Now that you have decided to get CISA certified, it will be beneficial if you know CISA certification mistakes to avoid. You might already have appeared for international certification exams earlier, or this is your first attempt. In both cases, it will be advantageous to follow the right approach.
Every exam is different. However, a few guidelines remain common to every exam and help you save time if you know how to avoid those mistakes in advance.
The tips shared here will give you a competitive edge and help your path to success.
Not Knowing why you want to get CISA Credential
CISA being a globally-recognized certification, is not easy to crack. Yet there are several benefits associated with this credential. You cannot simply acquire this certification to show off or because your colleague has it.
You must first analyze your career priorities, i.e., what you want to achieve professionally. If getting CISA certified gives a boost to your job and salary prospects, then only think of obtaining this credential. Else you will waste your precious time and energy doing the wrong stuff.
Not Knowing whether you are Qualified for the CISA Designation
You might be desperate to earn a CISA credential. But there are a few requirements that need to be fulfilled to get certified. A work experience of a minimum of five years is required. There are waivers also depending on your educational qualification and experience in information systems.
You can take the exam with your current qualification also. But to get certified, you have to fulfill the above criteria. So you must know if you will be able to satisfy the certification requirement or not. Then only put in your time and energy to prepare for the exam.
Not able to Select Exam Preparation Method
Several paid and free methods are available to study for the CISA exam. Selecting the right one itself is crucial, and enrolling in a paid course will help a lot. However, suppose you do not want to go for paid training.
In that case, you can refer to the official ISACA website and join the CISA exam study community. You will also find many free resources to test your knowledge. However, it is recommended not to fall prey to general free stuff available online for exam preparation. Often, questions are outdated, and answers to several questions are also incorrect.
Read more about the Best study material for CISA exam preparation.
Not Knowing whether you are ready for the CISA Exam
Even if you are confident enough to fulfill the certification requirements and prepare for the exam, you must also check your exam-taking capabilities. After a certain gap from college studies, many candidates find it difficult to deal with the exam stress and cannot complete the lengthy questionnaire. There are 150 questions to be completed in 4 hours.
So you should create a regular study strategy and take up as many practice tests as possible to get acquainted with the real-life exam-like environment.
Not Aware of Post Certification Commitments
Getting certified alone is not enough. The certificate remains valid for three years, and you need to maintain your certification. You are required to obtain a minimum of 20 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) units each year and 120 hours of CPE units over three years. You also need to pay annual CISA certification maintenance fees and ISACA membership fees. To devote time for training and a job can be time-consuming and stressful. So you must plan how you will maintain your certification. If you are ready to handle all the responsibilities, consider acquiring the certification. Else there is no need to spend time and money to get certified.
The Final Words
You now can analyze whether you want to go for CISA certification after going through major CISA certification mistakes to avoid. Preparing effectively for the exam is much more than simply memorizing facts. The entire process involves too many stages that can lead to frustration if not tackled effectively.
So having a clear roadmap to getting certified is crucial for your success. There is no need to experiment yourself, and yocan learn from other people’s mistakes and try not to repeat them.
These top six mistakes covered here and how to avoid them will help you make better decisions for not only CISA but any certification exam you plan to take up in the future.
If you have any other questions, please ask in the comments below.
