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Studying for the CIA Exam: Memorizing vs. Understanding

studying for the cia exam

Introducing Jessica N. Green, Senior Associate, Internal Audit!

A product of Baltimore County, Jessica Green attended Eastern Technical High School before graduating from Howard University in 2013. Jessica currently is a Senior Associate in the Internal Audit Department at a Fortune 500 Company.

Jessica is pursuing the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification because she would like to learn more about the auditing process and become more versatile. Currently, Jessica only has experience auditing Financial Services companies and would like to learn how to audit in other industries. Jessica also believes that certifications like the CIA help support career progression.

Outside of her profession, Jessica is passionate about community activism, mentoring, and her beloved alma mater. Jessica continues to show her pride in her alma mater Howard University by serving as the Howard University Alumni Club of Chicago’s Membership and Events Chair. Jessica is also a Big for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago

As she is studying for the CIA Exam, Jessica will be sharing her experience with us.

Week 2: Studying for the CIA Exam

Making Understanding a Priority

Studying for something as big as the CIA exam can be extremely challenging. It seems like so much material is covered, and sometimes it’s hard to figure out where to begin. I often become overwhelmed and always feel like I need to know and comprehend everything!

Sometimes I struggle with the concept of studying to memorize information vs. studying to understand information. Because the purpose of the CIA exam is to receive the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification, it is extremely important that my studying focuses on understanding and learning the concepts.

Focusing on Weak Areas

Gleim CIA Review is really contributing to my studying to understand priority. I am really impressed that the recommended first step in the study materials is to take a quiz to determine what areas you have a strong competency in and what areas are your weakest. The benefit of determining weak areas is that you get to really focus your studying around what you don’t know. It also makes it clear what sections in the study materials you may need to read again for more clarity or understanding.

As a full-time internal auditor, this week at work has been hectic due to an audit report we are issuing. Because Gleim has highlighted what my weak areas are, I’ve been able to make sure the time I do allot to studying is efficient because it addresses those topics of which I need more understanding.

Correcting Thought Processes

An additional plus to the quizzes are the answer explanations. I am sure I’m not the only one, but I hate when you are taking practice quizzes and you get an answer wrong and you are just provided with a “Refer to section” or no answer at all. I love that Gleim gives you detailed reasoning as to why an answer is wrong and why a particular answer is correct. By providing more context around incorrect and correct answers, I am able to grasp an understanding for not just why a particular answer is correct, but why my thought process is correct or incorrect.

After my first official week of studying, I truly believe that if I stay focused and utilize the Gleim study materials, I should easily pass Part 1 of the CIA exam.

Studying with CIA Review

The most efficient way to grasp the CIA exam material and truly understand the topics tested is to focus on your weak areas and learn from your mistakes. Gleim CIA Review has been employing these proven teaching methods for more than 35 years, and when you choose to study with the most widely used CIA course, you can pass the CIA exam faster. Access our free CIA course demo today to see why Gleim has trained more CIAs than any other review course on the market.

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