Institute of Internal Auditors

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The Institute of Internal Auditors
AbbreviationIIA
FormationNovember 1941
Type Professional Association
Headquarters Lake Mary, Florida, United States
Region served
Global
Membership265,000+ (2026)
Anthony J. Pugliese
Stefano Comotti (2025-2026)
Website www.theiia.org
[1] [2]

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is an international professional association. [3] The IIA offers professional certifications and provides education, research, and guidance for the internal audit profession.

Contents

History

The IIA was established in November 1941 in New York City. Its first international chapter was formed in Toronto in 1944. Additional international expansion outside North America followed with chapters in London and Manila in 1948, and in Japan and Australia in 1952. [4]

The IIA Code of Ethics was adopted in 1968 and a published a Common Body of Knowledge in 1972. The Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation was introduced in 1974. [5] The IIA issued its first professional standards, the Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, in 1978. [6] In 1985, The IIA became one of the original sponsors of the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). [7]

As of 2026, The IIA reported membership of approximately 265,000 members from 170 countries and territories. [4] The organization's global headquarters are in Lake Mary, Florida, United States. [8] Anthony J. Pugliese serves as the President and CEO of the organization. [9]

Professional certifications

The Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) [10] certification is the primary professional designation offered by The IIA. The CIA is a globally recognized certification for internal auditors. [11]

To earn the CIA designation, candidates must pass a three-part CIA and meet certain educational and professional experience requirements established by The IIA. [12] The organization also offers the CIA certification through a one-part CIA Challenge Exam, [13] for individuals who already hold certain qualifying professional designations, such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), or Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). [13]

CIAs are required to complete continuing professional education (CPE) annually to maintain their certifications. [14]

As of 2024, more than 200,000 individuals worldwide held the CIA designation, with a significant concentration in the Asia-Pacific and North American regions. [15]

Other currently awarded certifications

The IIA also offers the following certifications:

Active, but no longer awarded, certifications

The IIA previously offered several other certifications that are no longer awarded. Individuals who earned these designations prior to their discontinuation may continue to use them. [19]

The certifications that were no longer awarded after June 30, 2021 include:

The following certification was no longer awarded after December 31, 2022:

Professional standards

In 1978, The IIA released the first version of the Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing. [6]   These standards were revised periodically over the following decades as part of The International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF).

In 2024, The IIA approved a comprehensive revision titled the Global Internal Audit Standards, which took effect on January 9, 2025. [21] The revised standards replaced the former International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing. [22]  

The Global Internal Audit Standards are organized into five domains,15 principles, and 52 standards. The five domains address the purpose of internal auditing, ethics and professionalism, overall organizational governance, managing the internal audit function and performing internal audit services. The standards include requirements, implementation considerations, and examples of evidence of evidence to demonstrate conformance.

Internal Audit Foundation

The Internal Audit Foundation is the philanthropic and research arm of the IIA. The Foundation advances the internal audit profession globally through independent research, thought leadership, grants, and scholarship programs designed to support current and future practitioners.

The Foundation publishes research and on emerging risks, governance, and the evolving role of internal audit, including the annual Global Risk in Focus and North American Pulse of Internal Audit reports, as well as studies addressing topics such as fraud, digital transformation, and organizational resilience. 

In 2024, The Foundation released ‘Vision 2035: Creating Our Future Together,’ a global research initiative outlining future trends, capabilities, and strategic priorities shaping the internal audit profession over the next decade. [23]

See also

References

  1. "Internal Audit | About the internal auditing profession and The IIA". www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  2. "Leadership". IIA Leadership. Institute of Internal Auditors. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  3. Staff writer (2024). "Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)". UIA Global Civil Society Database. uia.org. Brussels, Belgium: Union of International Associations. Yearbook of International Organizations Online. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 "IIA Global Expansion Timeline". www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  5. Ramamoorti, Sridhar (2003). Internal Auditing: History, Evolution, and Prospects. The Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation. pp. 6–7.
  6. 1 2 Pitt, Sally-Anne (2014). Internal audit quality: developing a quality assurance and improvement program. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. ISBN   978-1-118-71551-2.
  7. "Home". COSO. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  8. "Contact Us". www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  9. "The Institute of Internal Auditors Leadership". www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2025-04-20.
  10. "Certified Internal Auditor | Global Certification in Internal Audit | The IIA". www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  11. "CIA Exam | Graduate Accounting | Kelley Indianapolis". Kelley School of Business. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  12. ""I Am Golden: CIA is the Gold Standard"" (PDF). www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  13. 1 2 "CIA Challenge Exam Options". www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  14. "CIA Renewal Requirements". www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  15. "Annual Report 2021" (PDF). The Institute of Internal Auditors. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  16. "Internal Audit Practitioner | Global Certification in Internal Audit | The IIA". www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  17. "CRMA Exam Syllabus". www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  18. "Certification in Risk Management Assurance | Global Certification in Internal Audit | The IIA". www.theiia.org. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "CFSA, CGAP, CCSA Transition FAQs" (PDF). The Institute of Internal Auditors. January 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  20. "Qualification in Internal Audit Leadership | Global Certification in Internal Audit | The IIA". 2025-01-22. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  21. "2024 Global Internal Audit Standards". KPMG. 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
  22. "2024 Global Internal Audit Standards". kpmg.com. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  23. ""internal Audit: Vision 2035"" (PDF). IIA. Retrieved 2026-02-26.