Today I passed my CIA Part 1 exam. I studied from Gleim 13th edition text/software/942exam questions. Could not really track the total study hours but rough estimate would be to say I studied atleast 4 hours a day for one month to clear it. I was afraid of using 13th edition but many assured me it would suffice. I am BBA/MBA from Pakistan and was unsure about the difficulty level of the exam as some said it is easier while others opposed it. I am now myself in better position to comment on the exam. Well its not that easy, rather its not any way easier, the text language is advanced English so non-english speakers beware about that (unless you aren’t giving exam in other languages being offered), the text may seem short but it is very concise and comprehensive ! Don’t go to exam venue if you haven’t gone through study text atleast twice. Its not enough only to understand the concepts, do learn & memorize important aspects. You should target or 95-100% passing in software question and not only know the reason why an answer choice is right but also why wrong questions are wrong. I prepared software to get 100% in each unit and only then moved ahead. Finally I tested myself with all 681 questions of Gleim in a single session. Gleim software questions alone are NOT sufficient! You must must must know each and every concept in detail. I prepared so extensively but during the exam there was around 25-30 exam questions that made me sweat and I really wasn’t expecting to pass it. Those questions had 2 very identical choices, very typical of CIA exam, both looking correct and you would be killing yourself to know which one to select. But anyways I tried to stick to basics and passed it. Any suggestions for CIA part 2 would be welcomed.
Edited: Saturday March 10, 2012 at 8:39 AM by waleedhussain
Thanks Waleed, your posting is great. Could you give us some more details on how to pick between the two answers choices that it seems identical. I had the same experience with part one, unfortunately did not pass. you are right, both just seem right.
Mastery in selecting right answer between the 2 choices could be achieved by solving all such questions in software and noting down the questions u answered wrongly at first sight and then remembering the reason of the wrong option. The study does not finishes when you finish reading chapter study text, but it continues till you know the 'reason' and 'logic' of every right and wrong answer in the software. Only when you have crystal-clear concepts, you'll be able to select the right choice. So i advise not giving test unless you reach 95-100% grades in test prep software.
Saturday March 10, 2012 8:38 AM
