas where I needed to spend more time studying before taking the exam.”
- Wickey Wang, CISA, Six Sigma Greenbelt
“Surround yourself with the subject by seeking out every avenue for learning. Listen to podcasts, watch videos on YouTube, read books or professional articles, access white papers. Make your subject a part of your world so you’re not just remembering a bunch of steps or facts; you are fully absorbing the content, making answering questions almost reflective.”
- Claressa Wallace Shelton, CISA, CISSP, PMP, PMI-ACP, Security+, Network +, CC, CSSGB, CSSBB