Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS)

Candidates registering through IIA Headquarters (HQ) can now go online to register for the CIA exam, schedule their appointment with Pearson VUE, and track their certification progress through our new Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS). Candidates will also be able to access their CBT exam score reports and print receipts for their exam fees through the CCMS. The CCMS also features:

• Automatic processing of online registrations paid by credit card,
• Easy-to-navigate screens,
• Electronic payment options, and
• Automatic e-mail notifications.

Before applying or registering through the CCMS, candidates should be aware of the following, as noted on The IIA’s Web site:

• If candidates are planning to sit for the CIA exam in a language other than English, they should refer to the phased roll-out schedule included below in this e-mail and listed on The IIA’s Web site. (Click here for link to Web site.)
• Candidates from countries that administer IIA certifications through a local certification agreement cannot use/access the CCMS. Click here for a list of these countries, as well as their contact information.
• Certain program rules have changed and will be applicable to all candidates. It is important that candidates review the Candidate Handbook before logging in because they will be agreeing to these rules.
• Full-time students or full-time professors can receive discounted pricing through the CCMS. Click here for information on discounted student/educator pricing in CCMS.

 

Candidate Handbook

• The initial launch version of the new candidate handbook is posted online with complete instructions for applying to the certification programs, registering for exams, and scheduling appointments with Pearson VUE. Click here to access the initial launch version of the candidate handbook. It will give you an idea of the process that candidates will follow in their journey to become certified.
• A formal version of the handbook will be produced within the next few weeks and posted to the Web site. Hard copies are expected to be available in late May; orders for hard copies can be placed through the online Materials Order Form in the Leader Support section of The IIA’s Web site in late May.
• Once the formal version of the handbook has been completed, IIA HQ will translate it into Spanish and French and make it available in PDF format for download from the Web site.

 

Rule/Process Changes

Several rules or processes have changed in the transition to CBT and the online CCMS. We have highlighted a few of these below:

• All fees are now non-refundable. Candidates must agree to the pricing that they have been presented before submitting their application or registration forms. If they do not think that the pricing is correct (based on their membership status or the World Bank Index pricing for their country), they should not submit the form and should instead refer to instructions for verifying their pricing or membership. Once a candidate agrees to the pricing and submits the form, the pricing is final and non-refundable; no refunds or credits will be issued, in whole or in part.
• Candidates can only receive discounted member pricing if they are listed as a member in The IIA’s membership database. The CCMS automatically checks The IIA’s membership database before providing pricing to the candidate online. The pricing is based on the candidate’s membership status and the candidate’s country of primary address in the CCMS (using The IIA’s World Bank Index pricing for certification). Some institutes may receive requests from candidates asking them to submit their membership information to IIA HQ more frequently because of this. IIA HQ is prepared to receive membership information as often as necessary. Please remember to use institutes@theiia.org when reporting membership. Discounts on certification fees cannot be applied retroactively, and no refunds or credits will be issued, in whole or in part.
• A candidate’s registration for an exam (part) will be valid for 180 days from the date that the registration is processed at IIA. Each registration allows the candidate to sit for that exam one time. It is the candidate’s responsibility to schedule an appointment for that exam during the 180-day period and to sit for the exam during that time.
• If a candidate fails an exam (part), the candidate must wait at least 90 days before being able to retake that exam (part). The candidate can re-register for the exam and schedule a new test appointment once the candidate’s exam results are published to the CCMS; however, the earliest appointment date that will be available will be 90 days from the date that the candidate last took that exam.
• The CIA exam is offered in many languages, and candidates do not need to select their exam language at the time of registration. When the candidate schedules an exam with Pearson VUE, the candidate will be able to select the language at that time. Most exam languages are expected to be available in all Pearson VUE test centers around the world, although all languages may not be available immediately on May 5 and may not be available for scheduling in early April. See information below on the phased roll-out schedule.
• For candidates who were not yet certified and whose program eligibility had not expired as of December 31, 2007, all applications and previously passed exam parts were converted to the CCMS with an “application approved” or “exam passed” date of January 1, 2008. This was a necessary step in the transition to the CCMS and means that existing candidates will not expire from the CIA program until January 1, 2010, at the earliest, based on the eligibility period rules outlined above. This transition policy is not retroactive to candidates whose eligibility expired prior to January 1, 2008.

 

Pearson VUE Testing Centers

• The IIA has chosen Pearson VUE as its computer-based test administration vendor. Pearson VUE will therefore administer The IIA’s exams in a computer-based format at IIA-authorized Pearson VUE testing centers throughout the world. Pearson VUE is a leader in global computer-based test administration, and their technology investments ensure leading-edge security and provide improved service to IIA candidates.
• Candidates will be allowed to take their exam at any IIA-authorized Pearson VUE testing center worldwide, regardless of whether the testing center is located in their hometown or country. Over 400 IIA-authorized Pearson VUE testing centers are available worldwide. (Pearson VUE has certain other contracted testing centers that have not been approved for use by The IIA for testing, generally based on differences in testing center consistency.) To locate the list of IIA-authorized testing centers, visit the Pearson VUE Web site at http://www.pearsonvue.com/iia and click on “Locate a test center.”
• Please be aware that when locating a testing center on the Pearson VUE Web site, it is sometimes necessary to type a city name in the locator in order to see all of the sites in a particular country. We are working with Pearson VUE to determine whether they can add further instructions on the locator page to make people aware of this.
• We will be monitoring the capacity and demand at testing centers on an ongoing basis. We will work with Pearson VUE on any necessary adjustments, based on volume or coverage needs, as we get further into the CBT roll-out.

 

CBT Phased Launch Schedule

The launch of the CCMS is the first in several steps leading to a full CBT roll-out. The following is the phased launch schedule for the CBT roll-out:

• April 1: Candidates can begin applying to the CIA program and registering for exams through the IIA Certification Candidate Management System. Once registered, candidates can begin scheduling their testing appointments with Pearson VUE for CIA exams given in English.
• In April: Candidates can begin scheduling their testing appointments with Pearson VUE for CIA exams given in Japanese, Chinese (unsimplified), French, Spanish, German, and Italian. (Additional languages will be added as soon as possible.)
• May 5: Candidates can begin sitting for CIA exams in English, Japanese, Chinese (unsimplified), French, Spanish, German, and Italian. (Additional languages will be added as soon as possible.)
• In May: Candidates can begin applying to the specialty exam programs and registering for the CCSA, CGAP, and CFSA exams through the IIA Certification Candidate Management System. Once registered, candidates can begin scheduling their testing appointments with Pearson VUE for these exams.
• In June: Candidates can begin sitting for the CCSA, CGAP, and CFSA exams.
• More specific dates will be added to this schedule throughout the month of April.

 

Where Candidates Can Go for Answers

• If candidates have questions regarding exam application and registration, please refer them to the Candidate Handbookon The IIA’s Web site at www.theiia.org/certification. It should answer most candidate questions. Information on logging into the new Certification Candidate Management System (CCMS) is also available on the Web site.
• If candidates need further assistance, please refer them to our Customer Service Center at custserv@theiia.org or +1-407-937-1100.

 

The launch of CIA application and registration is a major step in the roll-out of CBT. Check out the new CBT information at www.theiia.org/certification and celebrate with us as we achieve this historic milestone!