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Eligibility Requirements
By applying to become a candidate in the Control Self-Assessment® (CCSA®) program, an individual agrees to accept the conditions of the program. These include eligibility requirements, exam confidentiality, Code of Ethics, continuing professional education, and any other conditions enacted by The IIA Certification Department.
Requirements:
CCSA candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements for education, character, work experience, and facilitation experience/training.
Education: CCSA Candidates must have a bachelor's (four-year) degree or equivalent. Two years of post-secondary schooling with an accredited organization plus three years of general business experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree. For further details, please see page 21 of the Certifications Candidate Handbook.
Character Reference: CCSA candidates must exhibit high moral and professional character and must submit a Character Reference Form signed by a CIA, CGAP, CCSA, CFSA or the candidate's supervisor.
Work Experience: CCSA candidates must obtain one year of control-related business experience, such as CSA, auditing, quality assurance, risk management, or environmental auditing. A completed Experience Verification Form is required. Candidates may apply to the program and sit for the exam prior to satisfying the professional experience requirement, but will not be certified until all program requirements have been met.
Facilitation Experience/Training: CCSA candidates must obtain at least seven hours of acceptable facilitation experience or at least 14 hours of acceptable facilitation training. To be considered acceptable, facilitation experience or training must meet the guidelines listed on the facilitation validation form. Validation of facilitation experience/training may accompany application or be submitted later.
Eligibility Period:
Effective November 2010, the certification program’s eligibility requires candidates to complete the program certification process within four years of application approval. If a candidate has not completed the certification process within four years, all fees and exam parts will be forfeited. Candidates enrolled in the certification program, as of the effective policy date, will have four years from their last exam date.
Confidentiality:
The CCSA certification exam is a non-disclosed examination. Candidates in the program agree to keep the contents of the CCSA exam confidential and therefore may not discuss the specific exam content with anyone except The IIA's Certification Department. Unauthorized disclosure of exam material will be considered a breach of the Code of Ethicsand could result in disqualification of the candidate or other appropriate censure.
Code of Ethics
CCSA candidates agree to abide by the Code of Ethics established by The IIA.
Continuing Professional Education:
Upon certification, CCSAs are required to maintain their knowledge and skills and stay abreast of improvements and current developments. For details, refer to Continuing Professional Education.
IIA Membership:
In most cases, you do not have to be a member of The IIA to take the CCSA exam or become a CCSA, but we encourage you to consider its advantages. There are some countries, however, that do require candidates to be IIA members to take the CCSA exam. Therefore, please contact your local office to verify this requirement.
IIA members receive discounts on CCSA review materials and courses and have quick access to the latest information to help them with the exam, networking opportunities, and a reliable resource for current CCSA news and information. In addition, Continuing Professional Education (CPE) reporting for CCSAs who are IIA members is free.