Eligibility Requirements
By applying to become a candidate in the Certified Government Auditing Professional® (CGAP®) 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
CGAP candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Education: The candidate must have a bachelor's (four-year) or equivalent degree. An associate's (two-year) degree plus five years of work experience in a government environment may be substituted for a bachelor's degree. For further details, please see page 21 of the Certifications Candidate Handbook.

Character Reference
The candidate must exhibit high moral and professional character and submit a completed Character Reference Form signed by a CIA, CGAP, CCSA, CFSA or the candidate's supervisor.

Character Reference Form (PDF 88kb)

Work Experience
The candidate must acquire two years of auditing experience in a government environment (federal, state/provincial, local, quasi-governmental areas, authority/crown corporation). 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.

Experience Verification Form (PDF 99kb)

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 CGAP certification exam is a non-disclosed exam. Candidates agree to keep the contents of the CGAP 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 Ethics and could result in disqualification of the candidate or other appropriate censure.

Code of Ethics
CGAP candidates agree to abide by the Code of Ethics established by The IIA.

Continuing Professional Education
Upon certification, CGAPs are required to maintain their knowledge and skills and stay abreast of improvements and current developments in the government auditing environment. 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 CGAP exam or become a CGAP, but we encourage you to consider its advantages. There are some countries, however, that do require candidates to be IIA members to take the CGAP exam. Therefore, please contact your local office to verify this requirement.

IIA members receive discounts on CGAP 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 CGAP news and information. In addition, Continuing Professional Education (CPE) reporting for CGAPs who are IIA members is free.