First, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the original posts:
https://www.reddit.com/r/InternalAudit/comments/1te49f4/failed_part_3_first_attempt/
https://www.reddit.com/r/InternalAudit/comments/1u3svzd/utilizing_ai_for_cia_studies/
as well as everyone who shared their experiences on this subreddit, you guys are amazing.
What changed from the first attempt?
Lots of things, some things are just basic mistakes that i did in the first attempt such as going on an empty stomach, only 3 hrs of sleep, doubting myself the night before,...etc
The change in my approach this time was as follows:
- i utilized NotebookLM and uploaded my gleim slides to it and the GIAS handbook and asked it to extract all the standards discussed in each study unit in gleim separately and include the areas where i need to focus, triggers for escalation/updating manuals or methodologies or charters and such/or when would a tool be used,,,, etc. (prompts are below)
2.Then i wrote everything down in a separate notebook (handwriting because it helps me memorize better, yes i an unc in my mid 20s), and then watched the lectures from gleim and added whatever that notebookLM did not put much emphasis on, or i thought was important, or i encountered in the first exam. (I made sure in all AI prompts i used in this try that i explain the entire situation and how much i got first attempt, and what are somethings i found difficult, nuances...etc).
Afterwards, I solved 20-30 questions related to the study unit i just finished using the gleim test bank and would write my mistakes in the same unit's notes.
After each study unit, I used Claude 4.8, ChatGPT 5.5, Gemini Pro, NotebookLM and gave then some detailed prompts to generate an additional 15-30 question quiz that were more difficult than the actual exam, and i ensured to create a separate chat for every study unit and uploaded the specific study unit's slides and GIAS standards to each one and asked it to quiz me. From my experience, each and every AI model was good in its own way, but I would rank Claude 4.8 first, a tie between GPT 5.5 and Gemini (or maybe slight advantage to Gemini) and NotebookLM in the last place (it was decent but not hard enough).
I wanted to ensure that I would encounter some very difficult scenarios and tough choices to ensure i understand the reasoning behind every answer, not just lucky guess.. While AI helped significantly, i think I still needed Gleim for the quick short and tricky one line questions because the one's the AI generated were very long scenario based questions so it may overlook some key things like blockchain, RPA, Job enlargement/enrichment/rotation, Risk heatmap,...etc
After finishing all units and doing the above steps for each and every unit, i moved to Gleim's mock 1, I managed to score above 85/100 but i was veeery tired from the sheer volume of questions i have solved (Especially the AI ones because they were veeeeery lonnnggggg but helped me lots).
Afterwards I thought to myself that i would only focus on the AI questions only and there is no need for gleim mock 2. but i was doubting myself or overthinking that im not giving it my 100%. so 1.5 hours before Spain vs Portugal world cup match, i decided to the mock very rushed and never go back to an answer, only flag the ones i find difficult just to write down later before sleeping the reasoning behind them, and I managed to score 87/100 in 1 hour and 15 minutes only!!!! it honestly surprised me! so i decided to reward my self by going to watch one half of the match with my friends at buffalo wild wings (the night before the exam, lol) and then headed back home since it was late and had only 12 hours to the exam so i wrote down the notes from mock 2 and headed to sleep.
I woke up about 4 hours before the exam with a decent amount of sleep, had breakfast, and then went over all of my notes (about 20 A4 pages) just as if i am reading a newspaper and that was my final review and then headed to the exam.
The exam it self was like the usual and how everyone on the subreddit talks about it so I dont think i will add anything new to what they say. main things to focus on are escalation paths, triggers for escalation, criteria vs condition, recommendations should focus on fixing the root cause,...etc.
In case you needed the AI Prompt, please find it below and sorry for the long yap lol:
"You are my expert CIA Part 3 examination coach and internal audit examiner. Context: I am preparing for the Certified Internal Auditor CIA Part 3 exam under the updated syllabus, “Internal Audit Function.” I am an auditor with more than 3 years of Big 4 experience in the , so do not give me basic textbook questions i want questions harder than the exam itself and use nuances and all whatever people mention as sort of focus or trickiness in the latest exams takers. Assume I already understand normal internal audit terminology, audit planning, risk assessment, reporting, QAIP, residual risk, stakeholder communication, and action plan follow-up. Use only the materials I attach in this chat, in this priority order: CIA Part 3 Expanded Test Specifications The IIA Global Internal Audit Standards, effective January 2025 Gleim CIA Part 3 study material, if attached Any notes or wrong-answer logs I provide Do not invent syllabus areas. Do not use outdated CIA Part 3 content unless it is still relevant under the updated syllabus. If there is a conflict between sources, prioritize the official IIA syllabus and GIAS. Exam coverage: Prepare a test of 50 questions using the official Part 3 domain weighting: A. Internal Audit Operations: 25% B. Internal Audit Plan: 15% C. Quality of the Internal Audit Function: 15% D. Engagement Results and Monitoring: 45% Difficulty level: Make the questions extremely hard, ideally harder than the actual CIA exam. The questions should be designed for someone with audit experience and should test professional judgment, not memorization. Question design rules: Ask one question at a time and wait for my answer. Each question must have four options: A, B, C, and D. answer should be distributed across all available option u cant just spam two options for all questions and make all options appear as they are close or different to pick the correct answer from the options Each question must be scenario-based unless a direct knowledge question is clearly more appropriate. Use realistic internal audit scenarios involving CAE responsibilities, audit strategy, audit universe, dynamic risk-based planning, stakeholder expectations, assurance coordination, QAIP, KPIs, scorecards, nonconformance, engagement communication, residual risk, action plans, scope limitations, risk acceptance, and monitoring of remediation. Include subtle distractors and nuances that are plausible to experienced auditors. and also include some new difficult words that appear on the exam that may throw off some non native English speakers but have very good level of English. Avoid obvious wording such as “always,” “never,” or “all of the above” unless intentionally used as a trap. Do not repeat scenarios, industries, wording patterns, or answer logic within the same test. Do not make the correct answer too predictable. Randomize the correct answer letter. Some questions should test multiple syllabus bullets at once, such as: CAE communication plus QAIP reporting Dynamic audit planning plus stakeholder requests Residual risk plus management risk acceptance Audit universe plus coordination with other assurance providers Final communication plus scope limitation KPI design plus board reporting , such as government-related entities, listed companies, family groups, oil and gas, banking, telecom, logistics, aviation, sovereign wealth entities, and regulated sectors. However, keep the answer aligned to IIA/GIAS, not local practice. Answer feedback rules: After I answer: Tell me whether I am correct. Give the correct answer. Explain the reasoning in no more than 5 sentences. Explain why my selected answer was wrong, if applicable. Explain why the other close distractor was tempting but incorrect. Reference the relevant syllabus area, for example: “Section D.5 – residual risk assessment and rating scales” or “Section C.3 – KPIs and scorecard metrics” Where relevant, briefly connect the answer to the GIAS principle, standard, or concept without overexplaining. Adaptive coaching: Track my performance by domain and subtopic. After every 10 questions, provide: Score by domain Weakest subtopics Pattern of mistakes Recommended review focus Whether I am missing knowledge, exam technique, or judgment Exam mode: Do not reveal the answer before I respond. Do not give hints unless I ask for one. If I ask for a hint, provide a subtle conceptual hint only, not the answer. you may refer to other data online to form questions such as some information from r/Internalaudit on reddit where people do discuss matters relating to the exam make sure the questions are difficult and are matching the exam style or harder and make sure that the correct answer is distributed across the 4 options randomly and not only over options b or c, randomize please"
you can tweak it to your liking to be quizzed on each study unit separately, and also you may need to give it some additional prompts along the way once you notice that it may focus only on one area or change in style or such, but all my AI prompts started with the same idea above.
here is also my NotebookLM Prompt in case anyone needs it:
Role: You are an expert Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) exam tutor helping me pass my CIA Part 3 exam.
My Background: I passed Part 1 on my first attempt. I failed Part 3 with a score of 565. My results noted I am "Competent" in Section D (Engagement Results), but need "Moderate Improvement" in Sections A-C (Internal Audit Operations, Plan, and Quality).
Source Material Rules: I have uploaded the IIA's Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS) and Gleim study unit outlines. You must use the Gleim material ONLY for the structural blueprint (Study Units 1 through 6). All definitions, rules, requirements, and study content must be pulled strictly from the GIAS text.
Output Formatting (The "Trap" Method): To help me prep for the extreme trickiness of the exam, you will guide me through the material one Study Unit at a time. For each unit, you will map out the relevant Standards. For each Standard, you must format your response exactly like this:
- The Requirement: A brief summary of what the standard dictates.
- Exam Traps: Provide 2 to 4 highly testable "traps" or nuances for each standard (e.g., "The Format Trap", "The Catalyst Trap", "The Escalation Trap", "The Definition Trap"). Explain exactly how the IIA tests this concept, what specific vocabulary to look for, and what distractor options to avoid.
Pacing: Do not generate all study units at once. Present only one Study Unit at a time. At the end of each unit, ask me if I am ready to proceed to the next unit or if I want to review practice questions based on the traps you just provided.
Execution: Please acknowledge you understand these instructions, and then immediately begin our session with Study Unit 1: Internal Audit Function / Operations (covering GIAS Standards 9.3, 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3).
or the below prompt
I am re-attempting my CIA part 3 exam, i passed part 1 first attempt in july 2025, i failed part 3 scoring 565 with results noting that i need moderate improvement in areas A-C and i was competent in D (Sections A–D: Internal Audit Operations (25%), Internal Audit Plan (15%), Quality of the Internal Audit Function (15%), and Engagement Results and Monitoring (45%))
I used gleim only for part 1 and added CIA practice mock for part 3
Based on online suggestions through reddit, most people suggest actually understanding and perhaps memorizing the standards and prep very well for nuances in the exam questions and the extreme trickiness. I will also utilize another AI ( Gemini for practice questions).
i first need you to review the material uploaded and then, we will use the gleim content ONLY as structure/unit/chapter based against the actual standards. for e.g, first unit is about the internal audit plan, we will use every standard from the IPPF/GIAS standards ( i uploaded them under the file called CIA and u may refer to the newest standards online as well if needed.) as content and as structure to make sure i understand it properly. then will use chapter 2 from gleim whic h i think focuses on the strategy to understand what are the contents only (not referencing the material) and all the materials and standards and requirements will be from the GIAS file. and so on with the other chapters as well.
i think ppl online said standards 8-14 are concerning part 3 so you may double check,, and first align the standards topics and map them against the gleim structure and explain briefly where all will be covered, and then we may start with the actual study session
For those who have attempted Part 2, I would appreciate any comments/pointers/ or anything that would help to grasp an idea of what i should focus on before i start studying. THANKS.
