Validates knowledge of internal audit fundamentals, ethics, engagement planning and performance, and managing the internal audit function.
The CIA has three parts: Part 1 is 125 questions in 150 minutes, Parts 2 and 3 are 100 in 120 each. Every question is multiple choice, mostly situational "which is the best response" items, so practice has to cover each part. We compared the main options on question style, official coverage, volume and price.
Start with The IIA's free sample questions, then use a course bank such as HOCK or Gleim to learn the material and The IIA's own practice sessions as your late check for each part.
| Practice test | Best for | Questions | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 CIA Sample Exam Questions | Free first look | 15 | Free |
| CIA Practice Questions (2025 syllabus) | Final official check | 650 | $129 |
 HOCK CIA Exam Review | Large monthly bank | 4,800+ | $60/month |
 Becker CIA Exam Review | Course with simulations | 3,300+ | $899 |
Five questions for each part, written by The IIA, with every option marked correct or incorrect and explained. Short enough for one sitting, so you see the situational wording before you spend anything.
Great fit if you want The IIA's own question style before paying for a bank or course.
Poor fit if you need volume or a timed run; use The IIA's practice questions or a course bank.
Retired exam questions in a simulated exam, two sessions per part with the real question count and double the time. Every option has a rationale, and candidates say the wording is the closest to the exam.
Great fit if you want the exam's own style as a late check on each part.
Poor fit if you need a big bank to learn from; use HOCK or Gleim first and keep these sessions for the end.
A subscription with textbooks, videos, a very large question bank and nine mock exams in a Pearson VUE-style screen. Candidates say its answers are often obvious, so it builds speed and confidence more than exam-level judgement.
Great fit if you want a lot of cheap repetition to learn the material and are happy to pay month to month.
Poor fit if you need exam-level difficulty; finish with The IIA's practice questions.
Thousands of questions with adaptive quizzes, sold without the video course. Candidates call Parts 1 and 2 dense and harder than the exam, and say Part 3 is easier and less like the real thing.
Great fit if you already have notes or a course and want deep drilling on Parts 1 and 2.
Poor fit if you want a cheaper monthly bank (see HOCK) or exam-like Part 3 practice (see The IIA's questions).
The practice questions and six simulated exams come inside a full course; there is no question-only version. Candidates call the quizzes easy and the simulated exams harder, and many add The IIA's questions.
Great fit if you are buying a full course anyway and want questions and simulated exams included.
Poor fit if you only want questions; a course bank plus The IIA's sessions costs less.
The IIA: CIA practice questions ↗The IIA: CIA sample questions ↗Reddit: IIA practice vs Gleim ↗Reddit: IIA practice vs HOCK ↗Reddit: Becker Part 3 too easy ↗
Yes. The IIA publishes five free sample questions for each part, with explanations for every option. Gleim offers a free quiz for each part, and HOCK's free membership previews five units of each part.
It depends on the product. The IIA's sessions are close to the exam and slightly harder in most candidate reports, Gleim is harder on Parts 1 and 2, and HOCK and Becker's quizzes are easier.
The IIA gives you two sessions per part, and most candidates add one course bank on top. Review every miss rather than retaking sessions to push your score up.
All questions are multiple choice. Most describe an internal audit situation and ask for the best action, finding or response, so understanding the Standards matters more than memorising definitions.