Qualifying Educational Activities
Continuing education hours are not accepted for on-the-job
activities unless they fall into a specific qualifying education activity.
Activities that qualify for continuing education include technical and
managerial training. This training must be directly applicable to the assessment
of information systems or the improvement of audit, control, security or
managerial skills to ensure a proper balance of professional development is
attained. Specific activities also have annual continuing education hour limits.
The following categories of qualifying activities and limits have been approved
by the Certification Board and are allowable for continuing education hours.
Personal Professional Development
- ISACA professional education activities and meetings (no
limit): These activities include ISACA conferences, seminars, workshops,
chapter programs and meetings and related activities. CISAs earn continuing
education hours according to the number of hours of active participation.
(See Calculating Continuing Education Hours section) However, participation
in ISACA chapter meetings will earn a minimum of one credit hour regardless
of actual duration.
- Non-ISACA professional education activities and meetings
(no limit): These activities include in-house corporate training,
university courses, conferences, seminars, workshops, and professional
meetings and related activities not sponsored by ISACA. In addition,
continuing education hours can be earned from formal review courses if such
courses advance the CISAs IS audit, control and security or managerial
knowledge or skills. CISAs earn continuing education hours according to the
number of hours of active participation. (See Calculating Continuing
Education Hours section). However, university courses earn 15 continuing
education hours per semester hour and 10 continuing education hours per
quarter hour.
- Self-study courses (no limit): These activities
include structured courses designed for self-study that offer continuing
education hours. These courses will only be accepted if a certificate of
completion is issued by the course provider.
- Vendor sales/marketing presentations (10-hour annual
limitation): These activities include vendor product or system specific
sales presentations.
Contributions to the Profession
- Teaching/lecturing/presenting (no limit): These
activities include the development and delivery of educational
presentations. Professional education hours are earned at twice the
presentation time for the first delivery (e.g.: 2 hour presentation earns 4
continuing education hours) and at the actual presentation time for the
second delivery. Professional development hours cannot be earned for
subsequent presentations of the same material unless the content is
substantially modified.
- Publication of articles, monographs and books (no
limit): These activities include the publication or review of material
directly related to the information systems audit and control profession.
Submissions must appear in a formal publication and a copy of the article
must be available, if requested. For books and monographs, the table of
contents and title page must be available. Professional development hours
are earned for the actual number of hours taken to complete or review the
material.
- CISA question development and review (no limit):
This activity pertains to the development or review of CISA questions. One
continuing education hour is earned for each CISA question accepted by
ISACA's Test Enhancement Committee (TEC). Actual hours will be given for the
formal item review process.
- Passing related professional examinations (no limit):
This activity pertains to the pursuit of other professional examinations.
One continuing education hour is earned for each examination hour when a
passing score is achieved.
- ISACA and Information Systems Audit and Control
Foundation (ISACF) Board/Committee work (10-hour annual limitation):
These activities include active participation on an ISACA/F Board or
Committee, or active participation as a director of an ISACA chapter. One
continuing education hour is earned for each hour of participation.
- Contributions to the IS audit and control profession
(10-hour annual limitation): These activities include work performed for
the Association that contributes to the IS audit and control profession
(i.e. research development, CISA Review Manual development).
Calculating Continuing Education Hours
One continuing education hour is earned for each fifty (50)
minutes of active participation (excluding lunches and breaks) in an educational
activity. Continuing education hours are only earned in full-hour increments.
For example, a CISA who attends a five hour presentation (300 minutes) will earn
six (6) continuing education hours (300 minutes of active participation / 50
minute credit hour).
Sample Calculation
| Educational Activity Schedule |
Actual Hours |
| 9:00 am - 5:00 pm |
8.0 |
| Less: Two 15-minute breaks |
0.5 |
| Less: Lunch - 1 hour |
1.0 |
| Total hours of educational activity |
6.5 |
Calculation of CE Hours
6.5 actual hours (or 390 minutes) / 50 minutes = 7.8 or 7.5 CE
hours (only rounding down allowed)
|
