Last year, the Institute for Internal Auditors announced some changes it was making to its policies covering requirements for continuing professional education (CPE) credits to maintain certain certifications, including Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA). Those changes to the Annual Certification Renewal Policy will go into effect for IIA certification holders on September 1.
The most significant policy change is that once a certification is expired, it cannot be reinstated. The certification is revoked if the holder goes three years or longer without reporting CPE. If an individual with a revoked certification wishes to become certified again, they must reapply to the certification program and pass all required exams to recertify. In the past, a certification holder could “catch up” on CPE credits and get reinstated. That option will no longer be available.
If a certification holder does not report CPE credits in any given year, they will enter a “grace period” that will last two years. During that time a certification holder can’t use his or her certification designation, but can still catch up on the required CPE credits and become reinstated. Once the third year is reached without reporting credits, that option is no longer available.
Rolling Over Credits
Another significant change to the IIA’s CPE policy is that certification holders are now able to “roll over” excess credits to the following year. Any surplus of CPE acquired during a calendar year may be used for the following calendar year reporting cycle (20 hours max for CIA and 10 hours for other IIA designations can be rolled over).
“IIA certifications are much more than their exams. The profession of internal auditing is constantly evolving; through continuing professional development, your certifications demonstrate that your professional competencies are current with industry trends, technologies, and best practices in a rapidly changing risk landscape,” the IIA said in a statement announcing the changes. “Earning and reporting CPE credit hours signifies your investment in continuous learning.” 