If becoming a Certified Internal Auditor is in your future, the best thing you can do to ensure your success is find a solid CIA Review Course. With the countless CIA course options out there, it’s hard to identify which CIA study materials will best help you in preparing for the exam.
So here’s the good news – I have personally tested every major CIA exam prep course on the market so you don’t have to! The CIA course comparison chart below will help you figure out which course best fits your needs.
Make an informed decision and don’t waste time! Use my comparison chart and individual CIA review breakdowns to significantly cut your study time and pass faster!
Click Below To Research the Top 6 Best Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) Exam Review Courses & Online Study Materials of 2018:
| CIA Exam Courses | Gleim CIA |
Wiley CIAexcel |
Surgent CIA |
Gryfin CIA |
PRC CIA |
IIA CIA |
Lambers CIA |
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| RANKINGS | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 |
| OVERALL RATING | |||||||
| COMPANY | Gleim CIA Review | Wiley CIA Review | Surgent CIA Review | Gryfin CIA Review | PRC CIA Review | CIA Learning System | Lambers CIA Review |
| PRICE | $895 | $1,800+ | |||||
| PRACTICE QUESTIONS | 3,000 | 5,300 | 2,000+ | 2,000+ | 3,700+ | N/A | 3,100 |
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Yes – $700 Extra |
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| UNLIMITED ACCESS | 18 Months | 12 Months | 12 Months | 12 Months | 18 Months | 12 or 24 Months | |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | Personal Counselor Phone & Email Support | |
Phone, Email | |
Phone, Email and Lead Instructor Support | |
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| READ MY FULL ANALYSIS | Read Full Review | Read Full Review | Read Full Review | Read Full Review | Read Full Review | Read Full Review | Read Full Review |
| GET STARTED | START NOW | START NOW | START NOW | START NOW | START NOW | START NOW | START NOW |
Gleim CIA Review (Rank: #1)
OVERALL RATING:
Course Includes Personal Counselor: If you enroll in Gleim’s prep courses, you won’t need to pay for a tutor because each student is assigned their very own counselor. Your counselor will help you create a study plan and answer any questions you may have about the CIA exam process or study materials. Contact your counselor via phone or email whenever you need a helping hand.
Large Question Bank: Gleim’s online course includes 3,000+ multiple choice questions and students can use the large test bank to create custom practice tests. You can filter practice questions by number and type, or exclude questions you’ve already answered to make your studying more efficient. Detailed answer explanations are also included.
Available in Spanish: Gleim’s review course is now also available in Spanish. If you are planning to take the CIA exam in Spanish, it makes sense to practice with Spanish study materials to prepare yourself. Practice questions can be seen in both English and Spanish.
Final Exam Review: The Exam Rehearsal mode offers students the opportunity to prepare with a computerized test that is virtually identical to the actual CIA exam. Take it at least one week before your actual exam date. It simulates the actual exam environment by including 100 multiple-choice questions that must be completed in 3.5 hours. This is an excellent dress rehearsal for the big day!
Wiley CIA Review (Rank: #2)
OVERALL RATING:
Mobile App: Wiley is one of the few companies in this group that offers a mobile app to make studying on-the-go more convenient for clients with access to an iPhone or iPad. Students can create note cards to help them memorize of essential concepts, bookmark specific sections, search by keyword, wherever they are and whenever they have time.
Huge Test Bank: The Wiley CIA Test Bank includes more than 5,300 questions and answers in total for all three parts of the exam. Use the test bank to create unlimited, customized practice tests and track your progress and performance. You can sign up to get 24 hours of free, unlimited access to the Test Bank to try it out for yourself.
No Video Lectures or Live Instruction: This online course does not include lectures or access to instructors for students who need additional help or more detailed explanations. Students will have to cover the material in the textbooks and complete the practice questions on their own and rely on the answers that are provided to clarify any problems or questions.
No App for Android: Android users are out of luck if they want the convenience of studying from their tablet or phone with a dedicated app, because the mobile app is only available for iOS devices.
Surgent CIA Review (Rank: #3)
OVERALL RATING:
A.S.A.P. Technology: Surgent uses their best in class technology to effectively craft customized practice tests for each student that help to familiarize them with aspects of the exam they may struggle with to help you pass faster.
Study Planner: This tool integrated into your dashboard helps you determine exactly how much time you’ll need to spend preparing to ace the CIA Exam with no surprises.
Your Daily Surge: This helpful feature can be thought of as your homebase and includes your daily CIA study material lineup, made up of Q&A and reading material.
No Audio or Video Lectures: Unfortunately, Surgent includes no audio or video lectures in their CIA prep program. For those who aren’t satisfied with practice tests and downloadable textbooks, this could be a dealbreaker.
Gryfin CIA Review (Rank: #4)
OVERALL RATING:
Adaptive Learning: Gryfin offers an adaptive program that automatically adjusts to make sure you focus on key strengthening opportunities by testing you with more questions in areas you can grow the most.
Low Cost: Gryfin offers an affordable solution to your test review needs. The price is coupled with a pass guarantee and email support, which makes this package an even better deal.
100% Pass Guarantee: Gryfin offers a unique pass or refund guarantee. In addition to the pass guarantee, if your subscription runs out while you’re studying, you can re-purchase the course at a 50% discount.
No Video Lectures: Gryfin CIA Review is offered online only and does not have video lectures. Since the company believes in adaptive learning, Gryfin provides you with material, tests your knowledge on said material, and then guides you back to the topics that need more work.
Powers Resources CIA Review (Rank: #5)
OVERALL RATING:
Practice Questions: PRC provides you with more than 3,700 multiple choice practice questions AND explanations to why each answer is either correct or incorrect. You will be able to write notes and compile new test sessions with your marked, incorrect, or unattempted questions.
Flashcards: Instead of having to pay extra for flashcards, PRC includes over 2,800 e-flashcards. You will be able to organize them by high, medium, and/or low priority. And, there’s space for you to keep notes!
Mock Exams: At the end of every CIA Part, you will have two mock exams where you can practice all you’ve learned in a way that mimics the real CIA exam. This is essential when you are conducting your final review and want to practice your understanding in a real CIA exam layout and functionality.
No Video Lectures: PRC does not have any video lectures. You must read the textbook in order to review the material, which is not ideal for visual learners.
IIA CIA Learning System (Rank: #6)
OVERALL RATING:
Flexible Program: One of the perks of this program is the long access period. The self-study Full Kit includes two full years of access to the course and all the study materials for each of the 3 parts of the CIA exam. This means you can divide up the material and take your time preparing for each part of the exam at your own pace.
Online Study Tools: Interactive online tools help students determine what they should be studying. A diagnostic pre-test allows students to identify strengths and weaknesses and the SmartStudy feature can be used to create an individual plan of study. The quizzes at the end of each chapter and post-tests show how much information you’ve memorized and what you should spend more time reviewing.
Expensive: The CIA Learning System is one of the more costly courses on the market, and you just don’t get that much for your money. The lack of more advanced features that are included in most competitors’ courses makes it difficult to justify the $875 price tag.
Limited Demo and Poor Analytics: Although there is a free demo, you won’t get access to all parts of the course. You can take a short, guided tour of the site and its features and get a glimpse of and example textbook chapter. Feedback on your performance and progress is also limited, although there are some online diagnostic tools that help you identify your strongest and weakest subjects.
Lambers CIA Review (Rank: #7)
OVERALL RATING:
DVD Lectures: Lambers CIA review is one of the only courses that includes training videos for all 3 parts of the exam. These are available as a video series or as downloadable iPod DVD lessons. Each lesson is taught by an experienced instructor and takes about 60 minutes. Watch as hundreds of problems are solved step by step, and review recordings as often as you need to understand the concepts.
Audio Review: Lambers caters to audio-visual learners by offering an audio course in addition to DVD lectures, practice questions, and practice tests. Lambers Audio Courseware serves as a study supplement. This course option includes CDs for download to your computer that can then be synced with iPods or MP3 portable players.
Price: This is an extremely expensive course. You will pay $1,800 for just the DVDs and the Test Prep Software (includes study materials for all three parts of the exam). Each additional feature is priced separately, meaning that you will have to spend well over $2,500 to have access to all course options.
Outdated Technology and Site: Information on the Lambers website is outdated and the course dashboard has obviously not been redesigned in many years. If you don’t care about using the latest technology, the course pages are functional, but some students may wonder how often the materials and curriculum are updated given the old-fashioned feel of the site, dvds, and audio.
What is the best CIA review course?
Top 5 Best CIA Review Courses of 2018 – Comparison Guide
| CIA Prep Courses | Practice Questions |
|---|---|
| Gleim CIA | 3,000 |
| Wiley CIA | 5,300 |
| Gryfin CIA | 2,000+ |
| PRC CIAexcel | 3,700+ |
| CIA Learning System | N/A |
| Lambers CIA Review | 3,100 |
Additional Resources to Get You On the Right Track
Not sure you want to become an Certified Internal Auditor? Don’t worry, I’ve got your back! You can check out my CIA vs CPA comparison to find out which is a better fit. Also, learn more about other Accounting and Finance certifications: Certified Public Accountant Courses, Certified Financial Analyst Courses, and Enrolled Agent Courses and put your future on the right track! If you have any specific CIA questions, just drop a comment below and I’ll personally help you find the right course for you!
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Crush The CIA Exam
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Best CIA Review Courses
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