August 1999

A Learned Profession
LARRY SAWYER, CIA, JD, PA

“Who needs it?” “What could it possibly do for me?” These were the questions I asked some 25 years ago as a group of us at The IIA's International Conference in Washington, D.C., considered the merits of a certification program for internal auditors. In answer to my questions, both Bill Smith, who was spearheading the drive for certification, and Bob Gobeil, who drafted the first Common Body of Knowledge that provided the foundation for the program, looked at me tolerantly and told me to stop thinking of myself and start thinking of the profession. They urged me to let my thoughts about the future of internal auditing soar, rather than miring them in the narrow confines of the present. If we were to become a learned profession, they argued, we must take that giant step into certification.

As I sit here now with all the clarity and acuity of hindsight and ponder the 25th anniversary of the CIA, I realize just how judicious and visionary my colleagues were. Acknowledging certification as one of the hallmarks of a professional was — and still is — a important element in validating the status and prestige of internal auditing.

When the first exam was given in August of 1974, 122 applicants passed all four parts and became CIAs. Today, more than 27,000 men and women around the globe wear the distinguished Red Ribbon, and exams are given in 10 different languages at more than 200 sites worldwide. [Editor’s Note: The IIA will award its 100,000th CIA designation in 2011.] The rigor and comprehensiveness of the exam have ensured its respect and relevance, not only in internal auditing, but also in virtually every aspect of business. As a result, the CIA has become a sterling qualification for internal auditing and a stepping stone in management and related fields.

Of course, some internal auditors might still raise the same kind of undiscerning questions that I did. In fact, we've seen such questions raised by readers in the pages of this magazine in recent years. But a quarter of a century after its inauguration, it is clear that the certified internal auditing program has made, and still is making, a significant impact on the profession. It makes a difference to the individual CIAs, who can tell you in specific terms how passing the exam has been a plus in their careers. In fact, you'll notice several of the writers in this issue carry the CIA credential.

Many occupations strive for professional identification. But while "professional" describes doctors, lawyers, and similar practitioners, it can also be applied to an athlete, a chef, or a building inspector. In evaluating a learned profession, as distinguished from a trade or skill, we must apply specific criteria; and the central building block of those criteria is certification. With certification, internal auditing truly is a learned profession. Without it, it is simply a craft.