With the introduction of a new system of computer-based testing (CBT), internal auditors seeking the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification with the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) can now do so year-round.

A release from the IIA stated that the four-part certification includes testing on internal audit's role in governance, risk and control, conducting the internal audit engagement, business analysis and IT and business management skills.

With this new system, the IIA said candidates no longer have to wait for a predetermined window in which to take the exam and, because the testing is electronic, this affords results to be provided almost immediately on completion, and the exam has been reduced to two hours and 45 minutes and 100 multiple-choice questions. A resit now only requires a 90-day wait, rather than the six months which was previously the case.

The local Barbados chapter of the IIA drove the initiative to have Barbados included as a testing site to serve the Eastern Caribbean. Barbados, Jamaica, The Bahamas and Trinidad are the regional sites.

The first regional candidate who sat the CIA in Barbados in June 2008 under the new CBT method was Wendell Huggins, internal auditor, St Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board.

User-friendly

Having taken the paper-based version previously, Huggins was able to compare the two methods. He commented that he "felt really confident about the entire event", and that it was "very user-friendly in nature, thus affording the candidate the opportunity to complete the exam within two hours 45 minutes".

"After this was completed, there was a period of review for the exam and, afterwards, the temporary results were provided," he said.

The IIA said the new computer-based testing method promises a more efficient certification process for CIA candidates. With the added benefit of being able to take the exam regionally, more Caribbean candidates are now able to join the more than 30,000 certified internal auditors worldwide.