I passed the CISA exam yesterday after 3.5 months of studying, on my first try, and I’m still traumatized by those questions 😭
From “I Failed” to “PASSED!” My CISA Exam Journey 😭
I still went cover to cover through the CRM and completed the ISACA QAE three times. I honestly felt that I had prepared as much as I possibly could.
But, Sir/Ma’am… the questions in the actual exam are out of this world! 😂
They’re not simply questions testing whether you memorized what you reviewed. They’re practical questions that seriously challenge your understanding and knowledge of Information Systems. There were so many moments when I thought, “Wait… what?!” 😭 When I finally completed the exam, I was mentally exhausted. Before submitting my answers, I literally had to** **pray. I completed the exam 3 hours and 50 mins. 5 mins of praying then I hit the submit button 5 mins before the 4 hour mark.
And then, my mind started preparing for the worst.
I started making an inventory of everyone who knew I was taking the CISA exam—because I needed to know who I would have to explain myself to if I failed. 😂 I was already mentally preparing my excuses and thinking about what I was going to tell my wife.
Then came the survey.
I thought, “Wait… is this supposed to appear before the result?”
I was already hoping that the result would appear immediately. So when I saw the survey instead, I became even more disheartened. I was thinking, “Why am I answering a survey when I don’t even know if I passed?” 😭 I thought results won’t come out if you fail so you don’t make a scene in the testing center. I was like “Can I just disappear now?” Not overly dramatic but it was the experience!
Sorry, ISACA. I probably didn’t answer the survey with complete accuracy because, at that point, I was emotionally overwhelmed. 😂
But it still didn’t end there.
After submitting my exam answers and completing the survey, I swear there were three more screens/modules.
At that point, I was like:
“WHEN IS THIS GOING TO END?”
“WHEN WILL MY SUFFERING END?” 😭
By then, I had already convinced myself that I had failed. I was mentally preparing to tell my wife, “I’m sorry, I didn’t make it.”
Then finally, the last screen appeared.
And there it was: PASSED
I literally thought, “Am I hallucinating?” 😂
I had spent the entire exam thinking I might have failed, only to see those beautiful words at the very end.
I PASSED. First attempt. 🎉
After 3.5 months of studying, countless hours of reading, going cover to cover through the CRM, and completing the QAE three times… it finally paid off.
Looking back, it was a stressful, terrifying, and slightly traumatic journey—but definitely worth it.
To everyone preparing for the CISA: understand the concepts, don’t just memorize, and be ready to think practically. The exam will challenge you in ways you probably won’t expect.
And to ISACA…
Sir/Ma’am, I respect you. But those questions were personal. 😂
CISA — PASSED! ✅🎉
CISA dust to you guys ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨