Source
r/CISA•
seruko

CISA Passed/Certified After Action Report

I started studying for the CISA on the 11 of Jan after passing the CISSP.
I read the Sybex 4th edition cover to cover over the course of a week.
I used the ISACA CISA QAE and did about 50% of the total questions.
On 21 Jan I took the Test and Passed with 79%.
If you've just passed the CISSP I think this is a very viable method for passing the CISA.
My official results we're emailed on 3 Mar (a Sunday, 6 Business Days later), this was a very long wait, unlike the CISSP I was not given an initial Pass/Fail print out, there was a preliminary result displayed after completing the test. It's a hard conversation to have with your boss "Oh yah I passed but I can't show you anything that backs that up, and my girlfriend lives in Canada that's why you've never met her"
I submitted my application package on the following Monday, 4 Mar.
On 11 Mar (5 Business days) I received an email that my application had been reviewed and that an initial determination was made that I did meet the requirements for certification, but that I was not certified yet, and congratulations. This message was very confusing. I'm still confused as to why they sent this message. On 14 Mar (3 Business days) I received official notice that I was certified!
The process was a little confusing but all in all much quicker than the commensurate CISSP wait.

Posted Mar 18, 2019, 5:20 PM UTC

712
thorexec•

Thanks for the insights! This is helpful and congrats on the great achievement!

3
serukoOP•

Happy Cake Day to you, and thank you.

2
pholli29•

Wow thats remarkable. To use less than a month to study for cisa and pass is quite an achievement. Would be glad if you can share some tips. Thanks

3
serukoOP•

It's not as impressive as it sounds. Like I mention above, I just passed the CISSP, which I'd spent 6 months studying for.
4 of the 5 areas of the CISA are covered by the CISSP. The hardest part was getting accustomed to the difference in focus, the CISA main focus is on security, while the CISSP main focus is on business process.

1
redsteel45•

I did exactly the same! Though I waited about 15 months to take the CISA.

Passed the CISSP after 6 months of self study.

Got a job in security for almost a year.

Decided to do CISA.

Passed last Friday, but didn't get a printout or anything. Came on here today to see what people were experiencing.

So what are you doing next u/seruko?

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serukoOP•

u/redsteel45 QSA is next on the list.

Not getting anything tangible to take away from the CISA was a real punch to the gut. I really felt like I was telling my manager, "Yah my girlfriend lives in Canada but she's great."

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redsteel45•

g anything tangible to take away from the CISA was a real punch to the gut. I really felt like I was telling my manager, "

Yah my girlfriend lives in Canada but she's great.

"

This just in - got offered a job in GRC doing audit work last week! BOOM.

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serukoOP•

Congratulations!
Audits and Assessments is a great area to work in.

1
iMBAnewbie•

What do you think about the new exam cisa after June. Do you think it will be harder

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serukoOP•

I have no idea frankly. As long as the test criteria is the same (pass is 450 out of 800) it can't be that big a deal.

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iMBAnewbie•

What materials you used for ccisp and cisa?

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serukoOP•

CISA I just used the ISACA Question bank (QAE?) I did a CISSP writeup here-> https://www.reddit.com/r/cissp/comments/ao9smn/provisionally_passed_today_20190207/

1