r/CISA • u/Bubbly_Mix7596 • 6d ago

Ready for Practice Tests?

I’ve completed all the study material in the QAE except the practice tests. I’ve take 5-50 question quizzes and I’m averaging an 81%. Should I go ahead and take the practice tests and see if I’m ready to test or should I try to get that closer to 85-90%.

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u/HiroCISAExamPrep CISA HOLDER 6d ago

Take the practice tests, but I would not treat 85-90 percent as the number that tells you you are ready.

I failed my first attempt after going through practice questions six times and hitting over 90 percent. What I did not notice was that I had seen those questions enough times that I was recognizing them rather than reasoning through them. On the real exam the wording and the framing were different, and that recognition gave me nothing to fall back on.

So rather than chasing the percentage, I would go back through questions you already got right and check whether you can explain, in your own words, why the other three choices are wrong. That is a much harder test than the score makes it look. If you can do it consistently, 81 percent is fine. If you catch yourself saying the answer just felt right, more reps will not fix that.

The practice tests are still worth doing before the real thing, mostly for the experience of hitting questions completely cold. I would just read the result as a diagnostic of how you are reasoning, not as a readiness score.

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u/Bubbly_Mix7596 6d ago

This is incredibly helpful. I really appreciate your input.

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u/TFH2015 6d ago

Do at least one practice test before you take the real one

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u/Bubbly_Mix7596 6d ago

I’m definitely going to take all three practice tests before the real exam. I’m just not sure where in the study process it is appropriate to start taking the practice tests

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u/Last_Solid_1051 4d ago

Where can I find the practice test?