If you are reading this, you probably spent some time googling stuff like “how to get into IT” or maybe you are already deep in the trenches of tech support. You might even have a CompTIA Certification or two under your belt. It’s a common path. We all start somewhere, usually tinkering with hardware or setting up basic networks. That is where things like CompTIA A+ Certification come into play. But today, I want to talk about something a bit heavier, something for the pros who are ready to audit systems rather than just fix them. I am talking about CISA.
Now, do not get me wrong. I love CompTIA Certification. It is the bread and butter for so many of us. When I started, I was obsessed with getting my CompTIA A+ Certification. I remember staying up late, memorizing port numbers and hardware specs, thinking that comptia a+ was the peak of my career. And for a while, comptia a+ really opened doors. But eventually, you hit a ceiling. You realize that while CompTIA Certification is awesome for technical skills, the big suits in the boardroom care about risk, control, and auditing. That is where CISA comes in, and the requirements are a whole different ball game compared to CompTIA Certification.
Let’s break down what you actually need for CISA, and I will try to compare it to what you might know from the CompTIA Certification world so it makes sense.
The Experience Barrier
First off, unlike CompTIA A+ Certification or CompTIA N+ Certification, you cannot just buy a book, study for two weeks, and pass CISA to get certified. ISACA, the folks who run CISA, are strict. They want five years of professional experience in information systems auditing, control, or security.
Think about that. When you go for CompTIA S+ Certification, you just need the knowledge. Sure, experience helps for comptia security+, but it is not a hard gatekeeper like it is with CISA. With CompTIA Certification, you prove you know how to do the job. With CISA, you have to prove you have done the job.
If you are currently holding a CompTIA N+ Certification, working as a network admin, that experience might count if it involves security controls. But just plugging in cables like you learned in comptia n+ or comptia network+ training might not be enough. You need to show you were involved in the auditing or control aspect. It is a shift in mindset from the CompTIA Certification technical “fix-it” approach to an “assess-it” approach.
Can You Skip Some Years?
Okay, five years sounds like a lot, especially if you just finished your CompTIA A+ Certification. But there are waivers. If you have a bachelor’s degree, they might knock off two years. So you only need three years of experience. That is better, right? It makes the jump from a CompTIA Certification level role to a CISA role feel a bit more achievable.
Even if you have a master’s in a relevant field, the max waiver is three years (usually for specific degrees). So you still need experience. You cannot purely academic your way into this, just like you cannot purely book-learn comptia security+ and expect to be a security genius without touching a firewall. Well, technically you can pass CompTIA S+ Certification without experience, but you know what I mean. Real value comes from doing.
The Exam Itself
Now, the CISA exam. Man, this thing is a beast. If you thought the CompTIA A+ Certification exam was tricky with its troubleshooting questions, CISA will hurt your brain. CompTIA Certification exams are usually pretty straightforward. In comptia a+, a computer does not boot; you check the power. In CompTIA N+ Certification, a ping fails; you check the IP.
CISA questions are more subjective. They ask what is the “BEST” course of action. Often, all four answers are correct, but one is slightly more “auditor-like” than the others. It is not black and white like comptia network+ or comptia n+.
When I studied for CompTIA S+ Certification, I focused on threats and vulnerabilities. For CISA, you need to know that too, but you also need to know how to report it to management. It is less about “how do I stop this hacker” (which is very comptia security+) and more about “did the organization follow the right process to stop the hacker?”
You see the difference? CompTIA Certification focuses on the hands-on. CISA focuses on the process.
Why Bother if I Have CompTIA Certification?
You might ask, “Why should I care? I have CompTIA A+ Certification and CompTIA N+ Certification, and I am making good money.” And that is fair. CompTIA Certification is valuable. Having comptia a+ gets you in the door. Having comptia n+ or comptia network+ moves you up. And CompTIA S+ Certification or comptia security+ gets you into the security team.
But CISA is for when you want to move into management or high-level consultancy. It pays better. Simple as that. While CompTIA Certification proves you are a tech wizard, CISA proves you are a business asset.
I have a friend who has every CompTIA Certification under the sun. He has CompTIA A+ Certification, CompTIA N+ Certification, CompTIA S+ Certification… you name it. He knows comptia network+ inside out. But he was stuck in a server room. He wanted to lead. He took a CISA course (I think he checked out Sprintzeal for it, they have good stuff), passed the exam, and now he audits the guys who are doing the comptia n+ work.
The Studying Grind
Studying for CISA is different from CompTIA Certification. For comptia a+, I just memorized specs. For comptia network+, I learned protocols. For CISA, you have to learn the ISACA way of thinking.
If you are used to CompTIA S+ Certification, you might find CISA frustratingly vague. Comptia security+ is concrete. Encryption is encryption. In CISA, you worry about whether the encryption policy aligns with business goals.
I remember looking at a practice question that felt like it belonged in CompTIA N+ Certification. It asked about network redundancy. My comptia n+ brain said “add more routers.” The CISA answer was “conduct a cost-benefit analysis.” That is the shift you need to make. You have to stop thinking like a comptia network+ engineer and start thinking like an auditor.
Maintaining the Badge
Once you get CISA, you have to keep it. This is similar to CompTIA Certification CE (Continuing Education). You know how for CompTIA A+ Certification or CompTIA S+ Certification you need to do certain activities to renew? CISA is strict about this. You need 20 CPE hours a year, minimum.
If you hold CompTIA Certification, you are used to this. But CISA audits your CPEs more often than I experienced with my comptia a+. You cannot just slack off. You have to attend webinars, write articles, or take training.
Actually, doing CompTIA Certification exams counts as CPE for CISA sometimes! So if you go back and get CompTIA S+ Certification or update your comptia security+, that might help you keep your CISA active. It’s a nice ecosystem where CompTIA Certification and ISACA certifications can feed into each other.
Is It Worth the Stress?
Totally. Look, CompTIA A+ Certification is great. CompTIA N+ Certification is necessary. CompTIA S+ Certification is hot right now. But CISA is prestige.
If you are tired of resetting passwords (classic comptia a+ work) or chasing bad cables (classic comptia n+ work), CISA is your ticket out. It respects the knowledge you gained from comptia network+ and comptia security+, but it asks you to apply it at a higher level.
Think of it this way: CompTIA Certification builds the house. CISA inspects it. You need the knowledge from CompTIA A+ Certification and CompTIA N+ Certification to understand what you are looking at. How can you audit a network if you don’t understand comptia network+ concepts? You can’t.
So, do not throw away your CompTIA Certification books. Keep your notes on comptia n+ and comptia s+. You will need them. When a CISA question asks about network controls, your comptia network+ knowledge will save you. When it asks about access controls, your comptia security+ training kicks in.
Final Thoughts
If you are serious about this, check out a proper training provider. I mentioned Sprintzeal earlier; they are solid for this kind of thing. You need structured learning. It is not like CompTIA A+ Certification where you can wing it.
So, gather your CompTIA Certification badges, be proud of your comptia a+, comptia n+, and comptia s+. They are the foundation. CISA is the penthouse. It is a long journey from CompTIA A+ Certification to CISA, but it is worth every step.
Just remember, the mindset shift is the hardest part. You have to stop being the comptia a+ fixer and start being the auditor. You have to look at a comptia network+ diagram and see risks, not just connections. You have to look at a comptia security+ protocol and see compliance, not just protection.
Good luck. It’s a tough road, tougher than CompTIA Certification, but you got this. If you could master CompTIA N+ Certification and CompTIA S+ Certification, you can handle CISA. Just don’t forget where you came from—those comptia a+ days made you who you are.
