CISA QAE Manual (Dec 2016 Exam)

securedtsecuredt Junior MemberRegistered Users Posts: 4 ■■□□□□□□□□
in CISA
Hi All,

I am going to sit for Dec 2016 exam and understand that referring to 26th edition of review manual would be important because of major changes in the contents of the manual. However, I have QAE manual for 2015 with me, do you think there are major changes in the structure of Questions / Answers that are part of the newer QAE manual that warrant purchasing the new QAE manual as well or I just purchase the new review manual with the previous year QAE manual that I own.

Looking forward to your suggestions.
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Comments

  • TankerTTankerT Senior Member Member Posts: 132
    My personal opinion is that the changes from year to year for this exam's topics are not significant that you would want to purchase the updated materials.
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  • coffeeisgoodcoffeeisgood CISSP, CISA, CISMMember Posts: 136 ■■■□□□□□□□
    For the CISA, the exam prep material did change from 2015 to 2016

    the official material had additional questions / case studies

    as for a different exam, I really have no idea


    note this was for the CISA, I do not know about the CISM
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  • securedtsecuredt Junior Member Registered Users Posts: 4 ■■□□□□□□□□
    coffeeisgood wrote: »
    For the CISA, the exam prep material did change from 2015 to 2016

    the official material had additional questions / case studies

    as for a different exam, I really have no idea


    note this was for the CISA, I do not know about the CISM

    So, you are suggesting the changes in QAE are significant enough to warrant a purchase?
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  • DistordDistord Junior Member Member Posts: 21 ■■□□□□□□□□
    securedt wrote: »
    So, you are suggesting the changes in QAE are significant enough to warrant a purchase?


    i think you're fine with the 2015 materials.
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  • johnj6425johnj6425 Junior Member Member Posts: 25 ■□□□□□□□□□
    I passed the CISA 09/2016 with a score of 647. My primary study aid with the database questions. I read the manual twice, but it was the these DB questions that helped the most in my passing the exam.
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  • coffeeisgoodcoffeeisgood CISSP, CISA, CISMMember Posts: 136 ■■■□□□□□□□
    securedt wrote: »
    So, you are suggesting the changes in QAE are significant enough to warrant a purchase?

    all i know is they added some additional questions / case study to the CISA 2016 manual (over the 2015, not sure about the Q&A database

    if i only had 2015 study material for the CISA?
    I am sure I would have done fine, as I passed in the top 20%. This was my 1st ISACA exam though, I was a bit nervous.

    I just received the 2016 CISM study manual, its thinner than the the CISA manual for sure. Being my second ISACA exam, I am not as worried although I know its more questions in a shorter amount of time. Meh.... I had plenty of time to spare on the CISA. I plan on reading the CISM manual cover to cover & plugging away at all the Q&A database. SO MUCH FUN!
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  • luiscontastiluiscontasti Junior Member Registered Users Posts: 1 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Hi everybody, I have the CISM 2013 manual, I have a sit to take the test on dec 2016, my question is: there will be major changes that warrant the purchase of 2016 manual? even if I bought the 2016 Q&A database?

    Thank you in advance for your help.

    Best regards,

    Luis.
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  • FSF150FSF150 Senior Member Member Posts: 119 ■■■□□□□□□□
    johnj6425 wrote: »
    I passed the CISA 09/2016 with a score of 647. My primary study aid with the database questions. I read the manual twice, but it was the these DB questions that helped the most in my passing the exam.


    I'm glad to hear that. I'm using the DB now, also the Sybex CISA book.
    First we drink the coffee. Then we do the things. :neutral:
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  • xylerxyler Junior Member Registered Users Posts: 2 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Hi All,

    can somebody share to us any study material copy?

    Thanks
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  • cfirstencfirsten Member Member Posts: 42 ■■□□□□□□□□
    I studied the Wiley test banks from the Sybex book and I have that CISA book with questions and answers, it's the 11th edition I think, can't remember the name of it. The questions look a lot like the CISSP but.... I don't know, I'm taking it this Saturday. Anyone that passed want to come along and hold my hand in exam room, lol!!! I'm all by myself in there and I don't want to get lonely.

    On a more serious note I studied what I could, not really too scared, I'll pay the $700 and I'll take it again until I pass. I get around 70% in Sybex but that doesn't mean anything because I do small batches of 5-10-20 questions and some of them I remember the answer. Anyways, wish me luck, I'll keep you guys posted.
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  • FSF150FSF150 Senior Member Member Posts: 119 ■■■□□□□□□□
    cfirsten wrote: »
    I studied the Wiley test banks from the Sybex book and I have that CISA book with questions and answers, it's the 11th edition I think, can't remember the name of it. The questions look a lot like the CISSP but.... I don't know, I'm taking it this Saturday. Anyone that passed want to come along and hold my hand in exam room, lol!!! I'm all by myself in there and I don't want to get lonely.

    On a more serious note I studied what I could, not really too scared, I'll pay the $700 and I'll take it again until I pass. I get around 70% in Sybex but that doesn't mean anything because I do small batches of 5-10-20 questions and some of them I remember the answer. Anyways, wish me luck, I'll keep you guys posted.

    Best of luck. I'm feeling about the same, also taking the test this Saturday. Lets do this!
    First we drink the coffee. Then we do the things. :neutral:
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  • cfirstencfirsten Member Member Posts: 42 ■■□□□□□□□□
    I think it's more difficult than the CISSP. I've looked over a few hundreds of questions and they're very difficult. The body of the question alone takes me one minute to comprehend and then to go through all the answers, jeez!!!

    They're very difficult, and personally I expected more technical facts vs mambo jumbo, most of them are mambo jumbo and complex mambo jumbo lol!!. As an example:

    Q:

    While evaluating software development practices in an organization, an IS auditor notes that the quality assurance (QA) function reports to project management. The MOST important concern for an IS auditor is the:

    A. effectiveness of the QA function because it should interact between project management and user management.

    B. efficiency of the QA function because it should interact with the project implementation team.

    C. effectiveness of the project manager because the project manager should interact with the QA function.

    D. efficiency of the project manager because the QA function will need to communicate with the project implementation team.

    HUH!!!! What?!!! Jesus, and it's full of these, this is just one example. But it's good they explained what the QA acronym is ROFL!!! IMHO more than 90% of the questions I've done so far have only "What is the Greatest, Best, Worst, Main, Major" in them, very few of them, if any, are to the point.
    Oh well, we'll see.

    Good luck to all of you taking it tomorrow!!!!
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  • FSF150FSF150 Senior Member Member Posts: 119 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Yeah, each question you do need to pause and think "Ok, ISACA. Auditor. ISACA Audit Standards."

    There are also some questions where I just shake my head and move on because the time spent trying to master the "gotcha" questions could be better made up strengthening other areas.

    Lucky us to be the last ones taking the paper exam, too. icon_rolleyes.gif
    First we drink the coffee. Then we do the things. :neutral:
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  • eric_gokongweieric_gokongwei Member Member Posts: 75 ■■□□□□□□□□
    I think the answer is B
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  • FSF150FSF150 Senior Member Member Posts: 119 ■■■□□□□□□□
    eric_gokongwei wrote: »
    I think the answer is B

    Certainly was for at least a few of them!

    The ISACA question bank was a great resource and I believe helped me to think the right way for this exam. I'd recommend everyone purchase that. The Sybex book was a good read, but I wouldn't use it as the only source. I bought the pre-recorded classroom experience and while that may have been a great resource, I didn't have the discipline to sit through it. That's money I could have saved.

    All that said, I couldn't begin to guess at how well I did or did not do. Very heavy on the "What is the FIRST, BEST, MOST CRITICAL" type questions. I was the first one done, since I know better than to go back and stress over those "Screw it, going with B!" questions. icon_thumright.gif
    First we drink the coffee. Then we do the things. :neutral:
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  • cfirstencfirsten Member Member Posts: 42 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Same here, just finished it. Very difficult imo, I think it's more difficult than the CISSP. I think I'll pass based on their numbers, 200 points from the start and I must've done at least 40% of it right for the 450 to pass.

    I love the pen and paper and I hate the move to CBT. You can make notes on the paper, record answers, scroll through the questions and so on vs the CBE where you have to move from one question to the next, no paper allowed, but.... maybe it's just me.

    Good luck to everyone, I'll try the CISM after this, if I don't pass it I'll take it again.
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