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CIA is harder than PMP

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

I've taken two practice quizzes today for the first CIA exam, from the Gleim resources I bought. On the first, dealing only on chapter three (Internal Audit Ethics), I got 90% based on thirty questions. But that sort of "study quiz" gives you unlimited time, has the option of pausing and provides an analysis of each question after you've answered it.

Running through a second quiz in terms more closely matching the exam (fixed time, no analysis as you go, and based on the entire book instead of a single chapter), I got 83% based on sixty questions. And I needed just under two extra minutes, which wouldn't actually be available to me to even get that.

Common wisdom among those who've written on their experience agrees that I should be at a 90% before I attempt to write the real thing.

Two months ago, when I started all of this, I got a 68% without having read a thing from the materials I've bought. I guess I'm getting closer, but damnit this is harder—and slower—going than I expected. I'll also add that the material seems quite sensible, self-consistent, and in line with my experience.

All in all, quite a bit unlike the PMP exam I wrote in April.