CISA Can Actually Be Quite Interesting

Preparing for the CISA exam has been an adventure, both intense and full of discovery. So far, I’ve completed my studies for four domains, worked through extensive textbooks and countless notes, and successfully passed three mock exams. To my surprise, I found myself navigating these practice tests with confidence, even with one domain left to cover. The "secret" behind this is the fascinating overlap I've discovered between CISA, project management, and IT governance.

The underlying logic of CISA and IT governance is strikingly similar, from resource planning to incident response. For instance, CISA requires auditors to assess the effective use of resources, just as project management emphasizes optimizing resource allocation. When faced with unexpected incidents, CISA advocates for swift responses to minimize losses, while IT governance also demands rapid action to control risks. Both disciplines focus on reviewing goal achievement and summarizing lessons learned. This common ground has made my study process feel like I'm mastering a cross-disciplinary skill. Even more, CISA's audit perspective has taught me to think from a different angle—examining processes from a supervisor's point of view, which feels a bit like being a detective cracking a case.

Of course, the journey hasn't been without its challenges. Memorizing technical jargon and tackling complex case studies can be tough. However, whenever I connect these concepts to my own work experience, the dry material comes to life. For example, while studying Business Continuity Planning, I would recall a system outage at a previous company and imagine how CISA principles could have optimized our emergency response. This process of linking theory to practice has made studying genuinely enjoyable.

My CISA preparation has not only expanded my knowledge but also shown me the power of interdisciplinary thinking. Now, I'm ready to tackle the final domain and aim to pass the official exam in one go