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CIA · Study plan

90-day CIA study plan: a complete calendar for one part

Use these 90 days for one CIA part: seven weeks of coverage, two weeks of repair and mixed practice, three weeks of full-length practice and targeted repair, then six days of lighter review. At 10 hours per full week, this example budgets 128 hours including the final six-day block. Adjust the pace to your baseline.

By MiloPrep editorial team

Your 90 days at a glance*
Coverage

Days1-49

Study budget70 hours

Repair and mixed practice

Days50-63

Study budget20 hours

Timed practice and repair

Days64-84

Study budget30 hours

Taper and buffer

Days85-90

Study budget8 hours

The complete week-by-week calendar

Open the calendar for the part you will sit next. Each has its own topic sequence and checkpoints. Record what you can do, not just pages read. A mock week includes the sitting and time to understand the results.

Before day one: establish the starting point

Choose the part you will actually sit, confirm the syllabus language and list the outcomes already familiar from your work. Then try a small fresh question set without notes. Record confidence before checking answers, so a lucky choice does not look like knowledge. This baseline is a planning aid, not an estimate of your official result.

Sort the outcomes into three groups: unfamiliar, explainable but difficult to apply, and reliably applied to new cases. The first group needs instruction; the second needs contrasting cases; the third needs occasional retrieval. Put the unfamiliar outcomes into the early calendar rather than giving every chapter an equal number of evenings.

Read each week as an output, not just an appointment

A week is complete when you can produce its stated output. If the target is an engagement plan, show the risk, objective, criteria and intended evidence on one page. Reading a planning chapter and highlighting its headings does not produce that output. Keep the incomplete task visible and use the adjustment rules below.

The three calendars are alternatives. Select one; do not add their hours together or rotate among parts because a difficult topic appears. After finishing the chosen part, use a new baseline to decide the next part’s schedule. The plan deliberately leaves certification timing separate from a promise to pass in a fixed number of days.

Part 1 calendar
Part 1: all 90 days*

  • 1 · Days 1-7

    Work to complete
    Map the syllabus; learn assurance, advisory work and the internal audit mandate.
    Checkpoint
    Explain purpose, authority and management responsibility.

  • 2 · Days 8-14

    Work to complete
    Study reporting relationships, independence and objectivity.
    Checkpoint
    Resolve a reporting-pressure case and an individual conflict.

  • 3 · Days 15-21

    Work to complete
    Apply integrity, confidentiality, competence and due professional care.
    Checkpoint
    Explain an ethical response under changed facts.

  • 4 · Days 22-28

    Work to complete
    Connect governance, organizational objectives and risk assessment.
    Checkpoint
    Distinguish board oversight from management risk ownership.

  • 5 · Days 29-35

    Work to complete
    Compare control design, implementation and operation.
    Checkpoint
    Identify what a control prevents or detects and what remains exposed.

  • 6 · Days 36-42

    Work to complete
    Study fraud indicators, exposure and appropriate audit responses.
    Checkpoint
    Separate an indicator from evidence supporting a conclusion.

  • 7 · Days 43-49

    Work to complete
    Complete omitted outcomes and review all four domains.
    Checkpoint
    Mark every outcome as applied or needing repair.

  • 8 · Days 50-56

    Work to complete
    Repair the weak outcomes identified during coverage; retain earlier topics.
    Checkpoint
    Solve changed cases and explain previously uncertain correct answers.

  • 9 · Days 57-63

    Work to complete
    Mix the entire part; try 25 unfamiliar questions in 30 minutes.
    Checkpoint
    Identify whether each miss came from knowledge, judgment or pace.

  • 10 · Days 64-70

    Work to complete
    Rehearse 125 questions over 150 uninterrupted minutes, then review.
    Checkpoint
    Record omissions, long stalls and weak reasoning by domain.

  • 11 · Days 71-77

    Work to complete
    Relearn the specific gaps from that sitting and test them in new cases.
    Checkpoint
    Demonstrate a repair without relying on remembered answer letters.

  • 12 · Days 78-84

    Work to complete
    Run a fresh 125-question sitting; decide whether remaining gaps fit the time left.
    Checkpoint
    Adjust the appointment if needed within the booking rules.

  • 13 · Days 85-90

    Work to complete
    Use six days for light retrieval, appointment checks and rest.
    Checkpoint
    A short final review and a verified route, time and accepted ID.
Part 2 calendar
Part 2: all 90 days*

  • 1 · Days 1-7

    Work to complete
    Map the syllabus; gather engagement background and business objectives.
    Checkpoint
    Describe the process and the risk that warrants assurance.

  • 2 · Days 8-14

    Work to complete
    Perform engagement risk assessment; define objectives and scope.
    Checkpoint
    Bound the population, period and locations being examined.

  • 3 · Days 15-21

    Work to complete
    Select evaluation criteria and build a work program.
    Checkpoint
    Connect each procedure to an objective and a benchmark.

  • 4 · Days 22-28

    Work to complete
    Plan resources and stakeholder communication; revisit planning gaps.
    Checkpoint
    Explain how a scope or resource constraint changes the work.

  • 5 · Days 29-35

    Work to complete
    Gather evidence; evaluate sources and select testing approaches.
    Checkpoint
    Explain relevance, reliability, sufficiency and sampling limitations.

  • 6 · Days 36-42

    Work to complete
    Analyze results and develop supported findings.
    Checkpoint
    Distinguish an observed exception from an unsupported generalization.

  • 7 · Days 43-49

    Work to complete
    Cover supervision, documentation and engagement communication.
    Checkpoint
    Show how a reviewer can follow the evidence and conclusion.

  • 8 · Days 50-56

    Work to complete
    Repair the weak outcomes identified during coverage; retain earlier topics.
    Checkpoint
    Solve changed cases and explain previously uncertain correct answers.

  • 9 · Days 57-63

    Work to complete
    Mix the entire part; try 25 unfamiliar questions in 30 minutes.
    Checkpoint
    Identify whether each miss came from knowledge, judgment or pace.

  • 10 · Days 64-70

    Work to complete
    Rehearse 100 questions over 120 uninterrupted minutes, then review.
    Checkpoint
    Record omissions, long stalls and weak reasoning by domain.

  • 11 · Days 71-77

    Work to complete
    Relearn the specific gaps from that sitting and test them in new cases.
    Checkpoint
    Demonstrate a repair without relying on remembered answer letters.

  • 12 · Days 78-84

    Work to complete
    Run a fresh 100-question sitting; decide whether remaining gaps fit the time left.
    Checkpoint
    Adjust the appointment if needed within the booking rules.

  • 13 · Days 85-90

    Work to complete
    Use six days for light retrieval, appointment checks and rest.
    Checkpoint
    A short final review and a verified route, time and accepted ID.
Part 3 calendar
Part 3: all 90 days*

  • 1 · Days 1-7

    Work to complete
    Map the syllabus; study function methodologies and resource needs.
    Checkpoint
    Match capabilities and capacity to the proposed audit work.

  • 2 · Days 8-14

    Work to complete
    Develop and update a risk-based internal audit plan.
    Checkpoint
    Reprioritize engagements after a business or risk change.

  • 3 · Days 15-21

    Work to complete
    Study the quality assurance and improvement program.
    Checkpoint
    Separate ongoing monitoring, self-assessment and external assessment.

  • 4 · Days 22-28

    Work to complete
    Develop final engagement communications and conclusions.
    Checkpoint
    Connect scope, findings and conclusions for the intended audience.

  • 5 · Days 29-35

    Work to complete
    Review recommendations, management action plans and disagreements.
    Checkpoint
    Record who owns action, its deadline and the unresolved risk.

  • 6 · Days 36-42

    Work to complete
    Monitor actions and evaluate evidence of implementation.
    Checkpoint
    Distinguish a revised policy from a control operating effectively.

  • 7 · Days 43-49

    Work to complete
    Practise risk acceptance and escalation; complete remaining outcomes.
    Checkpoint
    Explain the response when unresolved risk needs senior attention.

  • 8 · Days 50-56

    Work to complete
    Repair the weak outcomes identified during coverage; retain earlier topics.
    Checkpoint
    Solve changed cases and explain previously uncertain correct answers.

  • 9 · Days 57-63

    Work to complete
    Mix the entire part; try 25 unfamiliar questions in 30 minutes.
    Checkpoint
    Identify whether each miss came from knowledge, judgment or pace.

  • 10 · Days 64-70

    Work to complete
    Rehearse 100 questions over 120 uninterrupted minutes, then review.
    Checkpoint
    Record omissions, long stalls and weak reasoning by domain.

  • 11 · Days 71-77

    Work to complete
    Relearn the specific gaps from that sitting and test them in new cases.
    Checkpoint
    Demonstrate a repair without relying on remembered answer letters.

  • 12 · Days 78-84

    Work to complete
    Run a fresh 100-question sitting; decide whether remaining gaps fit the time left.
    Checkpoint
    Adjust the appointment if needed within the booking rules.

  • 13 · Days 85-90

    Work to complete
    Use six days for light retrieval, appointment checks and rest.
    Checkpoint
    A short final review and a verified route, time and accepted ID.

Put the right topics into the calendar

Start with broad coverage, then use your errors to change the allocation. The official weights describe the exam, not how many hours you personally need.

Coverage sequence by part

  • Part 1

    First major block
    Foundations of Internal Auditing
    Remaining coverage
    Ethics and Professionalism; Governance, Risk Management, and Control; Fraud Risks

  • Part 2

    First major block
    Engagement Planning
    Remaining coverage
    Information Gathering, Analysis, and Evaluation; Engagement Supervision and Communication

  • Part 3

    First major block
    Engagement Results and Monitoring
    Remaining coverage
    Internal Audit Operations; Internal Audit Plan; Quality of the Internal Audit Function

Use the domain map to prevent accidental omissions

A familiar work background can make some topics feel optional. A compliance specialist may recognize controls but still need practice distinguishing organizational independence from individual objectivity. A finance analyst may understand the transaction but not which audit procedure supports the requested conclusion. Mark every official outcome before deciding which ones need little time.

At the end of each coverage week, name one unfamiliar task you can now perform and one task that still fails when the facts change. Carry the second into the repair phase. This creates a connection between the calendar and your actual learning rather than a separate spreadsheet that always appears on schedule.

A 10-hour week you can actually schedule

Study for one hour on Monday through Thursday, use three hours on Saturday for practice, and three on Sunday for review and retesting. Friday is free. Full mock weeks can move those blocks so the sitting remains uninterrupted.

Weekly time allocation

  • Learn and recall

    Hours
    4
    Output
    Explain a rule before opening notes

  • Fresh questions

    Hours
    3
    Output
    Answer with reasons

  • Review and retest

    Hours
    3
    Output
    Fix causes and revisit them after a gap

Reserve the review time before adding more questions

Suppose Saturday’s practice takes two hours but reviewing the uncertain answers takes another two. Record four hours of work. Counting only the sitting understates the time required and encourages skipping explanations. Move one hour from new reading if necessary; do not silently turn the review block into optional work.

For a full mock, protect the uninterrupted sitting and a separate review block. Part 1 needs 150 minutes of exam time; Parts 2 and 3 need 120. A three-hour Saturday therefore leaves different amounts of review time. Use Sunday for the remaining analysis rather than rushing every explanation immediately after a tiring sitting.

If you fall behind, change the plan before the deadline

If only six hours fit your week, twelve full weeks supply 72 hours rather than 120. Reduce optional repetition and extend the horizon if core coverage is still incomplete. Do not compress a missing domain into the night before the exam. Your actual CCMS eligibility and authorization dates determine the available scheduling room.

A worked repair after a missed week

Imagine a Part 2 learner loses week 4 to work travel. Evidence evaluation is unfinished, but the original calendar moves on to mixed practice. First remove optional repeat questions from the following week. Use the recovered time for the missing instruction and a fresh application set, while retaining a short planning review.

If the unfinished work still needs six hours and only two can be recovered, the remaining four hours have to come from a real later block or a longer horizon. Write that change into the calendar. Simply labeling the next week “catch up” does not create capacity. Recheck the appointment and authorization before relying on a later exam date.

Decide whether to continue, repair or extend

Continue when the week’s outcome can be explained and applied to unfamiliar questions. Repair when a specific misunderstanding persists. Extend the horizon when too many outcomes remain unstudied or timed work repeatedly breaks down. A familiar question-bank percentage alone cannot distinguish those situations.

The final six days are a lighter review and logistics buffer, not spare capacity for an entire missed domain. If major coverage is absent at that point, make a deliberate preparation and booking decision under the current rules. Preserve sleep and workable study blocks instead of adding an unrealistic overnight schedule.

Original worked case

Reallocate time after a Part 2 baseline

A learner can explain planning decisions but misses evidence-reliability and sampling questions. They have ten hours available next week.

Reveal the decision and reasoning

Try four hours on information analysis, two on planning maintenance, one on supervision and three reviewing a mixed set.

This is a temporary repair allocation. The 50% planning weight remains important, but it does not require assigning exactly half of every week to a domain already understood.

An editorial teaching example, not an official IIA question or a prediction of exam content.

Common questions

Does this plan cover all three CIA parts in 90 days?
No. This calendar prepares one selected part. An experienced candidate may choose a different pace, but the calendar does not establish that three parts can be completed in 90 days.
Is 128 hours an official CIA requirement?
No. It is the arithmetic of this example: twelve 10-hour weeks plus eight hours in the last six days. Use your coverage and fresh-question performance to adjust it.

Sources and editorial notes

Official exam facts and provider package descriptions are supported by the references below. Study schedules, scenarios and fit judgments are our editorial work. They do not establish a required study duration, a pass probability or comparative learning outcomes.

MiloPrep is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The IIA or the providers discussed. Product comparisons describe our own offering alongside provider information. Names and marks belong to their owners.

Notes

  • * Your 90 days at a glance: An editorial planning example for one part, not an IIA recommended total or a promise to pass all three parts. ↩ Return to content
  • * Part 1: all 90 days: Budget 10 hours per full week and 8 in the final six days. A mock week includes review time; extend any block whose checkpoint is incomplete. ↩ Return to content
  • * Part 2: all 90 days: Budget 10 hours per full week and 8 in the final six days. A mock week includes review time; extend any block whose checkpoint is incomplete. ↩ Return to content
  • * Part 3: all 90 days: Budget 10 hours per full week and 8 in the final six days. A mock week includes review time; extend any block whose checkpoint is incomplete. ↩ Return to content